Note: This guide is close to being abandoned, I only add stuff
when I'm in a hurry and don't have pictures yet. Most info is now here:
Socorro Boulder Guide
Socorro Bouldering Documentation Project
An attempt to identify, document, grade, photograph, locate (UTM),
provide history for, and climb all the bouldering in the Socorro, New
Mexico area. Can be used as a (crappy) guide to Box Canyon, Spook
Canyon, the Magdalena Mountains, Monster Island, and more.
If you have any information for the SBDP, or have ideas (I know the format
sucks, but I do want it to be complete), please mail me:
socorro_bouldering@yahoo.com
A useful guide to ratings for those unfamiliar with the "V" scale:
Ratings comparison
Annotated maps for use with the following SBDP text:
Socorro Bouldering Documentation Text
Socorro Bouldering Documentation Project
Socorro, New Mexico Bouldering: Areas, Problems and History
Bob Broilo
Original 3/14/2001
Updated 3/24/2004
The SBDP homepage:
http://www.nmt.edu/~bob/boulder_guide/socorro_boulder_guide.html
Contact point for information and updates:
socorro_bouldering@yahoo.com
More than two years into this thing, and it's finally getting complete
enough to be useful. Shoot, even I've looked stuff up in it. I'm
guessing that I have over 3/4 of the known problems. If you have
info, send it to "bob at nmt dot edu" or socorro_bouldering@yahoo.com.
NOTE: I've noticed that I get "left" and "right" confused sometimes.
INTRODUCTION
This is trying to be a list of all the bouldering in the Socorro, New
Mexico area. Mostly a historical document, and maybe to point you to
a new area or two, or as a resource for people writing real guides.
This is a living document, and will change as correct information
comes in, new stuff goes up, and adventures happen.
I have enough pictures and maps collected over the years, so
eventually this will be html, with links to the images. Right
now the images can be found at the homepage.
DANGER! WARNING! CAUTION!
Bouldering and climbing are inherently dangerous activities that may
result in serious injury or death. By choosing to climb or boulder, a
person is choosing to put themself into a dangerous situation, and
assumes all responsibility for his or her safety or well-being. This
guide will only tell you where the boulders are and what known
established problems are on them. It does NOT tell you how to boulder
safely, how to survive outdoors, how to deal with inclement weather or
animals, or how to navigate without getting lost.
The boulder problems in this guide are NOT checked for safety. There
may be loose rock, poisonous snakes and insects, sharp holds, bad
landings, crazy drunk idiots with guns or vehicles, asteroid impacts,
lightning strikes, biting dogs, cow dung, cactus, flash floods, and
numerous other dangers to life and health. Any person going to the
areas described here must be aware of all potential hazards and
dangers and be trained to deal with them before going.
ETHICS!
Do not chip, glue, chisel, or modify the rock in any way. It's OK if
a hold falls off: leave it off! Do not "comfortize" in any way. The
only damage to the entire Socorro area bouldering at the writing of
this document were three minor mistakes:
1) one glued-on hold on Unbeatable (it still goes at the grade if you off
the tainted hold, and is considered a mistake),
2) one glued-on and chiseled hold on Edges that nobody uses, so it's a
mystery why someone put it there, and
3) some useless, ridiculous chiseled holds on East Streambed.
A precedent has been set here, all problems free, natural, and
unmodified! Get strong enough to climb it as nature built it or leave
it for someone better, stronger or more courageous.
Do not litter, build new fire rings, or start fires in caves (hurts
the bats). Do stay on established trails when possible. Repect
private landowners. Respect the plants and animals, be they wild or
domestic.
Be friendly and have fun!
Climb any way you want that doesn't hurt the rock: chalk, crashpads,
beta spew, cleaning holds with a plastic brush, even chalk tick marks
(ick) are considered OK. Send in high style or cheese out with an
active spot and some cheater stones, just enjoy the rock as best you
can. No one will be impressed that you climbed some inflated
V-whatever in Socorro anyway, so just try to please yourself.
THE INFO
General Layout:
Area (Land Manager: BLM, NM, Forest Service, Private, etc.)
Location, description
GPS coordinates in UTM (no I will not translate to Lat/Lon for you)
Boulder (AKAs are in chronological order, if known, original name first)
Location, description
Problem - consensus V-rating(V range)/B-rating warnings (FA and date, if known)
Description, tidbits, etc.
Problems are usually from left to right on a boulder/wall, a "*"
next to the FA means that there is strong evidence that the problem
had been done before but the info is lost. A "?" anywhere means
that the info is sketchy. And some words of wisdom from Matt Samet:
"I mean, what do you count as a first ascent too when you're
bouldering, a variation or just a new line?".
The V range is the range of ratings reported by various people, and
helps to remind you not to get hung up on the ratings.
Besides, the ratings at Box are pretty messed up, especially
considering our close proximity to the standards at Hueco. Since no
one but The Verm can put a real "V" rating on a problem anyway,
don't sweat the grade. It's just there as a rough guide, to help
you find stuff you might enjoy. A lot of the locals don't seem
to place much emphasis on the grades.
However, I do try real hard to come up with accurate ratings. If
you disagree with anything in here, please let me know!
The real grade would be a quality grade, which I have not done.
People's tastes vary wildly, so when in doubt, jump on it and see
for yourself. Stuff that most people seem to really like or
problems that I really like are noted in the problem description.
