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
There are now five climbing walls to pick from in relative proximity to this access to the Rio Grande. The oldest and most easily approached is John's Wall. Right off the road on the Hondo Creek. Around the corner and upstream on the Rio Grande, the River Wall has steep sport routes looking over the river across from the Taos Box Put-in. Back up Hondo Creek on the north rim, the Solar Asylum has the stiffest overhanging sport routes. One of the best single track rides in the Taos (Horsetheif trail) goes right by the top of this crag. If you cross the John Dunn Bridge and park at the put-in you can access the Old Stagecoach Road Wall and some moderate sport mixed with easy, short trad. Easiest toprope choices. Continue on the main road to the west to TBA, and a host of sport and trad routes on a wild landscape. The BLM just installed two new long-drops to accommodate your post-caffeinated gastro-colic reflex. Please use these john's at John's.
This area represents the only drivable access to a Rio Grande River-level crossing for miles and has been a historic western access trail for Taos and it's natives for centuries. From stagecoaches headed to Flagstaff or old John Dunn's Model T Ford bouncing out to meet the Chile Line at Tres Piedras, this is the way you went on wheels until the Gorge Bridge was completed in 1968. The Pueblo Indians and others also left their mark as is evidenced by petroglyphs lining the Hondo creek and the Rio Grande. Further downstream is the the old Manby Hotsprings stage road, bridge and ferry crossing. Manby lost his head over his land grabbing deals and lost the bridge in a flood.
From Taos, go north on highway 522 to Arroyo Hondo about 10 miles. Turn left at Arroyo Hondo. Follow dirt road about 2 miles, bearing right at fork. Almost down at the Rio Grande River, a small basalt roadside wall appears on right just after bridge over the Rio Hondo. There are about 20 routes. There are hot springs about 1/4 mile downstream on the western bank of the Rio Grande. To enjoy the Black Rock Spring, turn Left after the bridge and drive up this road to park at the first turn. Follow a faint trail downstream. Bring a trashbag and do your part to keep it clean, favor.
Taos Box Put-in Crags
Printer Friendly View
RSS Feed
