New Mexico

[minx]

Anybody ever climb there? Got any recommendations? Santa Fe area preferably.

 

Thanks

[JayB]

Three main areas that I know of:

 

The Sandia's - just outside of Albuquerque. A mini mountain range with tons of routes, most of which fall into the long, old-school trad variety, with longish approaches (or so I hear).

 

Enchanted Rock - Moderate to hard sport. Enchanted Rock itself is a freestanding formation with lots of bolted routes.

 

The Los Alamos Areas:

 

White Rock crags- There are a few crags right on the outskirts of Los Alamos. Single pitch trad-cragging, no fixed anchors that I can recall, fairly stiff ratings. Most of the home near los Alamos were built on a mesa top, and some of the routes top out right behind people's back yards.

 

I can't recall the name of the area - but there's an area a few miles outside of town in the National Forest/Jemez Mountains that looked like it had the best climbing of all. Welded tuff, mostly sport, in the midst of a tall pine forest. I think that name was Cochiti Mesa. There's also a place called Las Conchas nearby with about 40 routes that offer more of the same. There's also a place called El Rito I heard about - sounded like it was bolted conglomerate stuff.

 

We were there in February and the access roads were closed, but it looked pretty cool. There are also several amazing hot springs in the area near here. All of the areas might have been affected by the fires out there a couple of years ago.

 

Report back if you go....

[AlpineK]

Cochiti Mesa is just outside Santa Fe. I've never climbed there, but I hear it's good especially if your going mid summer. The Mesa is much higher than the Sandias so it will be cooler, though it'll still be hotter than snot.

[Pencil_Pusher]

"Rock Climbing New Mexico & Texas" Dennis Jackson, Falcon Publishing ISBN 1560444835

Cochita Mesa looks pretty damned hard, the easiest line is 5.9.

The book is pretty informative and descriptive and has all the areas mentioned so far (plus more).

[PLC]

I did a road trip to Hueco Tanks and New Mexico six or seven years ago, and we hit the major areas.

 

Cochita Mesa is just fantastically beautiful - the rock is great, red sandstone I think, with lots of pockets, and the view is amazing. Access is strictly by 4x4; you have to drive through a couple streams, although they might be dry washes late in summer. This is a sport climbing area, with mostly steep, harder end routes.

 

Enchanted Rock is pretty cool, also. There's free camping, including a lifetime of firewood. It's on BLM land I believe, which some ranchers graze so watch out for the cow pies. There are some short moderate routes and a bunch of overhanging harder routes. Mostly steep climbs with huge "hueco-type" holds. Pretty fun sport climbing.

[cj001f]

For Los Alamos climbing:

http://www.losalamos.org/climb/zGUIDO.html

Even if you don't do any climbing, the Jemez mountains are awesome - and well worth a trip.

 

[chelle]

Send a pm to dave_w. He put up a bunch of stuff when he lived there in th 90s.

[jj221]

I will vouch for the long approaches on the Sandia climbs. It has some great trad lines. Halfway in I realized the guidebook was of no use and confined it to the back of the pack- pick a line and go for it. If you take a line on the main mountain you can summit and return to town by the tram (need to purchase ticket), drive back down the back of the mountain in a car you left in the top parking lot or hitchhike home. There are a few free standing spires that make good objectives although you may have to equip raps. If you are into bouldering there is about a billion problems waiting to be developed. If you go in the summer remember that it is a "dry heat".

[minx]

thanks for the info everyone! keep it coming.

 

as of now i leave thursday althought that's subject to change at a moments notice. heat is fine by me. (as long as it's a "dry heat" )

[bubblebutt]

I've just moved from Santa Fe where I lived and climbed for 8 years. PM me and I'll give you the scoop.