Some of the problems are in the new experimental "Box" system, which
is an extension of the old John Gill B scale. The intent of this
rating is to give people a general idea of the difficulty so they
can plan their bouldering day. The Box or B system is thus:
Box 0 or B0 V0 Everyone can enjoy
Box 1 or B1 V1 to around V5ish Intermediate
Box 2 or B2 V6ish and up Advanced to Ridiculous
Box 3 or B3 V0 and up, unrepeated Spewfodder
THANKS
People I have sucked info from:
Matt "Spudboy" Cowan
Andy Mayer
Opie
Paul Arendt
Kate
Liz
Eric "Peck" Heatwole
Jake and Gail
Will
Scott
Sam
Miss Jen
Joel
Sal
Matt
Nathaniel
Cliff
Tommy
Steve
THE PROBLEMS
Box Canyon (BLM, some NM)
Box Canyon is located seven miles West of Socorro on US60. Head out
US60 to a bridge with rock walls on both sides. Take the next left,
there should be a small BLM sign saying "The Box". Head down the
road to the bottom of the hill, then veer left at the "Y". A hundred
yards more and the main Box parking lot is to your left.
Cowshit Roof
UTM 13S 0316014 3764147
You can see this roof to the East from the road heading in to the
main parking lot. Head North from the main Box parking a couple
hundred yards on the trail at the base of the hill.
Finishing Touches and Gravity Boots area
UTM 13S 0316060 3764105
On the way to Cowshit Roof, you can see two small walls up the
hill. There is an obvious trail heading up.
Several new problems here. Names/Ratings?
Bankruptcy Wall
UTM 13S 0316200 3764127
From the main Box Parking lot, head Northeast along the northern
side of the Canyon. The huge overhung face is Ressurection Wall,
supposedly named after someone took a death fall. You're interested
in bouldering, so keep going.
Bankruptcy wall has a few short bolted routes on it.
Bankruptcy Traverse - V2 (V2-V3) (Andy 10/25/95)
Traverse the bottom of Bankruptcy wall from right to left, with a
cool throw to reach the jugs near the end.
Streambed
"Streambed'll make you strong!" - Peck exuberantly quoting Bertrand
Streambed is located just south of where the Box Canyon wash crosses
highway 60. You can either park on the side of the highway just West
of the bridge and head down into the wash, or you can park at the
main parking lot and head down the canyon.
Streambed is different rock than most of Box, featuring
pocketed tuff. There are two major walls, East Streambed and West
Streambed. West Streambed is generally easier, less painful, and
therefore more popular than East Streambed.
The ground level and landings are at the mercy of the summer floods.
At times, the low traverse can be much harder when the footholds
are covered in sand. Sometimes, large rocks can be deposited directly
under high problems causing dangerous landings. This area sees
flash floods several times a year.
For a few years a gold mine was operated here. A wooden structure
was erected and Box was often filled with the sound of a running
water pump. The climbers and miners would regard each other with
mutual recognition of the insanity of the other, and the miner was
an interesting person to talk to while bouldering the traverses.
Then one day the miner dug up the ground under West Streambed and
made a horrible landing for a while, which understandably angered
the climbers and hikers. No gold was ever found, the public was
getting upset, and the miner was forced to leave. It took years for
him to remove all his equipment, and for a few years a boom truck
was parked a few yards up from the wall. Visiting climbers were
told that the wooden structure was a gallows.
When the landings are good, Streambed is a great place for night
bouldering. Streambed "Missions" were often run during the summer
nights when the Biting Bugs of Box were sleeping and the air was
cool. The State Police showed up during one mission, having seen
the lights and looking for a car that had seemingly driven off the
highway bridge. They left with baffled expressions for the strange
idiots climbing rocks in the middle of the night.
West Streambed
UTM 13S 0316390 3764313
Lip Left(?) - V4 tall (Rob*)
Sit start in the streambed at the far left end of the wall, just
right of the small boulder. Go up to the lip, and then follow it
to where it intersects Left Roof and top out.
Left of Left - V8 (V8-V10)
Sit start Left Roof, but at the jug go left out edges and a mono
to the lip, then straight up.
Left Roof - V5 (V4-V6) tall
Stand start on a jug, go out the roof on pockets to the horn, then
top out left. Sit start is a bit pumpier.
A Jake variation is to do the Low Traverse right to left and then top
out using Left Roof. I've seen people campus this problem.
Painsnake - V4 (V4-V5) tall (Bob 2/2003)
Go to the high jugs on Right Roof. Traverse left on sharp holds, then
drop to the horn and top out Left Roof. Jake's idea.
Circle of Pain - V5 (Jake)
Go up Left Roof to the horn, go right and up and then back down to
the jugs on Right Roof, down Right Roof and then traverse back left
to the start of Left Roof. A big loop.
Right Roof - V3 (V3-V4) tall
Very nice. Stand start and use the slot to gain a sloper, then
either go right to a sharp hold and top out, or traverse left to some
jugs and top out.
Hidden Hold - V1 (V1-V2) tall, crux at top
Lucky Seven - V5 contrived (Peck)
Only Peck seems to remember how this went, but it was classic.
Crimpy Thing - V2 tall
Start on the shelf, above the big hueco at navel height. Grab the
sharp jug and use small holds to the lip. Nice crimp.
