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!
Description
The Big Horn Wall is the main attraction at Sitting Bull Falls, featuring some of New Mexico's most difficult routes. This area is occasionally heralded as the best sport climbing crag in the state, despite the limited selection of lines. But what this crag lacks in quantity, it compensates for in quality. Every line on the wall would be a 4 star route at any other crag in New Mexico.
Generally speaking, routes here are steep jughauls, with long moves between large holds and "active" rests that add up to a building pump that tends to culminate in a mad-dash for the anchor and a desparate clip. Unfortunately the easier lines are getting polished, but as more of the locals are diverted to Last Chance Canyon, this problem likely will not get much worse.
The crag faces north and receives virtually no sun. Heat-tolerant folks will be able to climb here on all but the warmest days, while those in search of 'redpoint conditions' should plan to visit in winter.
Bees are occasionally found on this wall as well, although there are no known hives on this wall.
Getting There
This wall is visible from the Sitting Bull Falls State Park parking lot, however, the wall is further away than it appears, and the approach is a bit convoluted in order to protect the delicate environment located just beyond the artificial grass lawn, 1000 square foot brick restroom facility, and concrete and pavement parking lot.
From the pay station, follow the concrete path SE toward the falls for about 30 yds, where a well-defined dirt path signed for the top of the waterfall branches off to the right. Ascend laboriously up the steep winding trail until it flattens out. After the trail levels out, the trail bends to the west, where a faint climber's trail diverges to the right. After 20 yds the Rosebud Wall and Big Horn Wall will be visible. There are two possible downclimbs to reach the cliff, one is 4th class, the other 2nd.
To reach the Big Horn Wall, climb down to the Rosebud Wall, and traverse the base westwardly to the BH Wall.
The route numbering provided in the "location" part of some of the route descriptions is off. The correct route order, from Left to Right is:
1. On the Prowl, 5.10d 2. Smoke Signals, 5.11b 3. Ghost Dancers, 5.12a, Ghost Dancers Extension 4. Counting Coup, 5.12b 5. It is Not Necessary for Eagles to Be Crows, 5.12c 6. Tribal War, 5.12c 7. Broken Arrows, 5.12d 8. Project (quick link on 2nd or 3rd bolt) 9. Kootenai Cruiser, 5.13+ 10. Custer's Last Stand, 5.13b
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