Welcome to the New Mexico section of Mountain Project!
The contributions that are made to this site are greatly appreciated; this site is made up of an awesome community of users that make the site what it is.
Although there is very little information regarding “rules” for submitting climbing areas and routes to this site, the New Mexico Administers all agree that the following guidelines may be helpful to truly make this site go “Beyond the Guidebook”.
1) Don’t be a jerk (this one states the obvious). 2) Route and area submissions should truly be helpful to those out climbing. Before posting, you should have some first hand experience actually climbing the route. This always results in a much more useful description. 3) Please, please, please… Don’t copy route descriptions directly out of guidebooks, online publications, etc. This is plagiarism! Remember, BEYOND the guidebook! 4) Please use the spell check and make an effort to use correct grammar.
Again, the Mountainproject community truly appreciates the efforts taken to make good route descriptions. If you feel that a route or area description is not up to standard, a brief email to one of the area admins for suggestions on improvement will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for taking the time to make the New Mexico section of Mountain Project quality! We look forward to seeing you out there!
The Shield is only open from mid-August to March for peregrine falcons even though they are no longer protected, so you'll have to plan accordingly. The Knife Edge is open year-round.
BETA PHOTO: The Shield in the evening light of summer.
Description
The Shield is truly a "rite of passage" at several levels of climbing in the Sandias. This is the biggest wall in the area and harbors some of the most difficult and long routes in the state. It is only open from August 15-March 15 every year for Peregrine Falcon nesting habitat, even though they are no longer protected, so you'll have to plan accordingly. [Note: a different source says the Shield is open Aug. 16-Feb. 28 (or 29), and the closure does not include the Knife Edge ]
The first climbing accident was logged on the Knife Edge of the Shield and most recently, a plane crashed just below the North Peak leaving shrapnel all throughout the oaks in 2007.
To see another party on this formation might seem unlikely. However, because there is only a limited time that climbers can legally access these routes, the likelihood of getting scooped is higher than you might think. The rock is variable and much of the climbing can be run-out, especially on crux pitches. This is one of the most beautiful places in the Sandias when the aspens change.
Getting There
From the base: Park at Piedra Lisa Trail Head and plan for at least a 1.5 hour approach via the Fletcher "trail". To find the Fletcher Trail, start up the Piedra Lisa Trail. It will initially rise and then fall back into a creek bed. At this point veer slightly north (to the right and at a 1-20' slightly higher contour. The trail is very faint. You will pretty much think you are on a game trail. Follow this faint trail along a north-trending creek bed and toward the Rincon Ridge/Placitas until the trail begins to steepen. Look carefully for the Fletcher Trail as it gains elevation and eventually brings you the base of UNM Spire, and subsequently, the Shield if accessing anything from Procrastination or climbs farther to the right. For accessing the Standard "S" route and climbs farther left, it may be easier to gain the Rincon Spur trail (essentially the Knife Edge) and traverse in.
Access from the top: Park at the last switchback on the Crest Road. Hike the North Crest Trail to North Peak. This is easy to find if you keep peeking out over the limestone band. Descend the limestone band on a fairly beaten climbers' path. From about 1/2 the distance from the North Peak drop-off to the top of the Shield, start to bear back towards the southeast. Look for a few aspen trees in a gully where a static fixed line is tied off to a pine tree. Rap the line or rap your own rope(s). Drop down skiers' left for 10m and then cut back through a notch and contour across to find some hand lines several hundred meters from the rap station. This will gain you access to the Ramp and routes Smorgasboard to Procrasti.
Most climbs on the Shield are a very serious undertaking.You are very much alone here, like the Black Canyon of the Gunnision. The rock quality is quite variable, there's no water, and the rewards are high for summiting!
P1- 5.11+ Start up some "chewy" rock for the first few bolts climbing on interesting black dikes that stick out from the wall. Near the top of the pitch a difficult move going left past a bolt is the crux of the pitch. Bolts, nuts and a red alien or #1 camelot.*Rip felt that this pitch warrented a grade of 5.12-, the crux is a difficult 2 move sequence on small crimps (V3 or V4), otherwise the pitch is 5.11-. P2- 5.11- Step right fro...[more]
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June 2007 plane crash