Midway Crack AKA The Throne - V2 tall, scary
Climb to the obvious seat, then top out through the crack.
Huck - V3
Sit start on a flexing undercling. Go up and left to finger pockets,
then huck right to a jug. Top out if you dare.
Short Cake - V5
Sit start in the same undercling as above, then crank off small edges
go gain the ledge.
Slop - V4 semi-contrived (Bob*)
Sit start ten feet right of the undercling. Go up and right to a
slimy knob, then up and left to small slopers, then to the good
holds on the ledge. Don't go too far right or the holds will get
huge. Traverse right and top out Guano Hold.
Sloppy Seconds - V4 tall, scary (Barrett 6/10/2003)
Do Slop, then top out to the left.
Joel's Pocket Pleasure - V5 contrived (Joel)
Just right of Slop, do reachy moves between sharp two-finger
pockets to work up and left.
Guano Hold - V1 tall, scary
The nice hold 2/3 of the way up can be filled to the lip with
guano. When this occurs, everyone who grabs it from below says
the same thing: "Eww".
? - V4 contrived (Jake)
Sidepulls to a leap to the nice jug. If you top out right the lip
is loose.
? - V2 tall
Go up to the fist crack and top out.
Tongue - V1 tall
Line of jugs with a "tongue" of rock sticking out the middle.
Actually the tongue is now broken off, but a big smiley hueco marks
the place where it used to be.
The Highway - V0
Low Traverse - V2 (V2-V3) (5.11+)
Traverse the entire wall, Stay below about 6 feet for the grade.
High Traverse - V1 (5.11-)
Traverse the entire wall. Pumpy.
Jake has stayed on for a mile of laps in one push. Yes, one mile.
It took hours.
Other side of the wash from West Streambed
There is a short, small wall of the same type of rock.
? - V1
Sit start under an overhang, nice slots to a tricky top out.
Gorilla Face - V0 loose
45 feet right of the above problem, on the far right side of the wall.
Sit start to jug haul top out.
East Streambed
UTM 13S 0316426 3764342
Long walk off.
Gigapus - V1 (V1-V2) tall (Bob)
Mr. Knobbles - V1 (V1-V2) tall (Bob)
Mr. Wiggles - V1 (V1-V2) (Bob)
? AKA Haul Ass - V3 (Bob*)
Sit start and climb small holds, then throw for the jug at the lip.
? - V4 tall (Nathaniel)
? - V5 tall (Scott)
Knob Problem - V3 (V2-V5) tall
Sit start on two underclings. Come out the roof to the knob to
reach the sharp jug on an embedded rock, and top out.
Skinner Roof - V2 (V1-V5) tall
Sit start at the back of the little cave, and come out the horizontal
roof and then top out.
Leviathan - V9 (Nathaniel)
Traverse the entire wall from left to right.
Across from East Streambed (Kinda North West Streambed)
? - V1 tall
Highway 60 Wall
UTM 13S 0316228 3764449
From the Streambed parking lot off US60, you can see an alcove
up the hill to the West.
Green Pea
? - V3 bad landing
? - V2 bad landing, scary (Andy 1/29/97)
Just downhill from the V3. Sit start on a sloping knob.
Goat Boulder
UTM 13S 0316404 3764265
Just South of Streambed is a boulder at the bottom of Redwall and
Cornerblock.
Hot and Spicy Anal Lube - V4 (V4-V8) (Peck 9/27/95)
Slick and painful. The far left side of the North face. Sit
start on sharp holds, and crank up and left to top out.
Believe it or not, this problem is very appropriately named.
Go try it if you don't believe me.
Milkin' the Billy Goat - V1 tall, scary, bad landing (Peck)
Classic! Middle of the North face. Long reaches between pockets with
a cruxy move to the lip.
Feta Cheese - V2
Sit start on the Northern corner, on the far left side of the overhang.
Go up the North side of the arete.
Billy Goat - V3 (V3-V4)
Sit start like Feta Cheese, then traverse the overhang left to right.
Goat Throw AKA Reachy Thing - V2 (V2-V4)
In the middle of the overhang. Sit start on a jug, throw to a slap,
and straight up on nice holds.
Peck Overhang
UTM 13S 0316078 3764041
Almost directly North of the main Box parking lot. A little overhang
facing North.
? AKA The Peck Undercling - V4 (V4-V6) (Peck)
Sit start in the back, and go straight out and over.
Waterfall Wall
Main box parking lot: UTM 13S 0316096 3763993
The obvious wall East of the main Box parking lot. Lots of TRs, and
overhung right and left faces.
Battle Arms - V3
Traverse the entire overhanging on the left side of Waterfall
Wall. So many holds have fallen off of this, but the fun and the
grade have stayed the same.
Rough Caress - V2
Sit start down on the big block. Boulder up and left to the last
jug on Rough Caress.
Tough Country Variation - V1
Sit start on Rough Caress, but traverse right and then up to the
start of the super manky stuff on Tough Country. Essentially you
are doing the crux of the route and then bailing. It's only 5.9
from here on up but dangerously loose, so it's not recommended to
solo. For a decent pump, do Battle Arms left to right, then go
back right to left until at the start for Rough Caress, then go up
the Tough Country Variation. Andy even took it further to then
downclimb back to the Battle Arms problem and go right, then lap
back left to the start.
