My next stop was Las Vegas, and the nearby limestone caves of Mt. Charelston. Once again, when I arrived, it was freezing. The wind was so strong, I was afraid my poor bus would be knocked over or hit by a falling tree. But after a few days it calmed down, and the climbing was perfect. I was the only climber camping at the crag, though, so I made a few calls and got some local friends to come up and join me. As usual, it took several days to get into the climbing zone. The rock is slick, and the holds are small pockets and edges on great waves of overhanging limestone. The month of May is a bit early for climbing here, as the rock seeps due to snow melting on the slopes above. Even with my elbow hurting I was still able to repeat several .12b's and even redpoint a .12c, 'Higher Power', on my second try.
At first, I tried to work on a very steep .13a 'Straight Outta Compton', but a wet key hold made it impossible for me. After splashing into the slippery pocket, the same hand must cling to a desperate pinch-sidepull while you clip the third bolt. If you fall, you can hit the ground quite easily. Lowering my sights, I aimed for a route I'd been on the year before - 'Urban Decay' .12d, in the Infectious cave. The location was good, too, since the two guys I was climbing with, Bill and Todd, were both working on routes in the same cave. I had tried the route the previous year, and couldn't do the crux move at all. This year, I spent a bit more time at it, and figured out the beta that was best for me. By the time I was ready to redpoint it, the crux was not there at all. The truoble was having enough juice at the top to finish it.
After nearly three weeks at Mt. Charelston, my elbow was getting worse, and still I hadn't been able to complete my project. I made all the preparations I could think of; I took an extra day off to rest, carbo-loaded the night before, and even ate a 'clif bar' for lunch. Again I pushed it to the last possible moment. After falling off the second to last hold four times in one day, and planning to leave that night, I did it. Just barely.
