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New New Place


New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock
Latitude: 35.8116  Longitude: -106.1985 
Description
New New Place is yet another one of White Rock's basalt crags ideal for toproping or trad climbing. Climbs are numbered from left to right and coincide with Wa3lt's Left Side beta photo and Right Side beta photo .

Discovered by Steve Schum and Mike Roybal in the early 1970s (soon after the discovery of the Old New Place), the rock at the New New Place is good and nearly vertical, and some of the lines here are as long as any at White Rock (up to 60 or 70' tall). Most climbs are characterized by short sections of difficulty between good rest stances or ledges; however, the New New Place has a greater abundance of 5.8 and 5.9 lines compared to some others at White Rock. A few excellent more difficult lines are found here as well.

The New New Place faces east, making it shaded in late afternoon and evenings, and somewhat sheltered from the wind. Because the cliff is not as classic as some of the others in White Rock, you're likely to find yourself alone here. Although the 5 minute approach to the clifftop is straightforward, the rocky blocky scramble down to the cliff base makes the New New Place a bad location for dogs or small children. Unfortunately, distasteful graffiti and tire trash below the cliff blemish what is otherwise a beautiful location.

An list of routes with short descriptions (and a couple of errors) is found on this page of the LA Mountaineers website
A photo with routes delineated is found in "Jemez Rock", which corrected and published (with permission) the original handed down material from Guido, Jason Chen, and Walt Wehner (and others previously?) which also found its way to the LA Mountaineers website. A longtime LA climber was surprised to learn one of the climbs here was named after him, so I'm thinking these are not the original route names, not that it matters. This area is not described in detail in any other guidebooks, as far as I know.

The White Rock bolting agreement forbids bolts being placed in the middle of climbs here (if you can't protect it on lead- toprope it!), however, bolted anchors were installed to prevent damage to trees.

Getting There
Enter White Rock, turning at the light with the gas stations. Drive straight, staying on Rover. Turn right on Kimberly. Drive to the end, park at the cul-de-sac. Hike east for 2 minutes, to reach the cliff top, facing the Rio Grande, then go south a ways to find the easiest downclimb. If you see the tire "art" below, you're in the right place. Scramble down to the base along blocks at either end of the cliff (the south end of the cliff being preferred).


New New Place : New New Place, left side. Photo by Wa3lt.
(01) Rough Wall Left 5.10d
(02) Rough Wall Middle 5.11a
(03) Face It 5.10
(04) Avalauncher 5.12a
(05) Flare 5.9
(06) Sharon's Sandbag 5.9

A few easier climbs are not shown, between 2 and 3.


New New Place : New New Place, right side. Photo by Wa3lt.
(07) Half Moons 5.11c/d
(08) Fever Pitch 5.12a
(09) Rumsey's Lead 5.10d
(11) Batshit Crack 5.10b
(12) Open Book 5.12a
(13) Thumb Action 5.11a
(14) Phone Booth 5.10a
(15) Easy Start to Phone Booth 5.9
(16) Have a Nice Day Yucca 5.8+
(17) Twin Cracks (with left finish) 5.10 as shown


New New Place : Left side of the New New. "Avalauncher" is the 3rd from right, or 4th from left.

Someone with photoshop should number this. My notes say the number is (L to R) 1,2,3,4,5,6


New New Place : Right side of the New New. My notes say the numbers (along the bottom) should go:
7,8,9,10/11,12,13,14,15,16,17



(02.1) Crap On 

5.7 PG13

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: ?
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.7
Length: 30 feet
Description
Borrowing the naming convention from Fred Rassmussen, this route climbs better than the name implies. Stem up the clean, low angle dihedral as it steepens and then finish with nice pockets on the vertical wall. Just as you're getting warmed up and into the groove, the route ends.


Location
This is the first dihedral route just right, north, of the "orange rough wall" on the far south end of the area. Look for the words Crap on spray painted on the rock. This route goes up and left from that graffiti.

Protection
Gear on this route appears infrequent and tiny but it turns out that nice horizontal cracks on the sides of the dihedral offer opportunities for .5 and .75 camalots. A 0 or 00 C3 would fit in one spot down low in the corner of the dihedral. Gear anchor at top or, if you're lucky, maybe a couple of bolts. Please avoid the temptation to tie off from the tree. The New New Place already looks bad enough from all the graffiti--we don't need dead trees to add to it.



