Organ Mountains Climbing

This eye-catching mountain range is just east of Las Cruces. There's probably more climbing here than one could do in a lifetime, but the long approaches over hot and unfriendly desert have kept the crowds away. The original Spanish name of the Organ Mountains was Sierra de la Solidad - Mountain of Solitude, and the name fits to this day. Off trail, and almost everything is off trail, the mountain range is rugged enough to be nearly deserted. If you do go there, plan on being self-sufficient. Be prepared to provide your own rap stations even on "established" rap routes. Cell reception is generally decent on both sides of the range, but other than that, expect to be on your own.

Some favorites which may appeal to you, depending on what you are after:

Easy climbing made adventurous by long runouts on ultra-long routes – Sugarloaf

Classic lines up steep, clean granite – The Tooth

Sunny cragging in the winter – Southern Comfort Wall

Shady cragging in the summer – The Citadel

Climbing within the sight of the parking lot – La Cueva

Bouldering in the south Organs – Pena Blanca

Bouldering on the east side – Aguirre Bouldering

An impressive summit gained with some effort – The Wedge

Overview of Areas

The mountain range divides naturally into North and South Organs. South Organs are largely off limits, being on Fort Bliss or White Sands Missile Range, and for the most part decidedly chossy. Almost all of the climbing here is in the southwestern end at Pena Blanca, and it is predominantly bouldering.

The northern half of the the range is granite. It starts from the south with the Organ Needle and Square Top area and continues with High Horns and Low Horns. Going north, the range splits into two parallel lines of peaks - Rabbit Ears in the east and Rabbit Ears Towers in the west - separated by Rabbit Ears Canyon. The north end is again basically a single chain of peaks which gets progressively less rocky.

Separate from the main line of the range, approximately east from the Needle is Sugarloaf. It is also granite, but it is an exfoliation dome studded with chicken heads rather than the blocky terrain typical of the rest of the range.

Also away from the main ridge line, low in the west and close to Fillmore Canyon (the line separating North and South Organs), is La Cueva.

Listing of areas (generally from north to south)

North Organs

.....The Diamond

.....Lambda

Rabbit Ears Area

. Eastern line of peaks

.....Last peak

.....The Cwm

.....North Rabbit Ear

.....Middle Rabbit Ear

.....South Rabbit Ear

.....Pyramid of South Rabbit Ear

. Western line of peaks

.....The Citadel

.....Shortline Wall

.....Lesser Spire

.....ORP

. Western foothills

.....Rabbit Ears Slabs

.....Hot Gates

.....Northern Exposure Wall

.....The Fin

.....Southern Comfort Wall

.....Bastion Wall

The Low Horns

.....Gertch

.....Low Horn 1

.....Low Horn 2

.....Low Horn 3

.....Low Horn 4 (McCalla Horn)

.....Low Horn 5

.....Low Horn 6

The High Horns

. The line of the peaks

.....The Spike

.....The Spire

.....Razorback

.....Wildcat

.....Dingleberry

.....Lost Peak

.....The Wedge

. The western foothills

.....Gendarmes

.....The Tooth

Needle and Squaretops

.....Squaretop

.....Little Squaretop

.....Organ Needle

.....The Retaining Wall

.....Minerva's Temple

Sugarloaf Area

.....Sugarloaf

.....Sugarloaf's Stepchild

.....East Slabs

La Cueva

.....Shady Side

.....Sunny Side

South Organs

.....Achenbach Canyon

.....Long Canyon

.....Pena Blanca