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Girl Scout Slab

New Mexico > Albuquerque Area > Sandia Mountains > Domingo Baca Canyon,…

Description

Climbs are about three quarters of a rope. Double rope rappel from bolts with rings. An easy slab for beginners of all sizes and shapes. Success of reaching the top is likely. Rock quality is good. The named routes are very easy. One can find some moves up to 5.6 by beginning at the steepest part of the slab. Developed in the Girl Scout spirit of being nice to mother nature.

History: Probably old. but the FKA for now: A dad of girl scouts discovered this slab while helping with a girl scout camping trip. He wandered up Cake Walk in approach shoes and decided a rap anchor would be good for discouraging the obvious “walk off”. The walk-off is arguably about as treacherous as climbing back down the slab but it is tempting and using it will cause substantial soil erosion. The alternative anchors at the top are cams (size 5 to 7), big bros, etc. and nobody wants to leave those behind. With chain anchors, it is a great easy place to bring the kids for some climbing success. Please do not add bolts for “leading”. The FA was free solo and a handful of gear will get the beginning leader up Cakewalk. Rock jocks might scramble, sans gear, to set the double-rope top rope. Then one can top-rope most of the slab.

Getting There

Approach: Start up the canyon as for the other climbs in Doningo Baca Canyon. Pass the old house foundation. Then, the trail crosses to the S side of the stream and shortly crosses back to the N side. Very soon after, one encounters a step up through rocks with a boulderable boulder on the left. Just after this is a spot on your right that often has the appearance that people camp in the stream bed on a grassy tuft. Look across the stream and locate a big boulder with a Ponderosa Pine in front of it and a Rocky Mountain Juniper in front of the pine. Go to the base of the juniper and find a path that zig zags (to avoid soil erosion) up the small hill to the slab. The left fork goes to Cake Walk, the right fork to Crab Walk. Come back to the fork to walk between the climbs to avoid soil erosion. We have done sufficient pruning for access. Please do not clear the remaining trees away from the base as they are pretty and help stabilize the soil.

Routes from Left to Right

5.2 3 8 II 8 D 2c
 2
Cake Walk
Trad
5.2 3 8 II 8 D 2c
 2
Crab Walk
TR
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Cake Walk
 2
5.2 3 8 II 8 D 2c Trad
Crab Walk
 2
5.2 3 8 II 8 D 2c TR

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Caroline Kuethe on beginning of Cake Walk<br>
Photo by Bill Lawry
[Hide Photo] Caroline Kuethe on beginning of Cake Walk Photo by Bill Lawry
Overview of Girl Scout Slab<br>
Photo by Bill Lawry
[Hide Photo] Overview of Girl Scout Slab Photo by Bill Lawry

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Robin
Albuquerque, NM
[Hide Comment] Although a 70m rope is too short to toprope these routes with, if you extend your anchor about 10-12ft down from the anchors then the rope will just barely reach. Be sure to tie a knot in the free end.

To Rappel you only need something like a 30ft rope to add to the 70m. Have your partner clip it to them and then single rope rap on the side of the 70m rope that hits the ground. Of course two ropes will do the job quite well also, although with a bit more weight. May 23, 2017