(02.2) Unnamed 

5.6

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: 
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.6
Length: 38 feet
Description
A short and nicely protectable gear lead for those breaking into trad leading. Quite possibly White Rock's best introductory gear lead thanks to great protection and fun climbing.

Start up blocky terrain to a large flake sticking out of the crack. Stem a bit in the slight dihedral and work up towards the small roof above. Near the roof, step right onto the face and finish up the face. 2-bolt anchor, reachable from the top, was installed to prevent further damage to trees.

Location
Near the far left (south) end of the crag. As you approach from the south, pass the orange, textured wall. Pass a clean, low-angle dihedral that looks hard to protect. Unknown 5.6 is the line just past this clean dihedral. (Note the clean dihedral looks fun but I haven't heard anything about it being climbed.)

The start of this route has a scratched/painted number "69" on the rock.

Protection
Medium to large cams and medium to large nut opportunities abound.



(02.3) Beginner's 

5.7 PG13

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: 
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.7
Length: 40 feet
Description
Scramble up some blocky terrain and into the obvious square dihedral. Enjoy fun, low angle face climbing on the face between the walls and/or bust out some stemming. A couple of horizontal cracks break up the face but don't offer very good gear placements.
2-bolt anchor at the top.

Location
The obvious low angle boxy dihedral just right of an unnamed climb. If you reach the spray painted skull, you've gone too far north.

Protection
Small to medium nuts and cams but good placements aren't very obvious nor prolific. Tri cams in the pockets on the face look like they'll make for good placements.
2-bolt anchor, reachable from the top, was installed to prevent further damage to trees.



(04) Avalauncher 

5.12a

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: Luke Laeser
Type: TR
Consensus: 5.12a
Length: 35 feet
Description
Toprope boulder problem on the far left side of the crag. One hard move, and you're done.

Location
Face on far left side of crag... I'll see if I can find a better description.

Protection
TR



(05) Flare 

5.9

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: ?
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.9
Length: 1 pitch, 45 feet
Description
Flare is one of 3 5.9s in the shorter left section of the New New Place. The flared slot about 15' up is pretty obvious, and is the crux of the climb. Above, the crack is still pretty thin, but more features are present. As a lead, this climb is alright to try, but is a step up in difficulty from the cracks on either of side of it, because the gear is mostly pretty small and not always exactly where you want it. (Truly PG13 or not..? I don't know. Don't do it as your first 5.9 though.)

Location
Flare goes up the flared slot near the left side of the New New Place. It is up and left of the giant skull graffiti.

Protection
1 set nuts, 1 set cams to 2".
2-bolt anchor, reachable from the top, was installed to prevent further damage to trees.



(06) Sharon's Sandbag 

5.9

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: Sharon (Dogruel?)
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.9
Length: 1 pitch, 50 feet
Description
Sharon's Sandbag is another 5.9 at the NNP. It seemed pretty reasonable for the grade, although confidence with nuts and small cams is a necessity for those on the sharp end.

Start just left of the skull graffiti. Climb upt to a platform below an obvious finger crack.

The finger crack opens in a few places, but generally you'll be crimping your way on small edges on either side, while you plug in nuts or other small pro into the crack. There are occasional placements for thin hands size cams as well.

Near the top is a committing mantle move onto a platform 5' below the rim.

Location
Start just left of the skull graffiti- Sharon's Sandbag is the right of the 3 obvious cracks on this face on the left side of the NNP.

Climb #6 in Wa3lt's beta photo

Protection
Nuts and cams to 2".
2-bolt anchor, reachable from the top, was installed to prevent further damage to trees.



(06.1) Sharon's Lead 

5.9

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: Sharon (Dogruel?)
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.9
Length: 1 pitch, 50 feet
Description
Sharon's Lead is another 5.9 climb at the NNP, but is more of a one-move wonder compared to the 5.9 cracks to its left.