1986 - V2
On the right end of the overhang, just before the arete, go as high
as you dare. Again, just bouldering the low crux of the route.
Handprint AKA The Colin B. Ankle Eater - V1 bad landing, crux at top
A classic. This problem was a little scarier before the days of
crashpads, but it will still give a thrill.
Funky holds get you to the
dihedral just left of the large flat face, then follow it to the lip.
Traditionally, there is a faint chalk handprint on the face. The move
just below the lip is balancey. The horrible green monster rock at the
base has broken at least one ankle.
? - V0
? - V2
Tree Boulder AKA 5.12 Boulder
Tree Boulder is the Northernmost boulder in the Waterfall group. It
features a small tree growing at the Northern corner. The tree has
grown over the years, and the low traverse is now blocked by the tree.
Don't mess with the tree! Journey to the Sun is just as fun and uses
almost all the same holds, and a key hold for the low traverse has
broken off anyway.
The Tree Boulder Traverse AKA 5.12 Boulder Problem - V2 (V1-V4)
Same start as The Tree Boulder Problem, but go left instead of up
and top out the arete over the tree.
Journey to the Sun - V4 contrived (Bob*)
Can be a painful but beautiful journey. Same start as the others, but
traverse low to an icky crimper (a la the tree-blocked low traverse
problem), then straight up.
The Tree Boulder Problem AKA Shattered Bottle - V2 (V1-V3)
The neat-o spiffy problem on Tree Boulder. Either sit or stand start in
the little overhang and go straight up through the two-finger pocket
on the face.
? - V0 bad landing
The rest of the face to the right is fun but sports an ankle-breaker
ramp along the bottom of much of it.
Ultimate Boulder
UTM 13S 0316141 3764013
Ultimate Boulder sports the overhanging, crimpy-looking face immediately
East of Swine Boulder.
Africa - V3 bad landing (Bob*)
Sit start on the far left hand side of the face with one hand on the
"Africa" flake. Pull on crimps and slopers and into the juggy topout
of Left Line. A scarier and harder variation continues straight up on
crimps.
Ultilactic - V1 bad landing (Bob*)
Starting on the far left of the face, do a suprisingly pumpy traverse
across the face and finish up Left Line.
The Ultimate Boulder Problem AKA Middle Line - V1
Most cool. Cruise up the middle on nice crimpers and turn the lip.
For more fun, off as many holds as possible. The big sharp jug just
below the lip may break off someday.
Left Line - V0 bad landing
Go up, left, and up the juggy arete.
This enormously popular problem used to be V0- until it got nasty
polished and slick.
Nothing Here Boulder
The little boulder between Ultimate and Tree.
Nothing Here - V0 (Andy)
This was named Nothing Here in the black book. Andy finally found
the problem.
Sit start under the tiny roof.
Guillotine Boulder
Just up the hill towards La Cueva Angela from Ultimate Boulder.
Northeast facing. slightly overhung face.
Madame Vasoline - V0 bad landing, scary (Paul)
Sit start in an alcove, just right of a buried rock. Go up
and then traverse left over the scary rock, then top out.
Madame Guillotine - V5 (V4-V7) (Andy 3/22/97)
Superb, Beautiful, painful.
This was worked a long time before anybody got it. First
Peck spied the line and started working it, but an injury
set him back. Andy worked on it for four and a half months
before finally finishing it, although in a slightly different
way than Peck first envisioned.
Excerpt from Andy:
"Then it was time.. Guillotine time! That's right, you guessed
it! Another trip to fling myself at Madamme Guillotine! And
what, you might ask is Madamme Guillotine?! Ahh.. Madamme
Guillotine is about 15 feet of sharp V1-V2, to a crux that I keep
trying to get involving a gaston off of a hold designed to hurt,
throwing off a yucky to a little 2 finger thingy that also
hurts.. You'll note the feet are lousy for this operation, and
that once the 2 finger yucky is grasped, the standard method is
to try to shove a couple fingers in a sharp little pocket.. All
this plus another couple hard moves for the bargain price of just
V6 or 7! Alright.. did I mention it hasn't had a complete
ascent yet since Peck hurt his finger out at Spook?" - 3/1/97
Sit start on the right end of the boulder, go up and then start
working left on sharp holds. Either top out after reaching the
jugs, or go ahead and link into Madame Vasoline for more fun.
Madame Guillotine Short Variation - V4
Sit start under the crux and top out. A good way to get the crux
of Madame Guillotine wired.
La Cueva Angela
Up the hill to the Northeast of Waterfall Wall. Don't climb on the
paintings (on the left side, low on the wall). Lots of fun jug
hauling out the roof (V9 to the end from the sit near the
back-breaker rock).
Gimmes AKA Pylons AKA Jelly Bean Boulders
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.
Pylon Boulder AKA North Gimme Boulder
Pylon - V1 (V0-V1) crux at top
The Northwest arete of the tall Pylon Boulder.
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.
Routine Expedition - V4 (V3-V4) (Bob)
Sit down start, traverse left to Sleestak.
? - V4
Sit start on the East tip (closest to Dirt Wall). Go right.
Alf Gets the Blender - V4 (Andy 11/3/96)
Two move problem on the small boulder just west of the Pylon Boulder.
South Pylon AKA South Gimme Boulder
Crimpy Traverse AKA Land of the Lost - V5 (Bob*, Andy V5+)
Pumpy!
