Welcome to the New Mexico section of Mountain Project!
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Minesh climbing through the nicely exposed final m...
Description
P1: The first pitch follows the arete forming the "prow" of the ship for almost a full rope-length. Easy climbing (5.6) past a surprising amount of fixed protection (see comments) leads to the base of a pillar where someone has tied off slings for a potential (double-rope) rappel. Belay from here or continue up and left through the first 5.8 section of the climb (layback to mantle) to a spacious belay ledge above.
P2: The shorter (and more enjoyable) second pitch continues directly up and slightly left from the belay ledge on the left side of the prow. Aim for the "tunnel" at the top of the cliff, going through two 5.8 corners along the way. You can supposedly finish through the tunnel (if you are very small), or continue up and over for an exciting finish (the most exposed move on the whole route).
Location
Approach the route by following a distinct trail (just to the left of the restrooms at the base) around to the left side of the cliff. You can start climbing here, but better to just fourth class it up to a ledge that traverses back around to the right side of the arete. P1 description starts here.
Protection
Standard trad rack (set of nuts and cams up to 3.5") plus extra draws (preferably long ones to reduce rope drag) should do the trick.
By Jason Halladay From: Los Alamos, NM Aug 1, 2007 rating: 5.8
An interesting climb. I really want to love it because of the location, view and fact that it's a multi-pitch trad route in northern NM but...the rock is...marginal. Pretty soft but protectable and climbable. That said, I had fun and would do it again for the adventure.
The first pitch has a surprising amount of fixed stuff on it. A quarter inch B/H, a piton, a 3/8" B/H, another piton, a SMC bong piton and then another solid piton next to the webbing with locking biner on it. Then the second pitch...nothing fixed! Because we carried the #4 camalot, I found a good placement with it near the top of the second pitch.
I don't see how anyone could squeeze through that little hole near the top. Besides, the moves on the outside of the chimney/alcove are the best of the route!
By Jason Halladay From: Los Alamos, NM Aug 1, 2007 rating: 5.8
Oh yeah, for the descent...carrying shoes up is a good idea. From the top of the climb follow the path on the top uphill and then on a good-looking trail left and down into a dry stream gully. The gully takes you back down to the picnic area. Takes about 15 minutes to hike down.
Did this today. In the opinion of all of our party, including one very experienced trad climber, the first pitch is emphatically higher than 5.6. The crux of the first pitch is getting around the flat face where the one modern bolted anchor is located--presumably that anchor was put there for a good reason. Or maybe we should have gone right instead of left?--there was one of those infamous old 1/4" bolts with sheetmetal hanger a little lower and to the right of that face.
We all squirmed through the hole at the top of the second pitch, making it overall easier than the first. (That hole is no harder to get through than some of the pinches in the guided "off-trail" tours at Carlsbad Caverns National Park that are open to the general public.)
Admission and warning: one of our followers didn't realize that the webbing was `fixed'. We draped it decoratively over a spire at the belay ledge, where it can be seen from the parking area and the start of the climb. It's seriously rotten (UV degraded), cut, and appears to have been gnawed on by rodents--in retrospect we should have carried it off to a trash bin, ditto other trash we found along the way (water bottle and sole of shoe).
Battleship Rock
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