Lake Mead Buttress (Crag Review)

If you ever go to Red Rocks, NV, you’ll probably be planning on climbing on some rocks that are, in fact, red. Red Rocks is known for its stellar red sandstone which all kinds of climbs for all kinds of climbers. It really is a wonderland. However, if you know anything about sandstone, you probably know that it does not handle water well. Climbing wet rock is not only lame and unsafe, but a major faux pax in the climbing world. So, if it rains, at Red Rocks, what are you to do? Cancel your trip? No! You hit some amazing limestone!

As it turns out, the only reason that these limestone spots aren’t more well known is because the climbing in the surrounding area (Red Rocks) is truly world class. There are a few nice limestone crags worth hitting, but Lake Mead Buttress (LMB) has to be one of the best.

Approach
The worst aspect of LMB is the approach, but it really isn’t that bad, especially for the quality of climbing you get. It is very close to the park (Red Rocks), so if you’re already in the area, the drive is trivial. Plus, there is free street parking nearby. Once you park, you have about 30min of flat walking to the base of the buttress. See? Flat walking isn’t so bad.

Next, however, you have a pretty steep ascent (perhaps another 30-40min or so, depending on your fitness). Make sure you follow the trail, because it gets pretty real pretty fast if you don’t. The last bit gets a little class 4-ish, but in a way you can think of it as your warm up. After that, you’re there! You’ll have almost the entire buttress to yourself.

Climbing

Now this is the good stuff. As mentioned, this crag does not get crowded, so you pretty much have your choice of climbs. This does mean that the routes aren’t super well trafficked, so helmets are a must, but the worst of it is just choss, not holds breaking. Since it’s so new, the texture is amazing, and the pro (almost all bolts) is also amazing. What’s nice about LMB is that there are fun multipitch climbs and spicy single pitch climbs.

On the multipitch climbs, there are a number of huge ledges if parties need to pass by each other (not super common, but very doable). Some of the routes require you to “space walk” across some flat space before the next pitch, so having some shoes you are okay to walk in are a good idea (i.e., not your mega aggressive send shoes). The belay spots are quite nice in that you can usually stand and have space for your rope and such. If you don’t want to do all of the pitches, you can rap down at certain pitches. Otherwise, you can walk off and rap down a designated line. With all of these amenities, LMB would be a great spot for new multipitch climbers.

All of that said, the single pitches are nothing to sneeze at, either. For starters, the first pitches of the multipitches are pretty fun. Even more, there is a large overhanging area with some hard climbs. There’s lots of space for you and your crew to hang out in the shade and project the gnars. Again, since there aren’t a ton of people there, you can take your time projecting and try hard without feeling self-conscious.

Final Remarks

Red Rocks is an amazing place, but the nearby limestone is fantastic as well. LMB would be a great choice after some rain or to avoid crowds. No matter what you like, there’s something for you there.

If you’re out near Las Vegas, be sure to check this place out! Climb safe out there!