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. There is a low, low
traverse which is harder.
Shaved Chaka - V0-
Go up the left side of the North face.
Enik - V2
Traverse the North face below the lip right to left from a sit-start.
Hardman Gimme - V4 (V4-V6)
The Southern arete, sit down start.
? - 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.
Southern Gimmies
Ursa Major Boulder
UTM 13S 0316061 3763953
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
South and a little West of the Gimmes is a fairly large boulder,
close to the road.
? - V0 tall
On the Northwest side, start over a bush and go straight up.
Lacerta - V1
"The Lizard"
Lizards are the only true locals at Box and they will prove it
by floating up your project while eating a bug.
The Left side of the West face.
Perseus - V1 bad landing
"The Hero"
Taller problem just right of the above. Sit start and use a funky
sidepull.
Serpens - V4 (Bob 5/1/2003)
"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
Just around the corner on the South face. Sit Start and grasp the
small, slippery holds winding slightly right and top out.
Draco - V1
Sit Start in a large heuco. Slap up to the lip and mantle out.
Ursa Minor - V2 (Jason 4/13/2003)
"The constellation dates from antiquity, and is said to have been
introduced by the Greek philosopher Thales around 600 BC." -
Richard Dibon-Smith
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.
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.
Aquila - V0
"in honor of whatever bird of prey left the little critter bones
in the huecos on the top of the boulder." - Jason
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.
Other boulders
? - V1 (Andy*)
? - V2 slippery layback (Andy*)
Spinach Wall
The short wall about 200 yards North of Dirt Wall. There are two
single-bolt anchors for the high problems to the right.
Popeye - V0
Big pockets to a slopey topout right
Stoned Masters of Yore - V2 (Bob*)
Sidepulls, gastons and slopey things.
Honed Masters of Yore, Eating Spinach - V3 (V3-V4) (Bob*)
Sit start on dishy things to pinches, then go straight up on sharp
holds.
? - V? tall
Bolt on top.
? - V? tall
Bolt on top.
Minor Wall Bouldering
UTM 13S 0316051 3762897
On the right side of Minor Wall there is a nice traverse.
Roadside Wall
Between Minor Wall and Handlebar Willy, just off the East side of the
road.
? - V2 bad landing
Sit start on the left of the little alcove.
? - V3
Sit start.
? - V1
Sit start.
Handlebar Willy
UTM 13S 0316027 3762789
The wall just to the South and up from Minor Wall.
? - V0 7'
Just to the left of the curtain, sit start.
? - V1 14'
Start as far down on the curtain as you can, and climb it out.
? - V2 10'
On the right side of the curtain, crank up on sharpies.
? - V3 12'
Sit start on two underclings on the right side of the curtain,
suck up to avoid hitting the rock underneath, and go up on ickies.
? - V1
? - V0
? - V0
? - V1 tall scary bad landing
Look Ma - V0 (no hands) (Bob)
Jake came up with this silly thing. Go up the wide crack with just
your feet.
Handlebar Willy - V1 tall, scary (Will)
When Willy first sent this he had a handlebar moustache. Go up
the dihedral and top out to the right of the boulder on top.
Handlebar Willy Direct - V5 tall, scary (Peck)
Sit start under the roof. Crank out to the right side of the wall
to sharp pockets and straight up on crimps. Top out as Handlebar Willy.
? - V1 tall, bad landing
Go up the crack.
? - V0 tall
? - V0 tall
? - V0 tall
Handlebar Willy? V3 (V3-V4) tall, scary (Will)
Two-bolt anchor on top for those more sane, 5.12a?
Box's Melon Patch - V0 tall, scary (Jake)
One jug after another on the Southern end of the wall.
Unbeatable Boulder
UTM 13S 0316311 3762061
Further down the road from the main Box parking lot, over the hill.
The obvious boulder in the valley South of Major Wall and Alcohol
Wall. West of Angela Boulder. Big, undercut Northwest face.
Downclimb the juggy West face (V0-).
Likin' Lichen - V0
A few feet left of the overhang. Groovy pocket pulling. Sit
start and angle left up the pockets.
Dislikin' Lichen - V1
Fun! Sit start in the same place, but go right to an undercling
and over the lip.
Yellow Like Cheese - V3 (V3-V5) tall, scary
Sit start under Dislikin' Lichen. Up and Right to the lip, then
traverse the lip to top out Pressure Drop.
Spud's Little Fingers - V2 contrived (Spud)
Rather than use any of the good holds, use the tiny vertical slot
to gain the lip on Yellow Like Cheese from a standing start.
Jah Lives - V5 (V4-V7) scary, contrived
Way Ultra Cool. Sit start, up and left on slopers and pockets.
Upon gaining a small sloper shelf with a slot in the back about
six feet off the ground, dyno to the lip. Mantle.
Traverse into Jah Lives - V5 scary, contrived
Traverse low all the way from the sit start of Pressure Drop
left to the starting holds of Jah Lives, then do Jah Lives.
Burning Spear - V7
Start on the holds about six feet up. Go up and right.
Godzilla - V9 (Jake)
Sit start on Jah Lives and go to Burning Spear and top out. Yet
another Peck visionary line snarfed by the power of Jake.
Wrath of Godzilla - V10 (Scott)
Middle traverse left into Godzilla.
