For climbers, it's not the Las Vegas Strip, but the nearby desert, that rocks.

Miles of Mojave wilderness, stumpy Joshua trees, the tang of sage and juniper, towering escarpments: here is the real extravagance in southern Nevada. Red Rock Canyon, just 15 miles from the Strip, is a climber's mecca.

"It's great for beginners and experienced climbers," said Coley Gentzel, program coordinator at the American Alpine Institute at Red Rock Canyon. Gentzel, 28, grew up in the Midwest and started climbing in high school. He's climbed in Alaska, throughout the Tetons, Yosemite, the Rockies and Canada. In 2005 he moved to Nevada to do what he loves most.

"(Red Rock area) is sandstone, which means a huge variety of climbs and routes," Gentzel said. "These range from bouldering done low to the ground, sports climbing, which is typically 80 to 150 feet, and multipitch climbs with ropes, for more advanced climbs."

"Sandstone produces small edges and ledges, which make for interesting hand- and footholds at all levels," Gentzel said. "There are not many places to climb you can say that about."

Or where you can climb (almost) year-round. Scott Schumann, 31, travels from Salt Lake City. "The weather is great in the winter. Rock quality is fantastic, and there's a lifetime of moderate multipitch routes," Schumann said. "Only drawback is the city lights of Vegas and wasting money on slots in the airport!"

Red Rock Canyon is less than a 30-minute drive from the Vegas Strip but may as well be on the moon. The only slots you'll find here are those between rock faces. Party animals? Think mountain sheep, snakes and "Mojave Max," the desert tortoise.

Not only is Red Rock itself a major climbing destination, but it's a short drive from here to many other prime climbing destinations, making it an excellent stop on a climbing road trip in the Southwest. Three hours to the south, in California, is Joshua Tree. Just a 2 1/2-hour drive to the north, in Utah, are the amazing sandstone cliffs of Zion.

"Climbing is best October through May," Gentzel said. "Summer can be very hot."