Sandia Mountains Rock Climbing

New Mexico Climber's Resource and Advocacy Group (NM CRAG) Route Development Guidelines

NM CRAG advocates and encourages climbers to abide by the following fixed anchor guidelines when establishing new routes in the Sandia Mountain Wilderness:

• NM CRAG acknowledges and supports the existing laws that ban the use of motorized drills in Wilderness.
• Minimize your impact by staying on existing trails when possible; do not build new trails without Forest Service approval.

New climbing routes requiring fixed anchors should be evaluated based on:

• Rock quality, aesthetic position, environmental impact, natural terrain features, potential appeal to present and future climbers, the effect on other user groups, and the number of existing routes in the vicinity.
• Ask yourself and others if your potential route is a worthy addition to the area before adding fixed anchors.
• New routes requiring fixed anchors should not crowd existing climbs. Fixed anchors should not be used when reliable options for removable protection exist.
• Fixed protection may be appropriate to prevent the risk of ground fall, hitting dangerous obstacles or factor two falls. Climbers should bear the responsibility for determining when to place safety anchors and how to use these tools.
• Fixed anchors may be appropriate when used for rappel stations to reduce excessive trails and damage to fragile cliff-top environments. All fixed protection should be camouflaged to blend in with natural terrain.
• Bolt intensive climbs are not appropriate in Wilderness. Sections of fixed protection may be required to link natural features containing possibilities for protection with removable gear.        

- Sandia Rock by Mick Schein (2013, Sharp End Publishing)

- Rock Climbing New Mexico by Dennis R. Jackson (2006, Falcon Press)

- Hikers and Climbers Guide to the Sandias by Mike Hill (1993, Coyote Books)