Uncle Michael starts up moderate angled rock with a huge underkling six feet off the ground. Continue past two yellow bands of marginal quality rock to reach a small roof at the fourth bolt. The climbing quality gets better beyond this point as the rock stays a consistent gray with a couple interesting chert formations. Continue to a double bolt stainless steel anchor at the ledge 26 meters up the wall.(This route is named in memory of a family member that passed and news of the event was received after the developing of the climb.)

Uncle Michael

Shipwreck

Friendly Fire

Frog

Commanders' Quest

Scud Missile

Call of Duty

Dark Passenger

Delayed Choice Quantum Eraser

Pandemic

Sharp Stick

The Griswolds

Bastille Day

Thermonuclear Twitter Warfare

The Bomb

The Detonator (aka Bombfire)

Tapestry of Flaws

Apocalypse Now

Dig Dug

Covid-19

Sidewinder

Too old to soon

Modern Warfare

Bird

Defused (aka Friendly Bomb)

Taco Trap

Whackamole

Limerance for a Fool

A Ripple in the Stream

Dragonborn

Scorpion

Poke in the Eye

We are all just tourists

Mental Midget

The Enemy is Us

Good Cancer

Crouching Tiger

Taco Trap starts up light colored rock with a low angle flared crack. Climb past two yellow bands of delicate rock before encountering a tricky sequence at a small overhang into an inside corner. Continue on enjoyable face climbing along another inside corner before stepping up and right to and enjoyable face of chert. Three more bolts will bring you to a ledge with a two-bolt anchor and a great view.

Climb vertical rock to a small roof, making tricky pulls to stand up over it. Continue up slightly easier but still tricky moves to the top.

Climb the reachy bottom into a couple of crimps and pinches on good feet. Move past a mini tufa to gain a pocket, then into an obvious glue-in chockstone. Follow a series of slots and ledges to get to a short kneebar rest with a heady clip at more mini tufas. Core up for the crux boulder on steep terrain. After some resting holds, make the last reachy moves on a compression boulder to gain glory jugs at the top. Clip at modern warfare anchors.Climb was originally graded 13d (and may still be that grade), but various tufas in the first and second roof have since broken. The route has been upgraded in the new Mojave Limestone Guidebook.

A crag-classic. Bouldery climbing through the bottom bulge to great jugs underneath the next bulge. Be cautious while clipping the third bolt, as blowing it here would probably mean decking. An extended draw could make for a much easier clip from the juggy undercling. Another brief boulder problem leads to a no-hands stance below the third bulge. After a full recovery, fire through an awesome jug rail into a more technical upper crux. Finishes with fun stemming to the anchors.

Fragile start that leads into a thin seam/groove. Follow this up and onto the chert covered headwall.

Easier vertical climbing to a distinct and enjoyable boulder problem on small incuts through a roof. I found it easiest to use the big hole out left after the crux, which is shared with M16. One more short but challenging section on sharp grey rock takes you to the anchors.

Make bouldery moves down low with big pulls, past a crack feature with interesting grips, into easier terrain on the headwall past a beehive at the level of the DP anchors. Make some committing slab moves near the top before the 2nd roof that guards the anchors. Best climbed in the fall/winter when the bees aren't buzzing.

The most frequently ascended route of the grade range in the cave and a good first 13a for boulderers. The climb starts out with a very fun sequence of jugs and edges to a good rest below a roof. This goes at 11+/12- and is used by some as a warmup for the harder routes. Pull up above the roof using a crimp out left and make a slightly blind huck for a drilled-out slot jug for the right hand. After sticking the throw, the crux comes immediately, consisting of a short boulder problem with a couple of options that people claim go at about V5-V7 depending on beta and body type. Most skip the first clip in this traverse. Finishes on a few easier moves to pull the lip out right.

A little oomph, or good technique, or both, will get you up past the first bolt. After than, really exploring all your hold options is the key to this slightly-awkward line.

 We tried both right and left of the bolts - right seemed a little less awk.

Slightly traversing to the left. Crux in the beginning. 70m rope required.

Thirty feet of Grade A choss wrangling! Start with a bolt so low you'll question its worthiness to keep you off the barrel cactus below you when you explode a flake 6 feet off the ground, moving up a slight corner. Continue gingerly testing the blocks and flakes that you are yarding on as you cruise up that sweet Southern Nevada limestone. Enjoy the ride, because it's over quick. Good route to warm up to the mental aspects of the rock quality of this cliff!

