Dragon’s Mouth, 5.10d, 4 Pitches

Overview/Approach

One of the last areas to be developed in Red Rock NCA is the congested lower north faces on Mustang Peak.  Mustang Peak is located directly west of the Monument.  To reach these multi-faceted walls makes for a decent back country hike up burro (2018) laden slopes.  Since Red Rock is mostly a tourist climbing destination, this entire area will never see much traffic except for a few die hard locals.  That being said, Dragon, 5.10, and Mustang Cracks, 5.10d, are fantastic climbs on good rock.  Another new (2018) route established just to the right of the Dragon (massive right facing corner) is Pegasus, established by a local sport climber which I suppose is why Pegasus avoids a more direct (and better climbing) trad start and finish.  Therefore, Dragon’s Mouth was established naming the more obvious line above Pegasus's 2nd to last pitch .  The name Dragon’s Mouth refers to the massive overhanging chimney feature located just to the right of Dragon’s stellar last pitch.  Where Dragon’s last pitch takes on the hands to C4#4 right facing corner, Dragon’s Mouth takes on the flaring (mouth) chimney to the right, from the same fixed anchor spot. 

There are three options to start the route.  After reaching the base of the wall, traverse left up the slope along the wall to near the pine tree that signals the start for the Dragon which climbs close to and at times in the massive right facing corner anchoring the left side of these walls.  Several meters lower from this tree is an obvious splitter.  Follow this splitter up through a short wide section and circumvent a tree on the left to the base of a stellar left facing and well varnished corner.  Climb this corner to a fixed station.  The second pitch starts with a bolted traverse left and up a shallow ramp, followed to another fixed anchor.  The third pitch runs through a pro bolt and small gear and trends right up to a fixed anchor on a ledge shared with the Dragon.  The bolts located up and right represent the contrived final pitch to Pegasus (to avoid the stellar trad finish) . The fourth pitch traverses left through bolts to the right facing corner on Dragon's final pitch, and continues up as for the Dragon, but then traverses out right and up to enter the “mouth” of the Dragon, the wide overhanging off-width entering the obvious flared chimney (crux of the route).  The last pitch is an easy pitch to reach the top rap anchor established for Pegasus.

Where ever you chose to park, at Black Velvet’s trail head or improperly at Bonnie Springs (2018), you must make your way to the large alcove below the north face of Mustang Peak.  Mustang Cracks along with other routes in this alcove below Mustang Peak, represent the next climbing area of Red Rock NCA to the west of the Monument.  Parking at Black Velvet’s trail head, you circumvent the Monument to the northwest, staying low on the desert floor.  If you keep tracking the north face of Mustang Peak, you end up below Mustang Cracks.  Mustang Cracks is made up of an obvious crack system up an impressive wall rising above the middle of this alcove.  Dragon is to the far left end of this alcove, climbing the massive right facing corner and therefore offers significantly more shade than Mustang Cracks which is exposed to morning sun.  A beta photo is included (on Dragon's beta page) showing the progression of the route up this left side.  Scramble all the way up through a rocky drainage to the base of the wall and turn left.  Continue up left to a medium sized pine tree approximately 50' to the right of the obvious large corner.  

Route Descripton

1st Pitch- 200’-5.10a/ The FAer of Pegasus, which I used to access Dragon's Mouth, missed a better start.  His beta has this pitch at 150’ and starts just to the right of the same tree where the Dragon starts.  However, down lower to the right is a better crack feature that is more in line with the stellar left facing corner that makes up the upper half of this pitch.  Start on the lower spacious belay ledge and start the left of two obvious cracks (finger start).  After 50’+/- the crack opens up to an off width pod requiring a chicken wing for a few meters.  When a significant tree blocks the crack, climb up and left.  The FAer has this section of the route routed in the right facing corner to the left.  But if you continue to climb straight up via decent face below the grade, you hit a varnished thin crack in the upper face.  As soon as you can traverse left to the darkly varnished clean left facing corner, you are back on the FAer’s original line.  This left facing corner is the crux of this first pitch.  Place gear in the corner and alternate from the corner to the varnished face out right.  The corner closes and you are forced to run it out on the face to the right, but below the grade.  Make a heady transition, at the grade, back to the corner when it opens up again (C4#4).  Take the corner to a small stance in a pod section of the corner at a fixed anchor.

2nd Pitch- 70’-5.10a/ The 2nd and 3rd pitches are the same as Pegasus.  Traverse out left from the belay past two bolts on slab.  Climb a semi closed shallow right leaning ramp at the grade up to easier ground via a crack and solid face holds to a fixed anchor on a comfortable ledge.

3rd Pitch- 100’-5.10c/ A stellar pitch.  Climb up to a bolt approximately 20’ high.  You can get in a micro piece before reaching the bolt, then thoughtful face climbing through the bolt.  Although I cannot specifically identify the 5.10c moves on this pitch, the crux climbing is within the first 50’.  Shortly after the bolt, you climb up a thin crack for pro, but still utilize face climbing for the most part.  Then traverse right and up a true finger crack below the grade.  Climb this great splitter to the shared fixed belay ledge with the Dragon, located directly below the “Dragon’s  Mouth”.  Pegasus takes the two bolts up and right that lead to a thin splitter.  The Dragon traverses left across a bolt to enter the incredible, but moss laden, right facing corner above. 

4th Pitch- 90’-5.10d/ Traverse left through the bolt just as for the Dragon and over the precarious block feature and make the intimidating (but fun and protected) blind start into the corner for the Dragon's final two pitches. Climb up the corner as though climbing the dragon, but make an exposed traverse out right (2018-no bolts) via a chicken head at your feet to a reachy move to enter the Dragon’s Mouth (obvious off width/chimney).  Make sure to extend all your placements on these back to back opposing traverses or the rope drag will be unbearable as you start the crux of the climb.  Make an exposed pull into the “mouth” which is a slightly overhanging off width.  Keys are right stem foot work on blank face and some tight fingers to start.  Then it goes to wide, C4#4, and a combination of stemming, off width and eventual chimney gets you to hands and easier chimney.  Belay at a narrow ledge to the right of two massive stones set in the upper chimney. Semi hanging gear belay with micro gear between the two massive stones.

5th Pitch- 60’-5.6/ Traverse out right on positive ground placing gear in the under cling.  Once out to the right side of the wall, scramble up the moss covered blocks, trending back left, to the hidden fixed rap at a ledge at the top of the Dragon’s Mouth.

Climbing Sequence

Descent

A 70m rope makes it back down to the top of pitch 3 (the traverses add considerable length to the final two pitches).   A single rope rap down to the top of pitch 2.  A 70m will get you down Dragon’s raps to the ground from there. (trend skiers right)

Essential Gear

70m Rope.  Single rack to C4#5.  Double from micro to C4#.5.  Definitely take some small wires and a few micro cams and plenty of slings to extend those traverses on the Dragon’s Mouth as well as the many placements on the long first pitch.  This route stays well shaded from late October through spring.  Catches a lot more sun during the summer.