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Some rocks in this area are on private property. MORE INFO >>>
...the remainder are on US Forest Service land. A map detailing the public areas can be obtained from the ranger station en route to the rocks from the village of Tres Piedras.
BETA PHOTO: Unknown route (5.8-), Middle Rock, Tres Piedras, N...
Description
This interesting climb combines moderate-to-easy runout friction with moderate crack climbing. Start up an unprotected, low-angle friction face that gradually steepens, aiming toward a left-angling, right-facing seam about 40 feet off the ground. Some unprotected ~5.7- moves are necessary before obtaining the seam, which you can then load up with gear. Proceed straight up the heady bulge above the seam, which then leads to another runout low-angle friction face. The big horizontal seam at the base of the headwall provides your next placements, about 40 feet above the first seam (maybe getting close to groundfall here?, but it's easy climbing). Traverse slightly right to a crack system up the bulging headwall, where fun moves take you to the top.
If the second is interested in a diversion during their climb, they can climb up to the first seam, clean the gear, and then drop back down and traverse right about 20 feet to a greenish knobby waterstreak that makes for an interesting ~5.11 toprope. The leader should put a long runner on the pieces at the base of the headwall ahead of time, to minimize the pendulum if the second is planning on exploring this option.
This route is not previously described in any available guide, but has definitely been climbed before. Any FA info out there?
Location
The start lies about 100 feet to the right of the Albuquerque Route, not quite all the way to the harder bolted climbs at the far right side of Middle Rock that are described by Jackson and Foley.
Descend by a 3rd/4th class walk-off to the east. At first, drop a little off the northern edge of the ridgeline, then down the ridgetop, past a noteworthy krummholz spruce with a truncated top. Drop off the righthand (southern) face of the ridge a little past the stunted spruce, down a dubious water streak, aiming for a massive dead tree trunk that leans against the rock wall across the valley.
Protection
Standard TP trad rack, with a good supply of finger-sized cams. It's runout below the first protectable seam (definite groundfall), and then again above that seam (maybe groundfall?). The first seam itself takes smallish finger-sized cams and small nuts, and actually protects fairly well, so load it up! Lots of finger to hand-sized cracks are available to protect in the headwall. Belay off a gear anchor at the top, with lots of placement opportunities.
Middle Rock
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