The hardest un-chipped route at Mt. Potosi, GNC is on the slightly overhanging wall to the right of the cave, in between Touch the Sky 12c (on the left) and Hard Candy 12c (on the right).  

  Follow chains through a roof at 15 feet and up the blocky wall to the second roof. Power through its right side with difficulty. Hang on through a pumpy dihedral that veers left and clip the anchor from a ledge at 32 meters. 

70 METER ROPE RECOMMENDED!

GNC (Glued Not Chipped)

Crowtein

Pranayama

Ghost Meat

Rising Sun

The Black Thorn

The Natural

Pappi Van Winkle

Captain Caveman

Baby in a Straight Jacket

Turbulence

Mouthbreather

TYB (Try Your Best)

Touch the Sky

Canned Heat

Hard Candy

Clear Moment

Mixed Emotions

Pranayama Extension

Ray of Light

Power Windows

Santorini

Annihilator

Lawnmower Man

Caveman Ecstasy

Ancient Secret

Fresh Gum

Hold Your Fire

Atlantis

Pearls before Swine

Raging Canine

Mijou

Nice is nice

Merry Christmas

Whammo Extension

The Eggporkalypse

Whamo (1st anchor)

Meat Tornado

Mon Pote Assis

Countdown to Ecstasy

Reverse Polarity

Fight Milk

Time Out of Mind

Moment of Clarity (1st anchor)

Bring endurance. All good. No bad. A variety of climbing. Stelllar stellar line and sick climbing!

Get Pumped! The full route continues out at 13c, and then further at 14c. Nice to have the short options to have some ticks at "easier" grades.

Start right of the Natural. Climb into anchors of Ray of Light. Possibly 14a I think needs a second ascent

Climb Mijou continue past anchors out the steep face. Head right at the hole finish under the roof

Short and powerful. There is a difficult set of moves to finish the route.

Start just right of whammo. Toss rope down and belay from lower level. Finish at 2 bolt anchor at end of clear moment.

Very steep start off a small ledge for 4 bolts. Then go left 2 more bolts to the anchors on the ceiling.

Crux guards the anchors. This route ends at the midway anchors and a two handed jug of a currently closed project that extends to the top of the cliff.

Despite the appearance of a pile of choss, this actually climbs very well. Some jug hauling to a V6 deadpoint crux to some easier climbing at the top.

Jump start 10 feet right of Reverse Polarity to lip of roof. Climb natural line parallel to polarity then join up at Last bolt.

Start on Power Windows, after the first bolt, cut left.

Jared used to have TYB written on the toes of his climbing shoes to remind him to give it his all! This route has a slopey pocket at the crux and a long whip if you blow it. When working the route, it can be normal to avoid clipping the anchors and jump off to avoid the rope drag.

Climb two roofs to a vertical face above.

Climb Moment of Clarity and continue for 4 more bolts. Big move at the lip. Route has broken and now Is more like 13c

Same start spot as Santorini, but at 15 ft ledge head straight up. Parallels Atlantis and shares anchors same anchors. Low in the 14a grade.

After finishing the 13a version of Pranayama, there is a big move to a jug. Then a jughaul out the roof. Definitely do the two rope system and drop a rope at the 6th bolt on Pranayama to reduce drag.

Same start as The Natural. After the 4th bolt, go right for 2 more bolts.

A V6ish crux at the bottom leads to some tricky climbing past the lip. Knee-pads on both legs recommended. 

  Due to 3 new no-hands kneebars, the new grade is 13c.

Sustained, pumpy, and tension-happy, this route offers all of 12b and more. Great moves off classic limestone feet and sidepulls, crimps, edges, horns, and pinches.

Climb Mijou and continue all the way out the cave within 30ft of the top of the cliff.

Pull hard moves through roofs and technical power moves through the vertical sections.

This links Captain Caveman (12c) on the lower tier of the cave into Countdown to Ecstasy (13a) on the upper tier. While logical, it's not really any harder than Countdown because of the unavoidable rest before heading out the roof.  

  Start in the corner to the right of Power Windows and climb Captain Caveman (45 feet, 6 bolts) to anchors below the enormous roof. Continue out the pocketed, gymnastic roof for another 40 horizontal feet passing 10 more bolts along the way. A brilliant pitch!

Start on Mon Pote Asis and follow the left line after 3rd bolt. Very bouldery.

Climb the face and then left to share the anchors of Moment of Clarity.

