Thursday, October 22, 2009

My Favorite Desert Peaks


I am not a big fan of the typical desert peaks. Most have boring approaches, crappy rock, and long drives. I do not consider the peaks in Red Rock or Mt. Charleston as desert peaks. The rock there is much different. So I "cherry pick" the desert peaks I do climb. Here's a list of my favorite:

Mopah and Umpah Points-
Great peaks located near Needles, CA. They look impossible to climb without ropes. The rock is amazingly good.
Stats: 9 miles (both points); Elevation gain: 3,800 feet; Class: 4 Panorama

Eagle Mtn:
This is a great peak located west of Pahrump, NV. The route has a pseudo knife-edge ridge and great vistas from the summit.
Stats: 3 miles; Elevation gain: 1,800 feet; Class 3 Panorama

Moapa Peak
This is one of the classic desert peaks. The route has the famous knife-edge ridge.
Stats: 6.5 miles; Elevation gain: 3,351 feet; Class 3 Slide Show

All of the routes to these peaks and another 350 routes are available for members of HikingLasVegas. More information here.
If you have a favorite desert peak, let me know.

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