Start below right edge of roof. Climb into brown groove. Anchor is above on a pillar.

Typical 12- BD cave bouldering on a rope.The climb starts on a few fun, longer moves that quickly transition into easy slab for the next two bolts, with a no-hands stance just below the steep section. After resting up, head out left and use some side pulls to gain a pair of incut crimps over the bulge. A tricky boulder problem takes you through the corner and eventually out to a big left hand jug before the final bulge. Mantel onto a ledge and clip the anchors. Not very sustained, but the crux section is worthwhile.

From the cluster of barrel cacti, start up a slight slab to a cruxy overlap on bubbly rock between the second and third bolts. Finish straight up on easier terrain. Good warmup on mostly quality rock.

Fun and pumpy! Boulder up to a large glue-reinforced jug, and toss up (or mono) to a crimp at the break. After a disappointing shake, take a deep breath and fire up to an obvious glued hold, and continue with big moves up enhanced pockets and sloping edges. Figure out how to rest on a flat hold because the redpoint crux comes right after.

Climb the first 5 bolts of The Bomb. Make the first couple moves into the 2nd roof of The Bomb, but before hitting the obvious big sika’d block, traverse left from a natural (reinforced) flake, float out left into the two finger pocket of Friendly Fire. Meet at the 6th bolt of Friendly Fire and boulder up the last few cruxes. Clip at the anchors of Modern Warfare.Sustained climbing with no kneebars.

Start this route headed straight up a slight dihedral on holds facing all sorts of weird directions. Trend slightly left as you head up on slightly easier terrain. It shares an anchor with the climb to its left.

A punchy start leads to sustained climbing up to a mini-roof where you'll encounter the definite crux. After sticking the crux, easier but fun and potentially tricky dihedral climbing takes you to the short slab finish. Kneebars available for those who care to use them. This climb is notably less bouldery and less manufactured than the other 13-'s, making it one of the best at the cliff.A large undercling on this climb broke on 3/27/21, and probably made this climb a bit harder although it was already considered solid in the grade.

Funky and techy vert climbing through a series of bulges. Hold and sequence-finding can be tricky on this one. The first couple of clips are a little spaced out, so move carefully through the early section. The first crux comes just up and right of the second bolt, but the climbing stays on you until the angle eases off. The climb finishes with run-out, easy 5th-class from the last bolt to an anchor that is currently shared with Whackamole to the right.

Solid addition to the series of bouldery 12- routes at the BD cave.Starts with easy and pleasant slab climbing for a couple of bolts that quickly transitions into more vertical movement. Wander your way up to a tricky crux section at the bulge, starting with a tenuous clip off a slopey two-finger pocket, followed by some pulls off small holds and slippery feet. The climb then eases off quickly, slabbing out just before the anchors.

Zig-zag through a couple bolts of vertical climbing to a no-hands stance under a roof. Pull through a powerful boulder problem, make a quick clip, and do another short boulder problem before snatching a great jug-flake. Finishes on pleasant, slabbier climbing above the lip.Similar in style to Scud Missile on its left, but potentially a bit harder with a longer and more sustained crux section. Book gives it the b/c grade.

Climb Grey shelves of rock to a steeper cherty section. Finished up and left.

A crag-classic.  Deemed by some to be the "king line" of the cave, this heavily manufactured route tackles the centermost and steepest section . The route generally consists of increasingly difficult boulder problems separated by decreasingly good rests. At least one knee-pad (left) is very useful to take advantage of a rest down low and up high. There is a heart-breaker redpoint crux near the top when the climb transitions from juggy, campusy roof climbing to pumpy pulls on smaller crimps.Generally considered to be lower-end 13b. Book gives it a/b.

With or without a kneebar pad, make your way up progressive crimps and balance tech to reach a short overhanging section aka the redpoint crux. A series of pinches and slopers guard the anchors.

Climb the first 5 bolts of Friendly Fire, make a low traverse from the ledge of FF to small tic-tac-y ledges moving right, meet at the 5th bolt of The Bomb (a bit runout). Finish on the Bomb. Consistent climbing with a pump.

