Silver City climbing/Santa Rita Mines

Does anyone have information on bolted routes in the area? I've heard of some in the mines area and the Gila NF. If anyone has any info. it would be much appreciated. Also thinking of exploring the area this weekend, so if anyone want to come along let me know!
-annie

I've been curious about this too, with all the great outdoors activites in the Silver City area, it just needs some climbing too. Plenty of rock in the vicinity too.

I found this spot on rockclimbing.com-

rockclimbing.com/routes/Nor…

I've never heard of this area before, usually the only climbing spot mentioned for the area is City of Rocks.

Some friends of mine climbed in the kneeling nun area in the later 1970s. I think all these routes were all trad without bolts. I believe the area of off limits now.

I heard, long ago, that Mark Moots did some climbing in the area. Specifically near the cliff dwellings and perhaps cherry creek. Possibly bolted but likely 1/4 inch bolts.

Tony and I climbed the tower across the mid fork of the gila river from jordan hot springs. No bolts and the most dangerous climb I ever did. We also climbed several rock formation in railroad canyon, chloride canyon, percha creek, something north of Monticello, some routes in the cabello mountains north of hatch.

I have been curious about some rock I saw up the west fork of mogollon creek and big dry canyon. I also believe that there might be something decent up whitewater creek near the old power station. All of which would need to be developed.

Most of the rock in the Gila is pretty rotten but there might be a gem somewhere.

Also there is a water fall near diamond creek I think might freeze up in the winter.

I did the first ascent of a very prominent tower on the southern edge of the Gila Wilderness with Jon Butler in the early 1990s. The tower looked really difficult from the road, but when we got there we found we could climb easy ground (2 pitches) up the northern side at a pretty easy grade. We built a cairn on top. The tower looks like a big finger, essentially, and is actually featured in some posters of the Gila. We named it Leopold's Spire, after Aldo.

This tower was up, I believe, Big Dry Canyon. But it's been nearly 2 decades.....

Oh, yeah....before that, Jon and I went to the Santa Rita (El Chino) copper mine to ask the mine's president if we could climb the Kneeling Nun. We got a long lecture on liabilities, etc., etc., then went off to do Aldo's.

Nice Cameron. I have fished Big Dry Creek and always wanted to do the tower you climbed, but thought it too much effort for what would likely be a volcanic choss-fest. Good to know somebody has done that thing.

There are some bolted routes on the obvious cliffs flanking the road north of Silver City on the way to the cliff dwellings. They look to be about 5.9 to 5.11 and vertical or slightly slabby. Nothing special but possibly worth checking if you are in the area.

W

William, I think "volcanic choss-fest" sums up the situation nicely!

Anybody climbing currently in Silver city these days? 

I've climbed up around McMillan before- a few bolted and gear routes.  The closest place that has a good concentration of decent climbs is the Rought and Ready Hills on the way to Cruces. I want to say about an hour drive from Silver. 

I just yanked this image off the web. This is the tower we made the first ascent of in 1993 (I believe thats the year). It was a two-pitch scramble. Maybe 5.4 at most. It's a cool-looking spire and I bet there are other routes to do on the other sides. We climbed the easiest line.