Ant Man - V10 contrived (Jake)
Swat Team vs Ant Lion - V10 contrived (Jake)
Lion of Judea AKA Tuff Gong AKA Tough Goin' - V3 (V3-V5) tall, crux at top
Sit start and straight up on a line of Huecos to the slopers
over the lip.
Pressure Drop - V1 tall, scary, crux at top
Sit start and do the arete with some jugs on the left face.
People have done this using *only* the arete but it's very much
harder (V4-5?).
Best Slab - V2 (V1-V2)
Sit start a-la Pressure Drop but go right and up the slab over the bush.
V0-
The easiest place to downclimb.
Dub World - V0
V0 tall
Steel Pulse - V0+ tall
V1 tall
Is This Love - V0+ tall, scary
Peck's Warmup - V3 tall, scary (Peck)
Start on the crimpers of the middle V1 just left of the middle
of the wall. Go up to the lip, then traverse left to Dub World,
down it, traverse across past your starting point and over to
the bottom of Steel Pulse. Go up it to the hueco just below the top.
Come down to the bottom of Is This Love and go up it to top out.
Johnny Too Bad - V3 (V2-V4) tall
Slippery. Sit start in pockets. Go mostly up but slightly
right on slick holds to gain the lip of the arete just below the
big blocks. Don't yank on the blocks or you might end up
crushed beneath one. Top out gingerly or go left and top out on
safer terrain. A V4 variation starts a few feet to the right on
icky slopers, and the good edge and sidepull to the left are
off.
Slabs - V1 tall (V0-V1)
For maximum value, use only your feet.
Next to Unbeatable
Shanty Town - V3 (V3-V5)
Short, frustrating, one-move wonder. Squat start, grab little
crimps, straight up.
Traverse - V2
Traverse the lip, left to right. Bushes now interfere, please
don't mess with them.
Dylan's Secret Garden
UTM 13S 0316246 3762189
At the base of the cliffs heading from Major Wall to Alcohol Wall.
The down is on the back, but watch for cactus landings.
V5
On the right side of the left roof. Goes to the wierd pocket.
May have to contrive to get the proper amount of fun/grade.
Fingerfucker - V6 (V6-V7) tall
Classic! Hurts. Use an undercling and pinches to get to the two
sharp holes, then straight up to a jug.
Happy Birthday Dyno - V6 (V6-V?) tall (Jake)
Jake sent this on his birthday. Crank off two underclings to the
big razor-sharp hole. No known second ascent, it's that
ridiculous, Jake isn't sure of the grade.
Timmy's Wonderful Nightmare - V5 tall (Jake)
Use sharp and slick holds to bypass the dyno on the Happy Birthday
Dyno.
Under the Radar - V3 tall
Dis the dish and go straight up to the jugs on Butter Dish.
Butter Dish - V2 (V2-V3) tall
Crank to the dish, and then left to the line of jugs and up.
Porcupine - V1 (V0-V3) bad cactus landing
On the right side of the wall, go right, up the arete.
Traverse - V1
Traverse the entire bottom of the wall.
Major Wall Bouldering
There is some stuff West of Dylan's secret garden just right of
Bon Bon. These problems are fun to do if your friends insist on
doing routes and you're waiting to belay or climb.
? - V2
Right of the start to Liberace's Anus, on the corner of the wall.
El Bon - V3
Goes from the start of Juckets and Bugs to the start of Bon Bon.
Sit start on big huecos and traverse left, then go up the slab.
Juck - V3
Sit start on the same big huecos but yard directly up to sharp pockets.
Tres Hermanas Area
Looking East from the road just past Major Wall, you can see a
lonely boulder with some Juniper trees around it in the middle of
the valley. This is Unbeatable Boulder. Beyond Unbeatable to the
East are three large boulders on the North side of the notch. These
are Arniel, Lucia, and Angela: Tres Hermanas. These boulders and a
few behind them to the East are the Tres Hermanas area. Often
people will lump together Tres Hermanas with Harmonica Convention
and just call the whole mess "Behind Edges".
Angela Boulder AKA Edges Boulder
UTM 13S 0316461 3762046
Edges AKA British Steel - V7 (V6-V7)
So good that some of the holds have names. Sit start down in the
hole on the right side of the East face and cruise up to a big
hueco. Start traversing left, out little crimps and up sharp
pockets to the big bacon flake. Ignore the glued and chiseled
crap hold and keep going left to grip the stellar British Steel
hold. Keep going left. Many top out at the corner, but for
maximum value keep going left around the corner and across the
face, then top out the dihedral.
Edges, hard start variation - V7
Instead of going to the big hueco straight up from the sit start,
go up and left to a long reach off an undercling to the last good
hold before the crimpfest, then finish edges the normal way.
There are also several Peck problems on the West face, including a
spectacular dyno to a pocket. Names? Ratings? Also, you can start
after the main Edges problem on the Northwest corner and climb left
to the dihedral and top out - V1
V? tall, bad landing, scary (Peck)
start as Edges but go right and then straight up. Very tall, scary.
Chewbacca Cave
UTM 13S 0316519 3762078
There is a very large boulder just East of Arniel. The trail from
Edges to Spedville takes you past this stunning overhang on the
South face.
Wookie on Planet Endor - V3 (Scott)
Crimpy overhang. Sit start in a hueco on the left side of the
roof. Work out and left to the big block at the lip.