Start right of the skull graffiti. Climb up and left along hand crack. Don't continue up the obvious finger crack above- that is Sharon's Sandbag (5.9). Instead, place a 3" cam, make a reachy move out right to a big ledge, cut your feet loose and mantle. Follow 5.7 cracks in a shallow dihedral from this ledge to the top.

The guidebook says the rating is disputed and potentially as hard as 5.11, which might be accomplished by a contrived (and unprotected) direct route to the mantle ledge.


Location
This climb begins just right of the skull graffiti-glyph.

Protection
Cams to 3", and nuts. Save some gear to build an anchor at the top, or step left to the Sharon's Sandbag anchor.



(07) Half Moons (aka Clockwork) 

5.11 R

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: ?
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.11
Length: 1 pitch, 65 feet
Description
The thin face and prow just right of Sharons Lead is an excellent toprope problem.

You can begin on the face proper, or start in a hand crack to the right. Above 15' up, you get to the crux, a section of thin face: grab the arete and use the good small edge instead of the slopers above. This is largely unprotected. A mantle leads to a good rest. Above you can stay right on the arete, and it is still sustained interesting climbing (again, with scarce obvious gear placements).

I didn't see many places for pro near the cruxes on this climb, so I probably won't lead it (if you've led this, and want to share beta, the climb can be reassigned to you).

Location
This is the thin face at the left end of the lowest part of the NNP, where you finally reach flat ground after the downclimb/scramble. It is just left of the next crack left of Rumseys Lead.

Protection
Not very much. Toprope from a 2-bolt anchor, reachable from the top, which was installed to prevent further damage to trees.



(09) Rumsey's Lead 

5.10d

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: Roger Rumsey
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.10d
Length: 1 pitch, 60 feet
Description
Awkward start off the ground to an overhanging hand crack, followed by a good rest. Unprotected over the bulge on slopers directly above; or step left, make a weird undercling step back right; (or begin the entire climb as for Batshit Crack and traverse left above this- variation 10 in photo). A thin shallow dihedral above has just enough small gear placements to keep it sane. When you reach the finger crack, you're through the crux.

Location
This climb is about 10' left of Batshit Crack.

Protection
Nuts and cams to 3".
2-bolt anchor, reachable from the top, was installed to prevent further damage to trees, with the expressed blessing of the FA.



(11) Batshit Crack 

5.10b

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: Steve Schum and Mike Roybal probably
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.10
Length: 1 pitch, 65 feet
Description
Clearly the best line at the NNP, Batshit Crack is the most continuously sustained crack here, don't be discouraged by the name- it's nowhere near as shitfilled as some at WR. It begins as moves requiring hand jams to a short section moving into a body-size flare that has less than ideal protection. Above, a steep hand crack section is probably the well-protected crux. 10-15' of OW finishes the climb.

Liebacking is a good substitute for technique on this climb.


Location
Batshit Crack is the obvious crack in the left-facing corner at the tallest central part of the New New Place.

Protection
1 set cams up to a #4 camalot.
2-bolt anchor, reachable from the top, was installed to prevent further damage to trees.



(12) Pure Thoughts (aka Open Book) 

5.12a R

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: ?
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.12a
Length: 1 pitch, 60 feet
Description
Pure Thoughts begins in the obvious shallow dihedral just right of Batshit Crack (.10b). After several 5.11 moves in the dihedral, pulling and balancing on bad feet and poor hands in the seam, the crux is gaining the top of the dihedral. Above the dihedral, conquer an interesting bulge by veering left (5.11), then tackle a featured face (5.10-) to the top.

Lots of fun with a wide variety of moves.

Protection
Most people top rope this one. A 2-bolt anchor, reachable from the top, was installed to prevent further damage to trees.

For the brave, the crux can be protected with <1" cams in the pod at the center of the seam... protection gets scarce up higher. Definitely deserving of an R rating.



(13) Thumb Action 

5.11a R

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: ?
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.11a
Length: 1 pitch, 65 feet
Description
Thumb Action is a fun toprope problem up the prow just left of Phone Booth, with a thin face section about 15' or 20' up. This crux is basically unprotected as far as I can tell from toproping- you can get some small gear below the roof to your right but it's going to be far enough below you to get your attention. Tricky smears and sharp sidepulls or two finger crimps to get through the crux. Next, step left to a slick right-facing corner, which is harder than it looks for a few moves, then you're in an easier shallow open dihedral with an obvious stacked block (shared with Phone Booth) to get to the top.


