PRINT: Rock Climb Yikes Dikes, Taos Area

Yikes Dikes

5.8, Trad, 200 ft (61 m),

Avg: 2.9 from 36 votes
FA: Peter Prandoni and Bruce Holthouse, 1979
New Mexico > Taos Area > Tres Piedras > S Rock

Access Issue: Some rocks in this area are on private property. Seasonal Raptor Nesting. Details

The remainder are on US Forest Service land. A map detailing the public areas can be obtained from the ranger station en route to the rocks from the village of Tres Piedras.
According to Jan Studebaker: "The property line mountainproject.com/v/new_m… runs from approximately the current east corner by the access gate in a straight line over the top of South Rock to the top middle of the Chicken Heads/Mosaic Wall mount, and from there west down the mount slope to the meadow just south of the Alley climbs. Some of the most popular routes are completely on private property. There are survey markers on the top of South rock (the mysterious aluminum stake stuck in the rock) and on top of the Mosaic rock (most of the time buried in water in a pot hole.)"

An online Tres Piedras Route Guide lamountaineers.org/Tres_Pie… from LA Mountaineers has been updated with the latest access information, and should be read by all Tres Piedras climbers. Group climb leaders, and Climbing Directors (future or past) should take particular note.

The landowner requests NO fires, no trash, no chalk and "please close any gates". Basically, be a good steward of the land.

In order to nurture greater landowner acceptance of climbers, participants of group climbs are requested to organize quick clean up activities before leaving the area; this should include the climbing area as well as the access roads (trip leaders could supply plastic grocery bags). Small parties should practice "leave no trace" principles.

Seasonal Raptor Nesting:
This climbing area is shared with raptors that nest on the cliffs. Help us maintain access and please avoid climbing near active nests/ledges that raptors are using. If a raptor is disturbed during nesting season it may exhibit aggressive defensive behaviors like vocalizing or dive-bombing. If you witness this behavior, retreat from your climb immediately and find a location on a different formation or a different part of the wall far enough away from the raptors that they are no longer noticeably agitated. If they remain agitated, then please leave the area immediately.
Raptor awareness is especially important during nesting season from mid-February to late May but needs to be considered through the end of August. Please report disturbed and/or nesting raptors to the Carson National Forest the appropriate district office (see below) and share relevant information here on MP. Human-raptor encounters can have negative impacts for the birds and climbers in the area. The Cason NF wants to maintain climbing access while protecting raptor reproduction and relies on climbers to recreate responsibly and share information in order to avoid the need for formal raptor closures.

Questa Ranger District
(575) 586-0520
Camino Real (Comales Canyon) Ranger District
(575) 587-2255
Tres Piedras Ranger District
(575) 758-8678
El Rito Ranger District
(575) 581-4554

Description

Area classic! Climb straight up and over the left side of the short bisected buttress above resembling two heads (ala Easter Island) or more simply... a butt. While a belay can be set up below the buttress, the route can be done easily in 1 pitch with a 60m rope.

Location

Ascends the slab forming the west face of South Rock, easily accessed from the main approach trail. Rappel (double-rope, or will barely work with 1 60m rope) the north side from shared anchors or walk off to the northeast (tricky and exposed).

Protection

Mixed trad w/ bolts (3). Carry a light trad rack (set of nuts, set of cams, long slings) to supplement bolts. Shares anchor (two bolts with chains) with Surface Tension (5.11-).

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Climber summiting Yikes Dikes.<br>
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Photo courtesy of andrewburr.com. All rights reserved.

Is this Yikes Dike? It is what I did. Gear anchor at the top.

Finishing up Yikes Dikes on an early morning ascent.<br>
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Photo by Mark Schraad.

Finishing up Yikes Dikes on an early morning ascent. Photo by Mark Schraad.

Yikes!<br>
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Photo courtesy of andrewburr.com. All rights reserved.

The west face of South Rock. Yikes Dikes (5.8) goes straight up and over the left side of the bisected buttress. The start of the climb is out of frame to the left.

