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Socorro Bouldering Guide - Box Canyon - Gimmes Area

Main box parking lot: UTM 13S 0316096 3763993
There is an information board, an interpretive sign, a toilet and a dumpster. There is also a sign-in sheet, which you should sign so that the BLM can keep up the good work.

The Gimme Boulders are the clump of small boulders to the South of Waterfall Wall. Spinach wall is to the East up the hill, just North of dirtwall. Ursa Major Boulder is the large rock to the Southwest on side of the hill.

North Gimme Boulder AKA North Pylon Boulder

UTM 13S 0316151 3763849
The group of small boulders South of Waterfall Wall and at the base of the hill directly below Dirt Wall/Hueco Wall.
    North Gimme Boulder, Northwest corner
    North Gimme Boulder, Northwest corner

  1. ? - V0
    Short stand start problem in the middle of the North face.
  2. Pylon - V1 (V0-V1) crux at top
    The Northwest arete of the tall Pylon Boulder.
  3. Shock Treatment AKA Sleestak - V3 (V1-V4)
    The West face of the tall Pylon Boulder, sit down start on a big flake and stay to the right of Pylon. Top out on slopers.
    Watch for black widows in the starting hold.
  4. Routine Expedition - V4 (V3-V4) Bob
    Sit down start, traverse left to Sleestak.

Southern Gimme Boulder AKA South Pylon Boulder

Obviously, the boulder just South of North Pylon.
  1. ? - V2 (V1-V3)
    Sit start at the bowl on the Southwest side. Go up and right on the lip slopers and top out at Hardman Gimme.
  2. Hardman Gimme - V4 (V4-V6)
    The Southern arete, sit down start.
    This ancient problem is still frustrating and tricky.
  3. Holly - V1
    Stand start and do the top out for Land of the Lost.
  4. Marshall - V2
    Stand start just right of Holly, thin edges and sidepulls.
  5. ? - V0
    Stand start just left of the North arete.
  6. Crimpy Traverse - V5+ Andy
    Land of the Lost - V5 Bob
    Traverse Enik right to left, then ooze around the corner and traverse the East face below the lip on tiny slopers and incuts, topping out above and right of Hardman Gimme.
    I worked this problem for a long time after Andy got it, only to discover that Andy thinks that I did a different problem. Confused? Join the club. In either case, it's fun and pumpy.


    7. South Gimme Boulder, North face
    South Gimme Boulder, North face

  7. Shaved Chaka - V0
    Go up the left side of the North face.
  8. Will - V0
    Stand start in the middle of the North face.
    Sit start adds a grade to V1.
  9. Enik - V2
    Traverse the North face below the lip, right to left, from a sit-start.

Spinach Wall

The short wall about 2/3 the way up the hill and 200 yards North of Dirt Wall. There are two single-bolt anchors for the high problems to the right.

    Left Spinach Wall
    Spinach Wall, Left side

  1. Popeye - V0
    Big pockets to a slopey topout right.


    2. Middle Spinach Wall
    Spinach Wall, Middle

  2. Stoned Masters of Yore - V2 Bob*
    Stand start. Sidepulls, gastons and slopey things to top out.
    Spudboy and I are sure this stuff has been done before, and Peck has mentioned something up here.
  3. Honed Masters of Yore, Eating Spinach - V3 Bob*
    Sit start on dishy things to pinches, then go straight up on sharp holds.

Ursa Major Boulder

UTM 13S 0316115 3763744
South and a little West of the Gimmes is a fairly large boulder, close to the road to Major Wall. The Great Bear.
"Interestingly, a number of North American tribes (Algonquin, Iroquois, Illinois, and Narragansett, among possibly others) also associated the constellation with a gigantic bear." - Robert Dibon-Smith
    Usra Major Boulder, West face
    Ursa Major Boulder, West face

  1. ? - V0 tall
    On the Northwest side, start over a bush and go straight up.
  2. Lacerta - V1
    The Left side of the West face.
    "The Lizard"
    Lizards are the only true locals at Box and they will prove it by floating up your project while eating a bug.
  3. Perseus - V1 bad landing
    Taller problem just right of Lacerta. Sit start and use a funky sidepull.
    "The Hero"


    4. Usra Major Boulder, North face
    Ursa Major Boulder, North face

  4. Serpens - V3 Bob 5/1/2003
    The left side of the South face. Sit Start and grasp the small, slippery holds winding slightly right and top out.
    "This is the second part of the Ophiuchus- Serpens group. The Serpent is being grasped in the hands of Ophiuchus the Serpent Holder." - Richard Dibon-Smith
  5. Draco - V1
    Sit Start in a large hueco. Slap up to the lip and mantle out.


    6. Usra Major Boulder, East face
    Ursa Major Boulder, East face

  6. Ursa Minor - V2 Jason 4/13/2003
    The leftmost problem on the East face. For the grade, sit start very low, crank up and then left over the bulge to top out.
    "The constellation dates from antiquity, and is said to have been introduced by the Greek philosopher Thales around 600 BC." - Richard Dibon-Smith
  7. Hydra - V3 Andy 2/16/96
    Sit start on jugs on the far right side of the East face. Go left, through Ursa Minor, crawl around the corner into the big hueco starting Draco, then go up.
  8. Aquila - V0
    Sit start on the same jugs but go up and left following good holds on a low-angle face. This is a good downclimb for the boulder.
    "in honor of whatever bird of prey left the little critter bones in the huecos on the top of the boulder." - Jason
updated December 17th, 2003
Bob Broilo