Climb Ray of Light and then keep going. At the 11th bolt, climb right 3 more bolts to the anchors.

Climb Santorini then continue into the stepped roofs. Very hard for the grade.

Climb Power windows 13.c straight into Pyramayama 13c. About 14a possibly soft. If you do the 15 ft traverse way out right and lay down on the ledge... Then you are doing both the routes, but not the actual link.

Furthest right route as of 2000. After the 5th bolt, move up and left and finish with the last bolt and anchors on Canned Heat.

This is the third route right of the the small cave in the middle of the Clear Light Cave. Begin by climbing up to the ledge clipping one bolt. From there, pull a couple of difficult moves from the second bolt to the third. A series of underclings gets you to a couple of liebacking moves. Move left to the anchors, which is quite difficult. If you get to the anchors you might as well try one of the harder extensions above!

Start as for turbulence/powerwindows. Clip the 6th bolt on turbulence and boulder left into the crux of Mon Pote assis 13d. Finish at the anchors of Mon Pote assis. Long forgotten joe brooks link up project. I kept the old project name Nice(the city) is nice that I found in the old Roxanna Brock guidebook.

Some odd holds will take you past the 11b onto steep terrain to the anchors.

Climb Reverse Polarity 14b. Into Meat Tornado 14b

Most use this route to access Pranayama and other hard climbs on the ceiling, but if you're looking for a fun romp up the cave wall at a mellow grade, this is it. Start off on easy climbing, thinking you're getting away with an easy 5.11 until very steep climbing awaits you a bolt or two before the chains. Enjoy the cool tufas and jugs on this one.

Start on Ray of light then traverse to Reverse Polarity anchors. Climb the Reverse Polarity extension to the end of Hold Your Fire. Needs long draws and be prepared for 40 ft fall at top

Mon Pote Assis is a great route, if you don't mind climbing on cemented holds. The moves are unique and dramatic. 

  The route finishes with a dyno to the finishing jug. 

Andrew Raether adds: "With all the new beta and big kneebar rest at the top the route is now solidly down to 13d."

Start on Mixed Emotions. Head right after the 4th bolt to a ledge. Move up the left facing corner using the last bolt and anchors of PMA.

Despite some controversial methods for developing this (among many) routes in the cave, this is possibly the most fun one can have on a roof at this grade. Sustained handlebars and three finger pockets among numerous toe and heel hooks lead out to the lip. Would be 4 stars if it were all natural!

A steep, sloper/pinch-fest on incredibly solid rock. Really cool movement. Recommend kneepads on both legs.

Start on the east 10 in the center of the wall that is the access route to Pyramayama. Trolley your rope across the wall clipping one and I clipping the previous draw till you reach the mon potasi anchors. Head straight out the roof and meet up with end of Pyramayama. 

  recently a hold broke a the beginning. a natural sequence was promptly figured out and the route goes at the same grade or a half grade harder. shouldn't affect the grade for Crowteine.

Bouldery shorty. Starts in the same messy rock as Lawn Mower Man but splits left using a few comfortable pockets to overcome a small roof. The crux comes immediately after with a very intense right shoulder move, then continues up easier but sustained crimping for two more bolts to anchors in the roof. Keep going for dead horizontal roof climbing on the extension, Seven Ten Split (14b/c).

While most would consider this route their warm-up for the cliff, it is a fantastic climb in its own right. Consistent, good holds lead you through two distinct and interesting cruxes on your way to the chains. While you will have to climb above your bolt on this one, its not far and the moves are secure.

Sunny and shady walls. The deepest part of the cave almost never gets sun. The left wall gets morning shade. The cave gets morning sun. The right wall gets sun from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.

 It is possible to climb at Mt. Potosi through the winter, though January through March can have some days that are just too cold - even snowing. Too hot in the summer (June through September).

 Dan McQuade was the first person to develop routes in the cave around 1997 or 1998 - starting with the classic 5.12a, Moment of Clarity. Soon after, Joe Brooks, Brian McCray, Roxanna Brock, and Jared McMillan spent a lot of time in the cave opening new routes. Mike Lewis also added a number of natural routes in the 5.11 to 5.13a range.

 The cave routes are mostly steep, long, and gymnastic.

 Whether you disagree with the ethics involved in developing some of the routes, the cave is a beautifully majestic place to hang out and climb.

Description

Protection

Routes in Clear Light Cave