Start at the base of the rock, behind a big tree. Climb up the face crack to get on the low angle ramp. Head towards the crack to get some pro in before you make your way up to the buttress. Go s…

Going for the prized YDFKT on a cold but sunny spring day in 2019. Photo: Aaron Madey

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Mike Howard

Peter Prandoni and Bruce Holthouse Oct 22, 2007

Mark Mathis

5.8

FWIW, I can't recall exactly where the bolts are. However, I do seem to recall only climbing the left "butt cheek". Also, I did not have any problem reaching the anchors with my 59m rope (although it did drag a good bit at the end and I did start around on the north side of the formation). Maybe I will just have to go back and climb it again... Jun 2, 2008

Minesh Bacrania

5.8

Per Greg Swift and Sharon Dogruel, the start for "Puddin" is the 10' crack (5.7ish) visible behind the small tree on the left side of Mark's picture. From there, head up the mellow slab (5.6, a little run out in one spot), and then up the left side of the butt. As George says, the third bolt comes just after the section of spicy bit of unprotected 5.8 slab, off to the right from the lower two.

I asked about the start heading up the easier right-facing dihedral, but they didn't have any beta on that. But Greg did say a friend of his "walked down that in flip-flops". Oct 19, 2008

Terry Price
Mancos CO

Climbed Yikes Dikes 6/14/09. Did not use first two bolts on face and instead stayed in crack and placed tri-cams. Used third bolt and topped out. Otherwise, I placed only nuts and tri-cams. Why use the bolts that aren't needed to climb the feature? Or am I too retro? Would a local please tell me: Did I climb Yikes Dikes or Puddin or neither? Jun 16, 2009

Jason Halladay
Los Alamos, NM

5.8

Terry Price wrote:Climbed Yikes Dikes 6/14/09. Did not use first two bolts on face and instead stayed in crack and placed tri-cams. Used third bolt and topped out. Otherwise, I placed only nuts and tri-cams. Why use the bolts that aren't needed to climb the feature? Or am I too retro? Would a local please tell me: Did I climb Yikes Dikes or Puddin or neither?

Hi Terry...I think we met in the parking lot on Sunday after the rainstorm? Based on what I consider to be Puddin and Yikes Dike, my guess is you climbed Puddin. But really, it's never been very clear. I've always thought about it as both routes share the same start up to the "ass" feature. If you climb the harder, bolt-protected face to the left, you're on Yikes Dike. If you climb the cracks to the right, you're on Puddin. Then the routes reconvene at the last bolt for the finish.
If climbing Yikes Dike, the bolts aren't unnecessary as that slab would be spicy without them. So I wouldn't say you're "retro" but rather that you just chose to climb the protectable cracks route rather than the bolt-protected face.
p.s. my chalk ball just finally dried out yesterday after that rain on Sunday! Jun 17, 2009

Chris Wenker
Santa Fe

5.8-

I used to think this route was known in the olden days as the 5.6 "Puddin'", but now I don't think the old Puddin' description matches Yikes Dikes.

I also feel that both Foley's (2005:76) and Jackson's (2006:59) descriptions and topos are wrong in that they mention 3 bolts. It appears to me that there are only 2 bolts on "Yikes Dikes" proper, on the left side of the bifurcated buttress. After the 2nd bolt, it's straightforward and logical to follow some overlaps above, proceeding straight up into the gray water streak, and follow that as it turns into a low-angle crack that leads to the Surface Tension chains. Almost exactly 200 feet that way.

There is a third bolt on the right side of the buttress, but it is substantially higher than shown in both the guidebooks, above some horizontal seams, and way, way far off to the right of the natural Yikes Dikes line. I went over and clipped that once, thinking it was Yikes' 3rd bolt. It's 5.8 friction over there, it adds HUGE rope drag because then you gotta go way back left to get to the Surface Tension chains, and you might run short on a 60m line. So I consider that 3rd bolt off-route, and its purpose is not clear to me. Maybe someone knows what the FA's intention of Yikes originally was, and if it included this bolt?