Bouldery line that takes on the left side of a nasty-looking crack. A short boulder problem gets you to a no-hands stance in the scoop. From here, you can climb way right of the bolt (don't fall) and jam the gross, chossy, guano-filled crack. This is probably the only way to make the climb feel 11b. Alternatively, you can go straight up and ignore the crack using a combination of sidepulls and slimpers. This makes the climb feel tough for the grade but is nicer climbing with a safer fall. After passing the crack, there are still a couple more pumpy moves before the angle eases off and you trend leftward on sharper slab. Easy 5th-class run-out from the last bolt to anchor shared with Dig-Dug on the left.

Start below brown niche 10' up. Climb right of niche. Follow shallow groves up and through chert wall.

Climb a few bolts of vert which can be tricky without knowing the holds. Fire up into the overhanging section, snagging a jug out right to clip and shake before pulling the crux moves on good pinches. Look out for a sneaky right toe hook/cam to make this less powerful. Pull into a big hole with an easy kneebar and gear up for some run-out and sharp climbing to an anchor out left. Alternatively, you can cross to a jug out right and finish on Scud Missile to save some skin and earn the same grade.

One of the best at the crag!Start on big side pull ledges up and over some blocks, gaining some underclings into easier terrain. Low crux climbs like a gym boulder with all natural rock.

Fun and bouldery.Easier but engaging vertical climbing for a few bolts leads to a good rest stance before a leftwards traverse. Head out left on big holds to a big cross off an undercling slot. This draw would is a good candidate to extend, as clipping off the jug below the undercling would be comforting. After a couple more good holds, a quick crux comes with a small slot crimp out right and a couple of left hand options overhead. Latch the mail slot jug above and enjoy the easy romp up to the anchors.

70M rope required, and tie knots because it barley makes it!

 Starting from a small dihedral, continue up and left on low-angle terrain with lots of loose looking/sounding rocks, and generously spaced bolts. Eventually after a ledge comes the crux - a sequence up a dihedral on some hollow-sounding holds, finishing with a top-out onto a ledge with an anchor you can't really see until you top out.

Getting above the first bolt might be the hardest part, and you reach up and nothing really feels like a hold. After that, pretty chill, with one or two more spots where you gotta pull out some moves. The anchor has some 'X' blocks below it, but you can avoid them by going up left or right just below the anchor.

Climb up the vertical wall on big holds facing all the wrong ways. Feels like a vertical Rifle-style route with lots of blocks and mini-bulges. This route's bolts are slightly more spaced than other routes in the same area.

Start up a slab to a cruxy overlap on holds facing all sorts of ways. After pulling this slight bulge continue up the slab on easier terrain.

Climbs a few balancy moves into a series of sika'd holds and pockets reaching a long chain draw in the mini roof. Get established and make a dunk move, establish into a short compression boulder. A friction dependent sloper guards the glory jug top out.Most skip the draw as one makes the sloper move.Belayer should be standing on the lower tier below the ramp.

Nicely sustained with a solid pump that builds throughout. Eases off significantly around the last bolt to the anchors.Most of the other routes in this range at the cave are quite bouldery, so this one might be on the better warmups for the harder routes, and is an enjoyable endeavor in its own right.

Blue Diamond Cave is an impressive wall of limestone up to 200 feet tall located above Highway 160 . This crag is on the left side of a 1/2 mile + long cliff band that wraps around to the town of Blue Diamond. The wall enjoys southern exposure making it a wonderful climbing area for the cooler months. The Limestone and short approach / commute also makes this wall a good option for when moisture hits Red Rocks. The king lines and prime routes are located in the overhanging section of wall where the approach trail meets the cliff. There are numerous high quality 5.12's and 5.13's to pick from with many of the climbs enjoying fixed permadraws. To the left of the cave is about 200 feet worth of vertical technical face climbing with enjoyable 5.10's. To the right of the overhang is a never-ending ban of chaos but with substantial trundling there will surely be additional routes added to the mix.WARNING: The natural quality of the rock in and around the cave is really, really bad. It required a lot of vision and a ton of work for the original developers to turn what is essentially a giant choss pile into a fairly stacked cliff with a bunch of enjoyable routes. Even if you don't normally helmet up for sport climbing, having one on the belayer isn't a bad idea. That being said, the routes have cleaned up immensely from their natural state, thanks to trundling, traffic, and glue. Most of the rockfall will come from getting off-route or whipping onto a dirty section of rock.

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Location

Protection

Routes in Blue Diamond Cave