Chewbacca - V6 tall (Scott)
Sit start on jugs a few feet to the right of Wookie on Planet
Endor, and go out the roof. Top out real high on easy ground,
but don't fall unless you enjoy shattered ankles.
? - V?
The corner to the right of Chewbacca. Sit start to slopers over
the lip. Has not been soloed to the top, instead traverse and
drop.
Girl Boulder
UTM 13S 0316519 3762024
To the East of the Chewbacca cave is a boulder with a flat face
on the Southwest side.
Feeling Merry - V4 tall, scary, crux at top. (Scott)
Start on good holds under the right-angling dihedral. Go up
to meet the dihedral and then top out.
Jump for Joy - V4 tall (Scott)
Super good.
Start on a two underclings, and do long reaches between crimps to
gain the top.
Pinchin' Patti's Fatty - V4 (Scott)
Between Jump for Joy and the left edge of the West face, go
straight up the obvious line.
Water Boulder
This boulder is just East of Angela and just South of Lucia. It
has a wild roof on the Southwest (downhill) end, and a very short
wall on the East side of the uphill end.
Breathing Water - V1 (Bob 2/23/2003)
"clear part is the water and the brown part is the land
the clear part she is breathing filled with glass and bits of sand
all the body and the breathing in the bottom of her jaw
the part that I was leaving I was singing what she saw
breathing water, breathing water, breathing water, breathing water
the anger she was breeding in the wet part of her hand
was the part that I was grieving that I didn't understand
that the barbie in the bathtub had a wet spot in her lung
the clear part she was breathing was the song that barbie sung
breathing water, breathing water, breathing water, breathing water
clear part is the water and the brown part is the land
until she started biting all the fingers off her hand
like the brain collected moisture in the bottom of her jaw
like the clear part she was breathing like the blue part that I saw"
- Ant Farmers, "Breathing Water"
On the uphill, short wall, sit start on poor holds, work up and
right to an interesting top out.
? - V2 (Rob) tall, bad landing
Same sit start as Bouldering Bitch, but go left and top out
on the left end of the face.
Bouldering Bitch - V2 (Sam)
Sit start on jugs. Go straight up.
? - V4?
Juggy, horizontal roof, exits West and then traverses left to go
out the traverse.
Mushroom Head AKA Fun guy
UTM 13S 0316506 3762035
This boulder somewhat resembles a mushroom to the Northeast from
the Harmonica Convention trail. It is Southeast of Water Boulder
and South of Arniel and Chewbacca Cave. The cap is a darker red
than the stem, which is whitish.
Magic Mushroom - V2
A truly excellent boulder problem. Sit start on unbelievably
spiffy holds on the left end of the stem where there is a boulder
behind you. Go up and right to the jug where the stem meets the
cap, then up the arete.
George Harrison Memorial Boulder Problem - V3
Done on the day George Harrison died.
Sit start on an icky "Spock pinch" and tiny edge, go straight up.
Super Psycus Psilocibus - V1 tall
Sit start on the two finger pocket and a hueco. Go up to the
the crack and left on jugs to top out.
Mello Mushroom - V2 tall, bad landing
Same start as Super Psycus Psilocibus, but after gaining the
crack go right to top out.
Rubber Soul - V3 bad landing (Scott)
Sit start on the right side of the stem. Go straight up to a dishy top
out.
Ass Crack - V1
Named for someone's poor choice of trousers and a grossed-out
spotter. It's not a crack. It's actually a mantle problem over the
block just right of Rubber Soul.
Harmonica Convention AKA Below Edges AKA Fight Club Boulders
The boulders in the gully South of Angela Boulder.
Entrance Boulder
UTM 13S 0316449 3762024
This boulder sits right on the North side of the Harmonica Convention
trail. It is the first large boulder after Unbeatable on your way
down to the Harmonica Convention.
? - V0
The low angle problem on the left.
? - V0
Pockets and edges.
? - V2 bad landing
On the right side, either start around the right corner on a shelf
or sit start the bottom of the arete. Go up the arete and then left
to top out on the right side of the face.
The Three-Star V2
UTM 13S 0316465 3762011
This boulder is in the gully that leads to Harmonica Convention,
to the West of the trail.
The Three-Star V2 - V2
Truly excellent. Sit start back in the little cave and go up the
huecoed face.
? - V?
Just to the right is a harder weird thing.
The Potato
From the three-Star V2, you can see a boulder just to the
Southeast with a spiffy sit start problem.
Miss Potato Head - V0 (V0-V1)
The nifty sit start problem.
Mashed Potatoes - V1
On the South side of the boulder, sit start under the roof and
go up and right to top out the East face.
Boulder?
? - V2
Just down and across the wash from the Potato is a cool scoop problem.
Up the hill from the Three-Star V2 is a series of short walls.
Gecko Simulator - V2 bad landing (Andy)
About 15-20' left of the 5.6 next to Slot Machine, up the hill
to the South.
On the clump of boulders between Gecko Simulator and the Three-Star
Li Chen - V0
Sit start on slopers to a jug haul.
Bruce Leroy - V0 bad landing
Just to the right. Short jug haul.
Peck's Mystery Boulder
UTM 13S 0316489 3762020
On the East side of the Harmonica Convention trail there is an
obvious face. It seems that the chalk washes off because people
keep "discovering" it.