The real line of Puddin' is still also apparently open for debate, based on other's comments in this list. Jul 13, 2009

Daniel Trugman
Reno, NV

5.8-

I didn't have to go out of my way to clip the third bolt, and my belayer said that it was in line with all my other gear. Rope drag was not an issue. The climbing wasn't very hard by the third bolt either: 5.6 or so.

This route will get the 5.8 leader's attention with some mandatory runouts, albeit on terrain no harder than 5.7. Despite this, the crux is well protected (by one of the first two bolts, I can't remember which) and easy for a 5.8 at TP. Jul 20, 2009

Chris Wenker
Santa Fe

5.8-

I'm still not convinced that 3rd bolt is on-route. It forces you way too far right, IMO. If the leader wants to end this climb at the Surface Tension bolts, it's better to skip that 3rd bolt on the right and go left up the gray water streak instead, because otherwise a 60 m rope won't get you there. We started the climb from the closest spot on the ground, but (as the belayer) I still had to simul-climb about 15 feet to allow the leader to reach the Surface Tension bolts after he clipped B3. If the leader does clip the 3rd bolt, and the belayer can't or won't simulclimb, the leader should expect to have to build a gear anchor on top, and then transition over to the Surface Tension bolts. Nov 13, 2009

Daniel Trugman
Reno, NV

5.8-

Interesting. The one time I did this route, I clipped the bolt with a double length runner, and (just) got to the Surface Tension anchors. We didn't do any simul-climbing but he did have to move to the left side of the buttress to give me more rope. But perhaps I'm misremembering. In any case, as you point out, it would be wise to expect some difficulties if you do decide to clip the bolt. Nov 13, 2009

Mike Howard

Chris and Daniel,

Bruce and I are going to upgrade the hardware on Airy Scary. Should we pay attention to these routes, too? Any suggestions? Nov 13, 2009

Daniel Trugman
Reno, NV

5.8-

If I remember correctly (call me out on this if I'm wrong, Chris), both (or all three) of the bolts are in good condition. I don't think any work needs to be done on Yikes Dikes.

Awesome job replacing all these old bolts! Surface Tension has some old hardware (a piton, I think) but it looked really bomber and you can back it up with a small cam. It held a very exciting thirty foot fall (not mine though, I was belaying). I think Airy Scary might be the only route on South Rock that needs your attention. Nov 13, 2009

Mike Howard

George Perkins wrote:RE: Airy Scary... "4th- crappy upward-driven knifeblade piton. "Protects" the psychological crux. You need to make 5.10+ slab moves about 10 or 15' above this, and I was not confident that it will hold a fall"

Bruce and I will check the pin and decide. He is convinced that seam seems rotten. This may end up with a bolt. Did you see the photos I added to the TP discussion Forum mountainproject.com/v/arizo…? Nov 13, 2009

Bill Lawry
Albuquerque, NM

5.8 PG13

Howard Snell and I went via the third bolt. Not much gear or time needed for the top anchor that-a-way as there is a nice natural bridge on the side of a hueco that is stout in the direction of a falling second. Plus there is an excellent butt stance in a neighboring hueco. And it's a pretty darn casual walk over to the rap anchor of Surface Tension.

We used an intermediate belay on gear in the central crack in the buttress ... reduces rope stretch should the leader fall on the upper part of the route. Aug 15, 2011

arjunmh
Phoenix & Prescott, AZ

60 m rope will get to the anchors of Surface Tension, but it creates a diagonal line that follower won't like at the top, unless they go left from the last bolt. Better to top out straight above the last bolt, build an anchor and belay from there, or else have your follower prepped for an angling top-out. Aug 8, 2012

Howard Snell
Belen, New Mexico

Found gear on Yikes Dikes - Lost & Found Forum mountainproject.com/v/found… Jun 25, 2013

George Perkins
The Dungeon, NM

5.8

Did both finishes this morning.
-Staying left and finishing up the water groove to crack is easier (5.8), but mildly runout.
-Stepping right and finishing up past the 3rd bolt has a couple of harder moves, but these moves are well-protected by the bolt (I'd give it 5.8+).
The best option will depend on the leader's comfort level, or if you want to make it easiest for the follower. Or do it twice. Apr 3, 2021