Climbing Near Seboyeta, New Mexico

The second easiest plug to get to in the Rio Puerco Valley, similar to Cabezon but less rock & more scrambling. Drive several miles past Cabezon & take a fork on the right heading downhill. Guadalupe is on the left, guarded by a few dirt bluffs. Park alongside the road & start up.

On a typical day from Highway 550 north of San Ysidro you can see a half dozen volcanic plugs off to the west. Cabezon & Guadalupe are the nearest, the rest lie on private range land and are almost always gated. The rock is typically welded tuff & basalt. Though quality varies widely there are often patches of solid rock. Cabezon, the most developed in terms of trails & signage, sees the most activity from local mountain clubs. If there are many cars in the parking lot, consider coming back another day. Turnoff lies midway between San Ysidro & Cuba. The sign along US 550 indicates a turn west toward Torreon. State Road 279 is paved the first dozen or so miles before abruptly turning to dirt. Make a sharp left turn down a hill & up the other side, then look for another left turn going about a half mile up to parking. The trail is obvious & skirts the south shoulder of Cabezon to reach the standard ascent route on the SE side.

Cabezon Peak is a volcanic neck on BLM land. It is in a desert environment. There is a primitive camping area below the south side of the neck. It is usually quiet except for weekends when people will climb a class 3 route to the top. The rock quality can vary. Go North on US 550 from Bernalillo, then past San Isidro about 20 miles and turn left on a dirt road, some BLM signs exist. The road goes about 16 miles south and west and skirts the west side of the neck, ending near its south side.