All Locations > Nevada > Southern Nevada > Mt Potosi > E Side

Clear Light Cave Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in Clear Light Cave

L › R R › L A › Z

	Ancient Secret S 5.14b 8c 33 X+ 33 E9 7b
	Annihilator S 5.14c 8c+ 34 XI- 35 E9 7b
	Atlantis S 5.14b 8c 33 X+ 33 E9 7b
	Baby in a Straight Jacket S 5.14c 8c+ 34 XI- 35 E9 7b
	Black Thorn, The S 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
	Canned Heat S 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
	Captain Caveman S 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
	Caveman Ecstasy S 5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
	Clear Moment S 5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c
	Countdown to Ecstasy S 5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
	Crowtein S 5.14b 8c 33 X+ 33 E9 7b
	Eggporkalypse, The S 5.14d 9a 35 XI 36 E10 7c
	Fight Milk S 5.13d 8b 31 X 32 E8 7a
	Fresh Gum S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Ghost Meat S 5.13d 8b 31 X 32 E8 7a
	GNC (Glued Not Chipped) S 5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c
	Hard Candy S 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
	Hold Your Fire S 5.14b 8c 33 X+ 33 E9 7b
	Lawnmower Man S 5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c
	Meat Tornado S 5.14b/c 8c+ 34 XI- 34 E9 7b
	Merry Christmas S 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
	Mijou S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Mixed Emotions S 5.14a 8b+ 32 X+ 32 E8 7a
	Moment of Clarity S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Mon Pote Assis S 5.14a 8b+ 32 X+ 32 E8 7a
	Mouthbreather S 5.14b 8c 33 X+ 33 E9 7b
	Natural, The S 5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b
	Nice Is Nice S 5.14b 8c 33 X+ 33 E9 7b
	Pappi Van Winkle S 5.14a 8b+ 32 X+ 32 E8 7a
	Pearls before Swine S 5.13+ 8b 30 X- 31 E7 7a
	PMA S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	PMS S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Power Windows S 5.13c 8a+ 30 X- 31 E7 7a
	Pranayama S 5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
	Pranayama Extension S 5.13c 8a+ 30 X- 31 E7 7a
	Raging Canine S 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Ray of Light S 5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
	Reverse Polarity S 5.14b 8c 33 X+ 33 E9 7b
	Rising Sun S 5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
	Santorini S 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
	T2 S 5.13d 8b 31 X 32 E8 7a
	Time Out of Mind S 5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c
	Touch the Sky S 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
	Turbulence S 5.13d 8b 31 X 32 E8 7a
	TYB (Try Your Best) S 5.13c 8a+ 30 X- 31 E7 7a
	Whamo S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Whamo Extension S 5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c

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Elevation:	6,198 ft	1,889 m
GPS:	35.97018, -115.47445 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
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Shared By:	Andrew Raether on Jul 5, 2012
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Description

Sunny and shady walls. The deepest part of the cave almost never gets sun. The left wall gets morning shade. The cave gets morning sun. The right wall gets sun from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.

It is possible to climb at Mt. Potosi through the winter, though January through March can have some days that are just too cold - even snowing. Too hot in the summer (June through September).

Dan McQuade was the first person to develop routes in the cave around 1997 or 1998 - starting with the classic 5.12a, Moment of Clarity. Soon after, Joe Brooks, Brian McCray, Roxanna Brock, and Jared McMillan spent a lot of time in the cave opening new routes. Mike Lewis also added a number of natural routes in the 5.11 to 5.13a range.

The cave routes are mostly steep, long, and gymnastic.

Whether you disagree with the ethics involved in developing some of the routes, the cave is a beautifully majestic place to hang out and climb.

Getting There

40 to 50 minutes. You cannot see the Clear Light Cave from the parking lot, nor during most of the hike. From the parking lot, follow the road west until it ends in the wash. Continue up the wash, following where other climbers have hiked. Stay in the wash until you can see the cave up to your right - follow a steep and loose trail up to the cave.

47 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Clear Light Cave

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 57 ● Whamo Sport
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 16 ● PMS Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 8 ● Mijou Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 41 ● Moment of Clarity Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 8 ● PMA Sport
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b 11 ● Santorini Sport
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b 4 ● The Black Thorn Sport
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b 19 ● Captain Caveman Sport
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b 5 ● Merry Christmas Sport
5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b 8 ● The Natural Sport
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c 5 ● Caveman Ecstasy Sport
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c 7 ● Countdown to Ecstasy Sport