Backside of Upper Mound/ Wounded Knee area (Northern cluster of boulders)

North cluster overview: Boulder to the left/foregr...

Description 

Cool, north-exposed problems down the back-side. A great place to boulder on warmer/ sunnier days.

Getting There 

From the north end of the corridor (just above and to the west of the upper cluster - see map and separate description), continue due north down the hill. The trail veers slightly right (east), then curves back around to the left (west) before reaching the bottom of the hill. Continue straight west (toward town) about 20 meters until you come to a tall, square rock with a vertical north face. This is "wounded knee" boulder, named for a nasty starting foothold that loves to spit feet off and cause knee trauma. A nice big juniper sits just to the north of the rock, and makes for a great little private bouldering den.
Continue west past wounded knee, and immediately turn up to the left (south), and climb up to the podium where "Driftwood" and the "Pizza Crack" are located.
From "Driftwood," there is a little corridor to the left (east) which has a fun V4 on the south wall, and an easier slabby problem on the north wall.

The Classics

Featured Route For Backside of Upper Mound/ Wounded Knee area (Northern cluster of boulders)

Driftwood or Petrified Wood V4  NM : Albuquerque Area Climbing : ... : Backside of Upper Mound/ Wo...

The easier left start in the obvious arching undercling flake is far friendlier (AKA: better, obviously this is a matter of opinion) than the direct, Skinner Problem.Work up and right in the undercling flake untill you can reach up to a right hand edge that is pretty good. Next reach up left to the petrified wood hold, fingers go in a seam and your thumb on the wood. Next surf out right to a kind of terrifying hold, there is a dark circular inclu...[more]   Browse More Classics in NM