Grotto Right (West Side) Rock Climbing
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Elevation: | 6,024 ft | 1,836 m |
GPS: |
35.80532, -106.14347 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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Page Views: | 30,270 total · 133/month | |
Shared By: | Anthony Stout on Mar 6, 2006 | |
Admins: | Shirtless Mike, Jason Halladay, Mike Hoskins, Anna Brown |
Access Issue: Access Issue for Areas in BLM Taos Field Office Lands
Details
Per the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Taos Field Office's ( blm.gov/office/taos-field-o…) 2012 Taos Resource Management Plan (RMP) ( bit.ly/2Kab3HO), "Installation of new rock climbing routes or hardware will require pre-approval by the BLM." The RMP is the document that guides all the BLM management in a given field office. Climbers are asked to respect this guidance and not install new bolts or fixed hardware on Taos Field Office BLM land without pre-approval from the BLM. NM CRAG ( nmcrag.org/) is currently working with the BLM Taos Field Office to establish specific guidance for new route development in the district and they hope to have a formal process in the near future.
Diablo areas within the BLM Taos Field Office management area are: The Shack, Winter Wall, Solar Cave, Lake Street and Styx.
Diablo areas within the BLM Taos Field Office management area are: The Shack, Winter Wall, Solar Cave, Lake Street and Styx.
Description
This area encompasses the entire right wall of the Grotto. This wall has a different characteristic than the rest up the Diablo area, many of the climbs have pockets, and the crimps are more sharp and positive. The rock is less featured as well, resulting in more technical and sometimes bigger reaches between holds.
The rock, while more monolithic than the opposite side of the canyon doesn't see as much traffic. Climb cautiously and consider helmets and belaying (and standing) out of the fall line of climbers.
The wall is West Facing so it gets morning sun and afternoon shade. In the winter it gets less shade , and gets more shade in the summer. In early April the wall begins to go into the shade around 3:30. A good tool for estimating Sun / Shade beta is is the online sunearthtool.com estimator tool
The first routes are located just as you enter the Grotto. After passing the climb "Venarete" there is a short break to the next set of climbs. The next area is known as "Winter Capacity Area" as it gets the first sun on winter days. After passing through a small corridor created by a large boulder you will come across the route "Bucktooth" another short break and the wall will curve slightly yielding the routes at the end of the Grotto area.
The rock, while more monolithic than the opposite side of the canyon doesn't see as much traffic. Climb cautiously and consider helmets and belaying (and standing) out of the fall line of climbers.
The wall is West Facing so it gets morning sun and afternoon shade. In the winter it gets less shade , and gets more shade in the summer. In early April the wall begins to go into the shade around 3:30. A good tool for estimating Sun / Shade beta is is the online sunearthtool.com estimator tool
The first routes are located just as you enter the Grotto. After passing the climb "Venarete" there is a short break to the next set of climbs. The next area is known as "Winter Capacity Area" as it gets the first sun on winter days. After passing through a small corridor created by a large boulder you will come across the route "Bucktooth" another short break and the wall will curve slightly yielding the routes at the end of the Grotto area.
Classic Climbing Routes at Grotto Right (West Side)
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
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