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!
BETA PHOTO: First set of climbs of the main wall.
Description
A nice collection of quality climbing on iron hard pocketed basalt. There is something here for everybody and a few more to come. From vertical to overhanging jug-hauls, to technical corners, powerful roofs and thin fingers. Mostly sport, some mixed and a few classic trad pieces in sound, clean stone. Set above the Rio Grande Box, this area is surrounded by climbing areas, rafting, fishing, camping, and mountainbiking all about 20 miles from the town of Taos. Expect solitude, which means low traffic. These are new routes and they might still give up a hold or two so a helmet is recommended.
Routes Left to Right 1. Writing Down the Bones 2. Brave New Hurl 3. Conjugal Bliss 4. On the Mesa 5. Nirvana Blues 7. Wizard of Loneliness 8. The Sterile Cuckoo 9. thin seam (TR) 10. Milagro Beanfield War 10.1. thin seam (TR) 11. Black is Beautiful 11.1. Dancing on Stones 12. Forever Jung 13. Klein's Corner 14. Tijerina 15. Hopper's Hangover 16. Utopian Vistas 17. Stinky Finger 18. Easy Rider Crack 19. 20. 21. project 22. El Grito del Norte 23. project 24. The Magic Journey 25. Mabel 26. Where's Jay 27. Rananim 29. People of the Valley 30. Mud Palace
Getting There
See Dead Cholla under Taos Area or click the Aerial Photo link above for driving instructions to Dead Cholla parking area. From the well signed Dead Cholla parking area...head up river (North) along the edge of the cliff band.
Matt Sammet helped to clear up the directions (thanks Matt) "One comment on the approach, as it's tricky your first time out there. From the Dead Cholla (trailhead for the West Rim Trail) parking, it's about 15 minutes along the West Rim Trail to the wash Bob mentions on the rim -- if you continue past there to where the power lines cross the gorge, you've gone too far (maybe half again too far).
I timed the walk -- at 6 minutes from the car, the trail makes its first significant bend east toward the rim before bending back north; there is a second one of these at 9 minutes. When you hit the third such bend at 15 minutes, you are there -- look for a pullout on the right just as you come over a rise (the rim of the wash).
Drop southerly (right) along the wash to the rim, and follow cairns left (north) along the base of the Upper Tier, then, as Bob says, pretty much straight downhill from Black Mamba, the pretty black-streaked corner. The trail goes down past the juniper and deposits you at the south end of the cliff."
The other closer parking option (please be low profile and use 4WD so as not to get stuck) involves a slippery jeep trail that starts from the junction of the West Rim dirt road and the paved road from Carson. At the junction, take the dirt two track following the telephone lines toward the gorge (please avoid using the private gravel drive). Continue on the dirt double track to the gorge rim and turn south on a spectacular jeep trail. Go about a mile to a cairned pull out on left. The descent wash is straight ahead.
Thanks again, Bob. If you need any help with any of this development, I would be more than happy to help. Otherwise can't wait to climb it when it's complete.
Time to let the cat out of the bag. From the Dead Cholla parking...head up river along the edge of the cliff band. Go less than a mile passing the Panoramic Cliff (obvious anchors on the top of a cliff).
Travel a hundred yards pass the cliff and then over a wash. Look for cairns and then drop right and down to the upper cliff band.
To reach the lower cliff band. Hug the upper cliff band for 100 yards. about 100 feet past Black Mamba go right and down on a faint trail follow cairns to the lower band.
A good find -- thanks to Bob, and Jay, and Mike, and all who put the work in. There are some stellar pitches here, in a sublime setting. Viva New Mexico!
One comment on the approach, as it's tricky your first time out there. From the Dead Cholla (trailhead for the West Rim Trail) parking, it's about 15 minutes along the West Rim Trail to the wash Bob mentions on the rim -- if you continue past there to where the power lines cross the gorge, you've gone too far (maybe half again too far).
I timed the walk -- at 6 minutes from the car, the trail makes its first significant bend east toward the rim before bending back north; there is a second one of these at 9 minutes. When you hit the third such bend at 15 minutes, you are there -- look for a pullout on the right just as you come over a rise (the rim of the wash).
Drop southerly (right) along the wash to the rim, and follow cairns left (north) along the base of the Upper Tier, then, as Bob says, pretty much straight dowhnill from Black Mamba, the pretty black-streaked corner. The trail goes down past the juniper and deposits you at the south end of the cliff.
Matt...thanks for the kind words and glad you like the place. Quite the beautiful spot. Mike and I went wandering on a somewhat cloudy and light raining day...looking for some rock.
The best part was being with Mike and the excitement of new climbs and what was possible.
Much better directions Matt, and thanks for the "Viva!", we were pretty inspired by the locale and Taos history as well. Can I quote you in the directions? Glad to hear you enjoyed it. Bob and Jay should take the credit for the vision, I just drill holes where they point. Joel Tinl and Thor Husted were also fruitful out there and there is some more to do. Ask Jay about some of the other things he has been working on. Bueno-bye, Mike
Not true Mike! This area was very much Mike and Bob's vision and hard work. I was handed a route or two on a silver platter. Matt, glad to see you've been back in the 505/575. Let's hook up soon.
Good stuff all around and thanks to everyone for the great routes here and at Vista Verde -- sure, feel free to use the directions. Every time I visit Taos I keep wondering, 'Why don't I just move here?' Maybe one of these days...
Jay, I'd love a tour next time we're through -- was only in for a couple days and then out, to ABQ, this time.
Utopian Vistas
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