Photo above: Robber's Roost, Mt. Charleston, NV. Photo CC Credit Feature Photographer: Brook Anderson.
Summary
Mt. Charleston is a sport crag that sits high above the Las Vegas, Nevada desert floor. It has large walls of limestone scattered across the mountain and a variety of climbing grades and limestone “styles” – from limestone with horizontal chert-infused layers to super-sharp “pokey” limestone to overhung yellow- and grey-hughed limestone with chunky edges.
Mt. Charleston is primarily a summer and fall climbing location. The elevation makes it an excellent respite from the 115 degree temperatures of the Las Vegas summer. But, it does get cold and snowy in the winter time.
Mt. Charleston is a sport crag that sits high above the Las Vegas, Nevada desert floor. It has large walls of limestone scattered across the mountain and a variety of climbing grades and limestone “styles” – from limestone with horizontal chert-infused layers to super-sharp “pokey” limestone to overhung yellow- and grey-hughed limestone with chunky edges.
Mt. Charleston is primarily a summer and fall climbing location. The elevation makes it an excellent respite from the 115 degree temperatures of the Las Vegas summer. But, it does get cold and snowy in the winter time.
Directions
Take Highway 95 north out of Las Vegas and turn left at Kyle Canyon Road (state route 157). Follow this road up into the mountains and then follow the specific directions provided on Mountain Project to a wall.
Deer Creek Road (highway 158) connects Kyle Canyon Road with Lovell Canyon Road. There are some climbing spots, including Robber’s Roost, off Deer Creek Road and some dispersed camping off Deer Creek near the intersection with Lovell Canyon Road (there is also some dispersed camping off Lovell Canyon Road – see link under camping).
Lovell Canyon is the road that leads to the ski area. Deer Creek Road is closed during the winter.
Grading, Boltings, and Guidebook Tips
There are a wide rage of grades to be found on Mt. Charleston, from the super easy at The Chert Locker to the super hard at Robber’s Roost. Some of the earlier established climbs (1990s) have some sand-bagged ratings.
This is a sport crag with most, though not all, climbs being well-bolted. Some climbs end in perma-draws, others end in just bolts or rings – so be prepared with your own anchors and please do not top rope through rings!
There are some out-of-print guidebooks that are difficult to find. So, climbs can primarily be found on Mountain Project:
https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105850026/mount-charleston
Rock Type, Climbing, and Style The rock is featured limestone. A few spots have slabby low-angle climbs, but mostly it is technical face climbs and overhung climbs. There are enough climbs and variety of styles to meet a variety of climbing levels – although that can be wall-dependent (walls often tend to be easy, moderate, or hard, and in many places there isn’t a mix of grades on the same wall.) The quality of the rock can vary by wall. Loose rock does exist. Camping There are multiple camping areas available on Mt. Charleston, although in the summer months the camping can be full on most days. Here is a link to the different camp grounds: https://www.gomtcharleston.com/lasvegas/campgrounds-picnic-sites/ There are a few spots available for boon-docking/dispersed camping. These can also get busy. Please pack out your poop and waste – it’s crowded and gets gross otherwise. Although you will see lots of fire rings at the dispersed camping sites, please refrain from fires (and don’t throw your trash in the fires – especially things like glass and aluminum that don’t burn). There have been several recent fires and this is a desert that is almost always dry and high risk. You can learn more about the dispersed camping here: https://www.gomtcharleston.com/dispersed-camping/ |
Yeahs
- Fun, interesting rock with a nice variety of styles on different walls.
- Well bolted sport (for the most part).
- A cool place to climb during the hot Vegas summer.
- The setting is beautiful alpine with pine, aspen, and other evergreen trees.
- There are several restaurants where you can grab a post-climb bite.
Neahs
- It can get crowded in the summer, especially on weekends (both with climbers and hikers).
- Some of the rock can be painfully sharp.
- For the most part the quality of rock is decent, but there are places with loose rock (helmets!).
Opinion Rating
Worth It!