Welcome to the New Mexico section of Mountain Project!
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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.
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Thank you for taking the time to make the New Mexico section of Mountain Project quality! We look forward to seeing you out there!
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.
George Perkins on the sharp end on Better Red ...
Description
Generally regarded as classic 5.10 TP climbing with the crux moves above your gear and other heady sections too, legend has it this climb has seen at least one big fall by someone coming off up high on the route.
Face climb up to right-angling crack (pro). A cool high step move gains the first bolt, then well-protected 5.9 to the 2nd bolt. Airy 5.10 face moves straight up to a right angling seam (no pro there) then you'll reach a left-angling crack (small nuts). This crack ends at an interesting bulge with gear below you. After this bulge you reach easier ground. From here, various options: (1) escape left toward the big chicken heads (and Fried Chickens)-- easiest (5.8), but obviously wimping out; (2) go straight up staying with the rightmost giant chickenheads and knobs (5.9, shown this way in Taos Rock guide) and continue up through progressively easier ground to set a belay; (3) Recommended way. Find the bolt up and a little to the right; go to this, clip it, and hand traverse right (5.10 airy) to reach the 2-bolt anchor above Serpentine Crack. [A longtime TP climber was adamant that the 2-bolt anchor was for Better Red Than Dead so maybe this is the proper line?] (4) it may be possible to go straight up from that bolt looks like thin face 5.10 or harder.
Probably the longest route at Tres Piedras. Sustained interesting climbing the whole way (but the fact that the line becomes vague up high detracts a tiny bit.)
FA/historical info is welcome.
Location
Climb ascends the face between the Serpentine Crack and the Chicken Heads face. A few routes are in this area. As you move left from Serpentine Crack, the first bolted climb you come to is Serpent Face, the 2nd one is Better Red Than Dead (above a right angling crack). Descend by walking off to the east.
Protection
1 set nuts (micros helpful) and 1 set cams. More runners than usual because of long length and to sling chickenheads. 2 bolts on route (and 1 bolt up high maybe on route).
A fun route with good rock. 2 or 3 stars of 4, certainly not better than that. The bolt referenced as a variation in the description is actually the 4th bolt on Serpent Face, the 5.10c route to the right.
Mosaic Rock
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