Location
This is the face climb up a small prow just left of Phone Booth

Protection
(If I get bold and lead this, I would bring a...) standard rack of 1 set cams 1 set nuts, including micros. Build your own anchor at the top. This climb can be toproped from the 2-bolt anchor for Phone Booth.



(14) Phone Booth 

5.10a

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: ?
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.10-
Length: 1 pitch, 65 feet
Description
Scramble up to the namesake 7' tall slot with the flat ledge at the bottom. Thin gear in the back, with awkward stemming to get through this crux. Above, angle up and left, passing over non-descript blocky terrain with one or two tricky moves, to get to a shallow open book with a memorable wedged block with good pro that continues to the top. With a TR, you can also climb the arete right of the dihedral to finish.

You could also get to the upper dihedral on this climb by beginning the route with the left 'Easy Start' for ...Yucca ; 5.9 when done by this variation (don't say you climbed Phone Booth though)

Location
Phone Booth seeks out the obvious "phone booth"-shaped slot right of the lowest point of the New New Place. It is 2 cracks right of Batshit Crack; 1 crack right of the sick 5.12 open book Pure Thoughts.

Protection
Cams to 3 inches including micros, and nuts.
2-bolt anchor, reachable from the top, was installed to prevent further damage to trees.



(16) Have a Nice Day Yucca 

5.8+

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: ?
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.8+
Length: 1 pitch, 65 feet
Description
The next crack system left of the Twin Cracks is an excellent 5.8 or 5.9 climb, and a good choice for a leader keen on breaking into this grade.

Two options begin this climb, both are finger crack size, starting just right of the yucca bush, moving off the obvious flake along a crack to the right or left of a block. Both starts are about the same difficulty, but the left start is called 'the Easy Start' because it can be used to avoid the crux of Phone Booth also. The right start is more usual because it is directly under the anchor and the upper dihedral system. Regardless of which you choose, both options are 5.8+. Midway up, you reach a good rest, and enter a dihedral with a wide crack in the back where most will stem and chimney using small edges on either wall. This is the mental crux of the route.

Location
This climb is right of Phone Booth and left of Twin Cracks, on the right side of the New New Place, behind the yucca bush.

Protection
1 set nuts, 1 set cams to 3".
2-bolt anchor, reachable from the top, was installed to prevent further damage to trees.



(17) Twin Cracks 

5.9

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: 
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.9
Length: 45 feet
Description
Jam and stem up parallel finger to hands cracks on less-than-vertical rock. As the cracks diverge commit to the right crack and pull up and over a block to a huge ledge. From the ledge, enjoy great laybacking up the giant flake with good feet on the face.
2-bolt anchor at the top, installed to prevent further damage to trees.

A couple of variations from the top of the twin cracks have been reported but I haven't been on them. Both go at 5.10. Either go straight up from the top of the twin cracks or go left from the top of the twin cracks.

Location
Near the very right (northern) end of the New New Place. Easily identified by the parallel cracks to start.

Protection
Doubles of Camalots from .5 to 2. A couple of #4 camalots protect the huge flake layback up higher.



(18) Hard Crack 

5.10+

  
New Mexico : Los Alamos & White Rock : White Rock : New New Place
FA: ?
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.10b/c
Length: 1 pitch, 50 feet
Description
At the far right side of the New New Place, right of Twin Cracks, Hard Crack seeks out a right-facing overhanging wide hands crack which is midway up the face. You have a few choices to get up to this, none are particularly difficult or rewarding, but it is easiest coming in from blocky terrain a little to the rightt. The crux is probably easiest to lieback, and protects with a #3 camalot. The climb is not as hard after this steep section.

Location
Right of Twin Cracks.. find the right-facing overhanging offwidth 1/2 way up. Choose your variation to get there.

Protection
Cams to 3", and nuts. There may be a 2-bolt anchor at the top, or, if not, you can probably use the Twin Cracks anchors, rather than causing further damage to trees (or, build your own anchor with gear).