Yucca Flower Tower Rock Climbing
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Elevation: | 9,801 ft | 2,987 m |
GPS: |
35.20139, -106.44591 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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Page Views: | 25,136 total · 111/month | |
Shared By: | Anthony Stout on Sep 20, 2006 · Updates | |
Admins: | Jason Halladay, Mike Hoskins, Anna Brown |
Description
Though not really a tower, this formation has a high concentration of of some of the best routes in the Sandias!
Getting There
See approach information for Echo Canyon, which will lead you to the junction where you'll either continue down into the canyon, or stay on the La Luz trail (if you are climbing on Yucca Flower Tower). From the trail junction, continue 10 minutes or about 0.3 miles on the main trail, paralleling the canyon. Here, the La Luz exits the trees before it turns northeast.
Before the trail turns northeast, leave the trail onto a climber / hiker trail towards Echo Canyon (west) which splits into many trails in an area with views into the Rio Grande Vally. Whether or not you find the cemented rock bench, you are roughly 100 feet or more skier’s left (south) of the rap station for Aces and Eights. Staying on obvious climber trail(s), head up canyon (north) while trending down towards the cliff band.
As you near within 20 or 30 feet of the cliff band on an easy trail, the trail will drop into a small forested bowl. The trail will then turn left directly towards the cliff for about 15 feet and angle back left a little more behind a boulder with a rap station only visible when at the cliff edge. This is the rap station just for Aces and Eights.
For rapping to Yucca Flower Tower, skip the above left turn and continue up canyon another 20 feet or so to find a minor blocky ridge line with trees that juts out into Echo Canyon in a north westerly direction. Hike and scramble down this ridge line to the end where you can look down at the top of Yucca Flower Tower. .
The rap station above Yucca Flower Tower faces the canyon at the end of the minor ridge line. A single rope rap with a 60m rope is close so consider knotting the ends. And do not rap into the gully that is skier’s left of Yucca Flower Tower. Instead, scramble skier’s right across an exposed “catwalk” to another large block which is the summit of Yucca Flower Tower. Two, two rope raps will then get you to the base of the formation. Make sure to head right instead of rappelling into the gully!
It is also possible to hike down Echo Canyon to the base of the formation although this is not recommended, reportedly due to 4th class in a gnarly gully.
Before the trail turns northeast, leave the trail onto a climber / hiker trail towards Echo Canyon (west) which splits into many trails in an area with views into the Rio Grande Vally. Whether or not you find the cemented rock bench, you are roughly 100 feet or more skier’s left (south) of the rap station for Aces and Eights. Staying on obvious climber trail(s), head up canyon (north) while trending down towards the cliff band.
As you near within 20 or 30 feet of the cliff band on an easy trail, the trail will drop into a small forested bowl. The trail will then turn left directly towards the cliff for about 15 feet and angle back left a little more behind a boulder with a rap station only visible when at the cliff edge. This is the rap station just for Aces and Eights.
For rapping to Yucca Flower Tower, skip the above left turn and continue up canyon another 20 feet or so to find a minor blocky ridge line with trees that juts out into Echo Canyon in a north westerly direction. Hike and scramble down this ridge line to the end where you can look down at the top of Yucca Flower Tower. .
The rap station above Yucca Flower Tower faces the canyon at the end of the minor ridge line. A single rope rap with a 60m rope is close so consider knotting the ends. And do not rap into the gully that is skier’s left of Yucca Flower Tower. Instead, scramble skier’s right across an exposed “catwalk” to another large block which is the summit of Yucca Flower Tower. Two, two rope raps will then get you to the base of the formation. Make sure to head right instead of rappelling into the gully!
It is also possible to hike down Echo Canyon to the base of the formation although this is not recommended, reportedly due to 4th class in a gnarly gully.
Classic Climbing Routes at Yucca Flower Tower
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
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