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GPS: 35.7894, -106.21067
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
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Shared By: Chris Wenker on Mar 2, 2008 · Updates
Admins: Jason Halladay, Mike Hoskins, Anna Brown

Description Suggest change

The south side of The Big Enchilada hosts about 25 crack climbs of reasonable to good quality. Most of these will require trad anchors.
The cliff actually faces a bit southwest, and hence sees sun from late morning through the end of the day. The leftmost routes on this wall occupy a big eastish-facing corner, though, so receive earlier sun and shade.

Getting There Suggest change

From the descent gully at The Big Enchilada, take a right (south) and go around the corner to the south-facing side of the cliff.

Routes

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Because so many of the climbs are "unnamed," this concordance list hopfully links the route descriptions and topos from the published guides: 1.) the online guide by Chen and Wehner, 2.) Beverly (2006), and 3.) Jackson (2006) as well as 4.) Wa3lt's unpublished notes (which he graciously posted here). It appears that some routes are included in some guides but are not in others, some ratings differ, and they list them in different order. (Note, I have TR'd or led very few of these routes, so am mainly working from the published resources for now).

Historical priority of route numbers is given to Wa3lt's list in this case, so the photos Wa3lt posted here will match the route descriptions. Note that there are discrepancies between Wa3lt's topo and the online Chen/Wehner guide in the area of Routes 16-18.

From left to right (west to east, which is the opposite of how they are approached from the walk-down), the reported lines on the south side of The Big Enchilada are:

Chimney - not in Chen/Wehner; Beverly #1 (5.7); not in Jackson
Offwidth/chimney - Chen/Wehner #1 (5.8); Beverly #2 (5.8); not in Jackson
Dihedral - not in Chen/Wehner; Beverly #3 (5.6); not in Jackson
Boba Fett - Chen/Wehner #2 (5.12a); Beverly #4 (5.12a); not in Jackson
Route 3 - Chen/Wehner #3 (5.9); Beverly #5 (5.9); not in Jackson
HuiHui's Revenge - Chen/Wehner #4 (5.12a); Beverly #6 (5.12a); not in Jackson
Route 5 - Chen/Wehner #5 (5.10b/c); Beverly #7 (5.10b/c); not in Jackson
Route 6 - Chen/Wehner #6 (unrated); Beverly #8 (5.10b); Jackson #25 (5.10?)
Route 7 - Chen/Wehner #7 (unrated); Beverly #9 (5.10c); Jackson #24 (5.10?).
Route 8 - Chen/Wehner #8 (5.10b); Beverly #10 (5.10b); Jackson #23 (5.10b).
Unnamed - not in Chen/Wehner; not in Beverly; Jackson #22 (5.10d). This is not illustrated on Wa3lt's photo; it would finish right of Route 8.
Route 9 - Chen/Wehner #9 (5.10d); Beverly #11 (5.10d); Jackson #21 (5.11a/b)
Petroglyphs - Chen/Wehner #10 (5.11a/b); Beverly #12 (5.10d/5.11a); Jackson #20 (5.11b/c)
Route 11 - Chen/Wehner #11 (5.11b/c); Beverly #13 (5.11b/c); Jackson #19 (5.11c)
Route 12 - Chen/Wehner #12 (5.11c); Beverly #14 (5.11c); Jackson #18 (5.11c/d).
Route 13 - Chen/Wehner #13 (5.11c/d); Beverly #15 (5.11c/d); Jackson #17 (5.11b)
Route 14 - Chen/Wehner #14 (5.11b); Beverly #16 (5.11b); not in Jackson
Route 15 - Chen/Wehner #15 (5.9+); Beverly #17 (5.9+); Jackson #16 (5.9+).
Route 16 - not in Chen/Wehner; Beverly #18 (5.12a); not in Jackson.
Route 17 - Chen/Wehner #16 (5.10c); Beverly #19 (5.10c); Jackson #15 (5.10a)
Route 18 - Chen/Wehner #17 (5.9+); Beverly #20 (5.9); Jackson #14 (5.9+)
Unnamed - Chen/Wehner #18 (5.12a); not in Beverly; Jackson #13 (5.12a). This is not illustrated on Wa3lt's photo; it would be between 18-19.
Route 19 - Chen/Wehner #19 (5.9); Beverly #21 (5.9); Jackson #12 (5.9)
Headjam - Chen/Wehner #20 (5.9); Beverly #22 (5.9); Jackson #11 (5.9).
Route 21 - Chen/Wehner #21 (5.10d); Beverly #23 (5.10d); Jackson #10 (5.10d)
Route 22 - Chen/Wehner #22 (5.11a); Beverly #24 (5.11a); Jackson #9 (5.11a)
Route 23 - Chen/Wehner #23 (5.9+); Beverly #25 (5.9+); Jackson #8 (5.9+)

If anyone knows of actual route names, even informal names, let us know, because that would be better than a numbered list.

Side Notes

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Additional comments [from GP]:
  • "The easiest way to climb a Toprope set on "Headjam" is to start as for "Route 21" and move left at mid-height. I would call this 5.8, done this way, as it avoids the cruxes of both routes."
  • "The easiest way to climb a Toprope set on "Route 17" is to start as for "Route 18" and move left at mid-height. I would call this 5.9, done this way, and it avoids the cruxes of both routes."

27 Total Climbs

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Location: South Side, Big Enchilada Change
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Classic Climbing Routes at South Side, Big Enchilada

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 15
Route 18
Trad, TR
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 14
Headjam
Trad, TR
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 11
Route 15
Trad, TR
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 5
Route 5
Trad, TR
5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 25
Route 17
Trad, TR
5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c
 10
Route 22
Trad, TR
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Route 18
 15
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad, TR
Headjam
 14
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Trad, TR
Route 15
 11
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Trad, TR
Route 5
 5
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Trad, TR
Route 17
 25
5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Trad, TR
Route 22
 10
5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c Trad, TR
More Classic Climbs in South Side, Big Enchilada »

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