This is mostly a south facing basalt crag with trad and sport routes that are exposed and fun. This gets sun most of the day and is subject to winds because of the nature of the location.
Getting There
Once in White rock, turn south on Rover and continue slightly past Rover Park and then take a right on Kimberly. Follow Kimberly to the end of the culdisac and park. The descent is not obvious. From the cul-de-sac on Kimberly, walk SE to the bench and plaque sign. The descent is about 60' west of the plaque- it is the only place that looks possible. Descend exposed 4th class down blocks and hand cracks about 15'. Then traverse to the east on a 2' ledge around a corner followed by easier scramble downwards. This gets you to most of the rock climbs here. Rappelling is a good choice for beginners, or if you want to bring your pack to the base.
There's a rap anchor to get down to the Western Wall- to reach this, contour around to the south along the rim.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Pajarito Gorge:
Pajarito Gorge does not get nearly the respect it deserves. Some of White Rock's best routes are here, but the freaky 4th class approach and exposure at the base keep most folks away. The Western Wall is freakin' sweet, too, but again has a tough (rap in) approach.
Anyway, I submitted all the routes from my old guide. Enjoy.
By George Perkins Administrator From: Los Alamos, NM Mar 22, 2009
Walt- Thanks for adding the beta photos and the route descriptions here. This is especially helpful as the 'Jemez Rock' book does not have the routes delineated in its photos for the Pajarito Gorge.
And I agree- this area deserves more traffic than it gets. There are some good climbs here.
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