Jonathan Siegrist Makes First Ascent of Wild Roof Project Near Las Vegas
The route is located in the Clear Light Cave, a crag famous for its overhanging limestone lines
On February 20, American climber Jonathan Siegrist made the first ascent of his latest project in Mt Potosi’s Clear Light Cave outside of Las Vegas. The route was originally a Joe Brooks project from over 20 years ago and has sat dormant for years. The line starts up Atlantis 5.14b and then moves directly into a dynamic boulder problem, requiring a blind campus move. Siegrist said this crux is “without question the hardest movement in the cave.” He named the climb Back to the Future and gave it a slash grade of 5.14d/15a.
Siegrist worked the route for several days back in December and then again this month. Via Instagram he had this to say about his send: “I have been prioritizing training this whole winter but no doubt a BIG part of me really wanted this send. Sticking the blind campus move around the lip felt totally surreal and totally limit. Even the outro moves almost spit me off. Such a good fight and so happy to contribute to the story of this weird and outrageous climb.”
Siegrist is one of the world’s best sport climbers. According to his 8a.nu page, he has sent four 5.15b’s, 21 5.15a’s, and 44 5.14d’s. In 2022, he sent Event Horizon 5.15b at the 5G Wall in Nevada and Tommy Caldwell’s Flex Luther 5.15a, plus four other 5.15a’s.
Clear Light Cave on Mt Potosi features some of the steepest sport climbing in the U.S. To check out its hard limestone climbing, watch this video of Siegrist on Smoke Wagon 5.14d and One Hundred Proof 5.15a.
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