Arm Forces 5.9, Illusion Crags

Climbed on December 26, 2022. 

Fun Rating: Superb

My wife and I moved to Las Vegas from Chicago a couple of years ago, and for a long while the cost of plane tickets were outrageously expensive, particularly around holidays. The side effect of this is that we were left to ourselves over those holidays for the most part, and given how lovely the winter months are most of the time in Vegas, we had a lot of time to get out and on the rock. We made our way out to the Illusion Crags the day after Christmas in 2022. It’s not the longest hike out to the wall, particularly in Red Rock when you compare it to something like Buffalo or Eagle wall, but as referenced in my writeup of Chameleon Pinnacle, the terrain involved in getting there is mild but quite unfriendly.

Megan at the crag.

Still comparatively freshly burnt at the time of our trip out there, the hill leading up to the wall was indistinct and lifeless-looking. We lost our way up multiple times and spent a good deal of time looking for nonexistent cairns before finally committing to a more direct trudge towards the end of the wall. After a somewhat miserable slog, we finally made it and had our customary pre-climb reverie while we figured out our bearings. Illusion Crag is a long wall that covers a couple of terraces, both in the sun and out. Being winter in Red Rock, we knew that we would be sticking to the sun, which gave us the far left end of the crag as the only reasonable option. 

I climbed French Bulges, the 5.7, first to get a taste for the rock and style of climbing. I’ll leave any details for that route’s future writeup, but after a delightful romp up to the top of that and a simple rap down, we committed one of the RRC cardinal sins, we pulled the rope without thinking

Fixing my mistake and freeing the stuck rope.

About a third of the way up on Arm Forces is the first of its 3 roofs. This particular Roof tightened down to an insignificant seam at its edge, and the rope had doubled over and pinched itself deep in this seam. No amount of pulling from below could dislodge it, and so there was just one course of action left to us. I tied into the other side of the rope, eyeing the roofs with some trepidation, and I set off with a fair amount of certainty that I’d have enough cord even if I was somehow unable to free the stuck portion.

The route starts as a finger crack before transitioning into an awkward but fun corner leading to the first roof. I managed to scuff and stem my way up to it and set myself to the task of freeing the rope. Despite not really caring about onsights or flashes or redpoints when it comes to the JHAT, it felt like it would be a bit gauche to not at least try to climb it clean even with the hassle and difficulty with the rope. Luckily, it came free without too much difficulty after I climbed another couple of moves above it so that I could pull upward, and with that we were on for the remainder of the route. I finished pulling the first roof and made my way to the second, the finger crack layback of the first giving way to a delightful hand and fist crack. I made short work of this overhang and then suddenly the only thing between myself and the anchor was the last roof, the offwidth.

Megan above the first roof and next to the rope-eater.

I had been most looking forward to this one and so was somewhat disappointed when it offered the least resistance of the three, meekly giving way as I bypassed it with a chicken wing and kneebar combo before jogging up the remaining low angle crack to the top. I brought Megan up with a complete lack of difficulty or hesitation on her part and we rapped down exactly where we had before. This time we were careful to hike out a hundred feet or so from the wall before we pulled to make sure that the line didn’t get caught in the same place. With the rope safely pulled and us safely on the ground, we discussed whether we felt up for climbing any of the routes on the shady side of the crag. The wind was quite chilly that day, and so we decided to leave those for another time, reasons to come back next time the scenic loop was too busy to be worthwhile. 

We made our way down the winding hill and found our way back to the animal gate that you need to scale in order to get to the crag from the road. With some mild shuffling we were back on the roadside and making our way to the car. The Potosi crags were across the road in all their gray ignominy, promising to be there for us next time the rain forced us onto the limestone. For now I ignored them as hard as I could and savored the memory of the beautiful patinated corner we had just climbed. Roofs, corner climbing, crack, and a beautiful remote arena in which to enjoy it all. These are my favorite kind of climbing days, remote-feeling and quiet with no one but Megan and the birds and the braying of burros.

As we walked out I felt like I was getting a taste of what the canyon was like for Herbst and the other early pioneers here. We were the only climbers around, but we had the wind and creosote for company and that was more than enough for me.