Keystone
Keystone Boulder
Keystone is a great place for an evening session. The rock is an almost obsidian like volcanic which demands your full attention and the two traverses demand sustained power and precision and will keep most climbers coming back for awhile. Cars do get broken into here, but since the video surveillance signs went in it has happened a lot less. If you are worried about it you can park at Rancho San Rafael an hike in from there I hear their a tunnel that goes under McCarran, but I've never verified that.

Directions: From North McCarran Blvd. and Keystone you can see a large painted water tank. Take the road just west of that (Victory Lane) North then left onto Keystone. The Keystone Boulder is in the Keystone Canyon East Trailhead on the left in the creek bed about a quarter mile up the trail. The North Face is at the end of the road. Park in the dirt parking area and hike up the hill.



1. *VB if that, Slab with a lot of options.
2. V0R Low start bear hugging the jugs then up and right up the dyhedralish thing and straight up. Between the rock and the seasonal creek the landing can be pretty bad. Pumpy.
2a. **V8
The Keystone Traverse SDS Traverse the boulder to the right arete then up, I hear this goes at an 8 and it looks like it.
3. VB High start on the 2 jugs above your head then up the Dyhedralish thing
3a. V3 Same Start, but traverse right into 4
4. **V3 Crimpy and straight up to a hidden slopey dish and a hidden jug.
4a. *V4 much harder SDS in the water.
4b. V4
D's Variation SDS instead of the dish fire out right to the sloper
4c. V5
Fire Left SDS ignore the dish fire left to a slopey crimp.
5. *V1 Layback on head high jug and up.
5a. **V4 Start the Traverse Right here for a easier pumpy workout.
6. **V1 start matched on high slopey jug over your head and up.
7. V2 2 crimp start, out right and up.
8. V1 start on high rail above your head and up.
8a. *V2 start left on head level 2 finger pocket, right on hip level side pull then up.
8b. V4 SDS on sidepulls then up, crimpy with a precise pop to a pocket.
9. *V2 SDS arete-bad slopers & awkward crimps.
9a.
Left Face Eliminate V3 SDS on arete, with the exception of the starting feet the features right of the arete are off.
9b. V3 Start on the arete work left into #6
9c. ***
The Reverse Traverse V7 SDS on the arete and Traverse Left into #3 staying below the slab.

The Warm up Boulder: Their is some easy stuff on a boulder just behind the keystone boulder.

10. V1 The Polished Horn SDS on the face, straight up to the crack then up and over the bulge.
11. VB SDS Juggy Face
12. V0 SDS Slabbish thing
13. *V0 Hidden Jugs SDS the face on the right side of the crack
The Black Rock:
Even slicker, sharper and more obsidian like then keystone it's a haul up here for not that much stuff, but it does offer what are as far as I know a few impressively hard projects.

Directions: Instead of parking at the keystone trail head continue on to the off road vehicle parking (I'm not sure they still allow 4-wheeling up here) you will see the boulders up on the hillside.

14. Project-Overhung bulge with tiny sharp features, and its slicker than it looks.
15. *V2 SDS on a good triangular pinch/crimp other hand where ever, slab on for feet, then up and left.
16. Project- Scary slopey and big moves.