Mountain Project: Climbing Nevada

Mention the state of Nevada and you think of Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, deserts, UFO sightings, etc., but for the rock climber it's Red Rocks.

Red Rocks is one of the standout destination climbing venues in the country, especially during the cooler months of the year. During the summer it's often too hot for all but hardy locals. Several thousand routes from classic moderate multi-pitch routes like Cat in the Hat, 20-pitch big-wall outings, and difficult sport routes at The Gallery.

Oh, and then there is Las Vegas for when the campground gets too cold and windy in the early evening.

If you haven't been to Red Rocks yet, make this the one road trip you do this year.

The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Nevada:

Cat in the Hat 5.6 Trad, 6 pitches, 650 feet, Grade II Pine Creek Canyon : Mescalito

Solar Slab 5.6 Trad, 9 pitches, 1220 feet, Grade III Oak Creek Canyon : Solar Slab - Upper Tier

Olive Oil 5.7 Trad, 7 pitches, 600 feet Juniper Canyon : Rose Tower

Birdland 5.7+ Trad, 6 pitches, 600 feet, Grade II Pine Creek Canyon : Brass Wall

Frogland 5.8 Trad, 6 pitches, 700 feet Black Velvet Canyon : Whiskey Peak

Dark Shadows 5.8 Trad, 4 pitches, 350 feet Pine Creek Canyon : Mescalito

Crimson Chrysalis 5.8+ Trad, 9 pitches, 1000 feet Juniper Canyon : Cloud Tower

Straight Shooter 5.9 Trad, 1 pitch, 60 feet Pine Creek Canyon : Straight Shooter Wall

Epinephrine 5.9 Trad, 13 pitches, 1600 feet, Grade IV Black Velvet Canyon : Black Velvet Wall

Black Orpheus 5.9+ Trad, 8 pitches, 1500 feet, Grade III Oak Creek Canyon : Black Orpheus Amphitheater

Dream of Wild Turkeys 5.10a Trad, 7 pitches, 700 feet, Grade III Black Velvet Canyon : Black Velvet Wall

Sour Mash 5.10a Trad, 6 pitches, 600 feet Black Velvet Canyon : Black Velvet Wall

The Nightcrawler 5.10b Trad, Sport, 5 pitches, 550 feet, Grade II Juniper Canyon : Brownstone Wall

Triassic Sands 5.10 Trad, 6 pitches, 700 feet, Grade II Black Velvet Canyon : Whiskey Peak

The Fox 5.10+ Trad, 1 pitch, 150 feet Calico Basin : The Fox Area

Fiddler on the Roof 5.10+ Trad, Sport, 7 pitches, 500 feet, Grade III Black Velvet Canyon : Black Velvet Wall

Unimpeachable Groping 5.10+ Sport, 7 pitches, 760 feet, Grade III Juniper Canyon : Ginger Buttress

Levitation 29 5.11 Trad, Sport, 9 pitches, 700 feet, Grade III Oak Creek Canyon : Eagle Wall

Cloud Tower 5.12- Trad, 6 pitches, 810 feet, Grade IV Juniper Canyon : Cloud Tower

The Original Route 5.12 Trad, 14 pitches, 1000 feet Juniper Canyon : The Rainbow Wall

Photos of Nevada

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Viva Las Vegas! Photo by Blitzo.	Only in Nevada! Photo by Blitzo.	Elephant Rock and brittlebush, Valley of Fire, NV....
Petroglyphs at Key Hole Canyon. Photo by Blitzo.	Another Nevada sunset. Photo by Blitzo.	Sandstone-Valley of Fire. Photo by Blitzo.
Beautiful desolation! Sand Mountain, Nevada. Photo...	Cory Hick's on "Over the Falls" at Cave Rock State...	Stateline, Nevada at Lake Tahoe. Photo by Blitzo.
Petroglyphs-Valley of Fire. Photo by Blitzo.	Balanced Rock-Valley of Fire. Photo by Blitzo.	Ruby Mountains. Photo by Blitzo.
Burning Man-Black Rock Desert. Photo by Blitzo.	Ghost Town, Berlin-Central Nevada. Photo by Blitzo...	Chuckawalla
Adult Entertainment	Dust Storm	Mirage
El burrito loco!	BETA PHOTO: The beautiful... the perfect... Hoover Slabs.	The historic Ghost Train of Ely, Nevada.
Big horn sheep	Lone sheep	Moon over central Nevada somewhere on our way from...
Da Strip	Pogonip, a strange winter frost. Photo by Blitzo.	Ghost town of Rhyolite, near Death Valley NP.
Cows and crags in Northeast Nevada.	Abandoned mining relics in Pioche, Nevada.	Idle train cars in Ely, Nevada.
Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada.	Welcome to the Silver State, Nevada.	The cemetery at Columbus, Nevada
Snow in the desert	A cool tree in Red Rocks	Desert tortoise.
Desert Hairy Scorpion, FLV, Nevada.	Our fair city...	Las Vegas baby!
Draught. Lake Mead, 2004. Probably worse now. H...	The crew down by the river	Angel Creek Amber Ale.
Vegas World Casino 1980, now The Stratosphere. Pho...	Smoke from the 1996 Kingsbury Grade Fire, blowing ...	Late afternoon rainbow in FLV.
Found this gem of a photo on the camera after a lo...	BETA PHOTO: Firestone Slot Canyon Adventure	BETA PHOTO: Firestone Slot Canyon Adventure. Approximately 3....
Sunrise at Lake Mead! Love camping there after a d...	Near Dyer, Nevada

Comments on Nevada

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By Blitzo
Sep 23, 2006

I love Nevada! There is so much open space and little hidden treasures, everywhere!

By stevecurtis
From: Petaluma California
Feb 10, 2008

Does anyone have information on keyhole peak (or Mtn>)? The picture I saw showed a huge limestone cliff.

By Katya gh
Jun 7, 2008

Hi
We are going to be doing several shaded routes in the canyons early July. We were considering Epinephrine and know that the chimneys are in the shade but on what pitch do we actually pop out into the sun and how feasible would it really be to do this route at this time of year?

Plus how much water do people carry in on these summer "expeditions"?
thanx

By Curtis Olson
From: Idaho
Sep 18, 2010

I am hoping someone with knowledge of Red Rocks, NV routes could provide some suggestions. I'm looking to take my son on his first wall and trying to find a reasonable wall in the area similar to Moonlight or Prodigal in Zion. In other words reasonable aid C1/C2+, 5.8/5.9, preferably hammer free, that could typically be completed in a couple days (Grade IV/V). I'm searching for alternatives to Zion because of the various wall closures there this autumn which kind of blows the calendar for us.
It's great to see all the high end free routes in the guides but very unfortunately few mentions of aid options. Guide book authers: this reader would like to see references to original ratings when possible. (e.g. 5.9/A2 old school now often only referenced as free 5.12a)
Thanks for any suggestions.

By Matt Wolski
From: Salt Lake City
Feb 10, 2012

Any info on the huge cliffs easily visible from US 50 west of Great Basin National Park?

By J. Thompson
From: denver, co
Mar 20, 2012

"red rock is the name of our park here in clark county y'all!"

Red rock is surely the name...but its not a park!

Big difference between the National Park Service(NPS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Red Rock canyon is a "National Conservation Area" managed by the BLM.

If it were a park we'd have been legally hand drilling for years!

josh

By VegasKlinger
Oct 23, 2012

Anyone going to the Keyhole Classic in a few weeks?

Good climbing to be had!

Fun for all ages.

Keyhole Classic Rock Climbing Event 2010
Submitted By: VegasKlinger on Oct 23, 2012

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