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Elevation: 4,423 ft
GPS: 35.65391, -114.84515
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 51,858 total · 501/month
Shared By: SenorDB on Sep 24, 2015
Admins: Luke EF, Justin Johnsen

Description Suggest change

At the northern tip of the Ireteba Peaks, The Moon is a beautiful little place filled with rocks, scrub oak, and some juniper just south of Keyhole. Knob Hill Spring is in the main camping area and has water most of the year. On wet years, many of the washes will run with small steams during the spring. The rock is quartzmonzonite, just like J-Tree except in micro amounts. This is Keyhole's sister area, developed by many of the same climbers and is also a traditional climbing area with all of the routes having been established ground up. Because of the nature of the rock, there are a lot more bolts here than Keyhole but natural gear is still used whenever possible. Many climbs have bolted anchors on top and maybe a dozen routes can be led entirely on bolts that tend to be widely spaced. There are also quite a few cracks but most climbs are mixed. The tallest formations are about 100' tall but most are much shorter, too short for bolts but just right for highballs or top ropes. Four formations make up the bulk of climbing here: Knob Hill, the tallest hill when you first arrive and, from north to south Bone Daddy, North Breezeway, and South Breezeway Domes in the main camping area. The rest consists of acres of boulders here ranging from small to house-sized. Joe Herbst is the first known technical climber to have pioneered routes here, starting in the mid-60s, and also gave the area it's name.

This is a great place to camp. There aren't any officially developed sites but half a dozen or more have formed among the boulders that come right down to the road. A couple have formations large enough to have anchors, and TRing by firelight is traditional.

Hunters and off-road enthusiasts love this place and are out here on a regular basis. The latter have thrashed this place considerably with trails crisscrossing everywhere. Between them and people who didn't bring firewood, many of the largest trees are gone.

Native Americans have spent considerable time here but not much evidence is left. The best of what's left is in the Mushroom Boulder, a hollowed out room-sized rock on the west side of Bone Daddy Dome and has some nice pictographs inside.

Like Keyhole, this is a traditional area and the local ethics are that bolts placed on rappel and retro-bolts tend to disappear.

Getting There Suggest change

From the US 93/95 turnoff take US95 south 29 miles to the Old Nelson Hwy (a wide, smooth dirt rd) turn left, follow for 3.5 miles and turn right. After 1 mile a power line road is encountered, turn right on this and follow this to the rest of the way, or continue straight to wrap around the backside staying to the right to end up at the domes.

61 Total Climbs

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Location: The Moon (aka Knob Hill) Change
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Classic Climbing Routes at The Moon (aka Knob Hill)

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.2 3 8 II 8 D 2c
 5
Bone Daddy
Trad, TR 3 pitches
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 7
Jim-Bob
Trad
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Bone Daddy Bone Daddy Dome
 5
5.2 3 8 II 8 D 2c Trad, TR 3 pitches
Jim-Bob N Breezeway Dome
 7
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad
More Classic Climbs in The Moon (aka Knob Hill) »

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