B737 RPTR CAPT CLRED FOR VISUAL 22 MI OUT ELECTED TO DSND TO IAF ALT; BUT DUE TO HIGH TERRAIN APCH CTLR CALLED WITH A LOW ALT ALERT.

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WE WERE CLRED FOR THIS VISUAL APCH TO RWY 25L AT LAS. OUR POS WAS APPROX 22 MI E OF RWY 25L ON THE LOC WITH THE ARPT AND ALL TERRAIN IN SIGHT. OUR ALT WAS 8000 FT MSL. AFTER RECEIVING THE APCH CLRNC THE FO ASKED WHAT ALT I WOULD LIKE IN THE ALERT WINDOW. I ASKED FOR 3800 FT FOR 'RELIN INTXN PLANNING SO AS TO ARRIVE AT RELIN AT 3800 FT.' OUR TAILWIND DECREASED AND WE LEVELED AT 3800 FT JUST OUTSIDE SHAND; 4 MI FROM RELIN. AS WE APCHED SHAND OUR RADAR ALTIMETER CALLED OUT 2500 FT. I TOLD THE FO I WAS REALLY LOWER THAN I WANTED TO BE; BUT THAT I HAD THE TERRAIN IN SIGHT. I HAD MADE UP MY MIND THAT IF THE RADAR ALTIMETER WENT BELOW 1500 FT I WOULD CLB; EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE RWY AND TERRAIN IN SIGHT; JUST TO BE SAFE. APCHING SHAND; LAS APCH GAVE US A LOW ALT ALERT. THE FO RESPONDED WE WERE LEVELING AT 3800 FT AND APCH TURNED US OVER TO TWR. THE FO POINTED OUT THAT THE ILS CALLED FOR US TO BE AT 4800 FT AT SHAND. TWICE BEFORE REACHING RELIN I SAW THE RADAR ALTIMETER DIP TO 1500-1600 FT JUST SHORT OF MY 'CLB ALT.' AFTER I LANDED I WAS REALLY UNHAPPY WITH MYSELF. HOW COULD I LET MYSELF FALL INTO THAT 'VISUAL APCH TRAP?' ALTHOUGH I HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT; THE TERRAIN IN SIGHT; AND WAS CONSTANTLY AWARE OF MY RADAR ALT; I HAD VIOLATED MY COMPANY'S POLICY; MY OWN PERSONAL RULES AND GOOD OPERATING PRACTICES. NOT INTENTIONALLY OR EVEN OUT OF IGNORANCE; BUT OUT OF COMPLACENCY. I HAD DSNDED BELOW PUBLISHED STEPDOWNS WHILE ON A NIGHT VISUAL APCH IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THAT SAME APCH; FROM DEN TO LAS; I HAD MADE 3 TIMES IN 2 DAYS AND I GUESS I HAD GOTTEN CASUAL ABOUT IT. I POINTED OUT MY ERRORS TO THE FO WHO ALSO AGREED IT WAS NOT VERY SMART OR SAFE. AND I VOWED TO MYSELF TO NOT ONLY NOT DO THAT AGAIN; BUT TO SHARPEN UP AND BE MORE PROFESSIONAL!