Peck's Mystery - V5 (V4-V6) (Peck)
Harder than it looks. Sit start on the right side of the face
on a big flake. Traverse left several feet until reaching the
jug on the left side, then straight up on good holds to top out.
Variation - V5 (Nathaniel)
Same start as above, but go straight up on crimps from the rail.
Dog Will Hunt - V1
On the South face, sit start and go up the dihedral, close to
where the small boulder meets the main boulder.
Perro Blanco - V2
Just left of Dog Will Hunt, sit start and go up through the white
bottomed hold.
Perro Negro - V2
? Looked for this but may be overgrown with bushes now.
Just to the Northwest of this boulder, there are two smaller rocks.
? - V3 bad landing (Scott)
On the South face, sit start on a big sloper. Go up and left.
? - V3 bad landing (Scott)
Same sit start as above, but go up and left.
? - V1
Go up the corner.
Flexo - V1 (Peck)
On the Southwest boulder. Sit start on a big flake, and go right
on small, slick holds to top out using the jug. Much easier than
it looks. The flake is flexing big time.
--> Actually I noticed the flake was gone on 2/23/2003. Flexo is
no more.
Broken Wand - V3 (Scott 3/5/2003)
Harry Potter impotence metaphor.
As usual, when the Flexo hold broke it revealed a better problem
hiding underneath it. Sit start on small holds, go up and right
using a sloper to gain the jug at the lip.
Pokey - V3 (Peck)
On the Northeast boulder. Sit start in small pockets, and go up
the obvious line. Much harder than it looks.
Walrus Boulder AKA The Walrus AKA R.W.P.
UTM 13S 0316510 3761971
? - V1 tall, bad landing, scary
Left end of East face of the Walrus, overhung wall with a big
rock for a landing.
? - V1 tall, bad landing, scary
? - V1 tall, bad landing, scary
Eskimo Walrus Love Song - B3 tall, bad landing, scary (Scott 5/4/2003)
Sit start as per Rubber Walrus Protector, but go left around the
arete and up the slopey face. Loose holds up high!
Rubber Walrus Protector - V5 tall, bad landing (Peck)
Classic, beautiful line! Sit start at the base of the crack on
the North side of the boulder. Go left up the big rounded prow
on really bad-looking holds, then top out with the huecos.
Direct Walrus - B2 tall, bad landing (Scott) contrived
From the sit start of Rubber Walrus Protector, go straight up. Holds
to the left of the prow are off.
Anti-Walrus - B1 tall (Scott)
Super fun. Sit start the rounded arete just right of Rubber
Walrus Protector. Ascend the arete.
Walrus Slabs - V0-V3 tall, bad landing
On the West face of the Walrus, several very nice slabby lines.
Colon Blow Boulder
Down and to the Southwest of The Walrus.
Sofa King - V?
Sit start as per Dark Fighter, but go taverse left and then go up.
Dark Fighter - V6 semi-contrived
On the Southeast side of the Colon Blow boulder. Sit start in
huecos, then go up and slightly left, but don't grab the big jug
off to the right near the grass, instead use the slot in the face
to go straight up over the rounded arete on crimps and dishes.
Fart Lighter - V3
Sit start just right of Dark fighter on a big shelf. Go straight
up.
? - V0 tall
Left side of the huecoed face on the North side.
Survival of the Weak - V3 tall, bad landing
Sit start just right of the corner with a boulder at your back.
crimps lead to jugs at about seven feet, then top out straight up.
? - V3 tall, bad landing
Same sit start as above, but go right up the scoop for a harder and
more dangerous top-out than the previous.
Colon Blow - V0 tall, scary, bad landing (Peck)
Up the left line of jugs on the West face. Big rock at base.
Super Colon Blow - V0+ tall, scary, bad landing (Peck)
"You'd have to eat 5,000,000 bowls of ordinary bran cereal to get the
fiber equivalent of one bowl of Super Colon Blow." - Saturday Night Live
Up the right line of jugs.
Fight Club Boulder
UTM 13S 0316509 3761951
Down the gully a few yards from Colon Blow. I once found a half-full
bottle of Jaegermeister in a snowbank here.
Tyler Durden vs Tyler Durden - B2 (Scott)
On the Southeast face, sit start, go right, and then up.
Space Monkey - V5 (V3-V6) (Peck) bad landing
"like a monkey ready to be shot into space" - Tyler Durden
Far left of Eastern face. Sit start and go straight up on finger
pockets and side pulls.
Fight Club - V10 bad landing (Jason Plaas)
"The first rule of fight club is: you do not talk about fight
club!" - Tyler Durden
That worked about as well in the movie as it did at Box. This
problem enjoyed a brief period of notoriety. For a while it
seemed that every boulderer who came to Box would ask "Where is
Fight Club?". This is also the only problem in the world that
Peck will insist is a mandatory finger tape-up. It slices.
Grab two widely-spaced bad holds, then slap out left to a sharp
dish, make your bloody sacrifice, then go up.
Project Mayhem - V7 (Peck) tall, bad landing
"Worker bees can leave
Even drones can fly away
The queen is their slave." -Narrator
Sit start in the slick Hueco, go up to crimps and go for the jug.
Top out in good style.
Bitch Tits - V1 (Peck) tall, bad landing
"Bob. Bob had bitch tits" -Narrator
The line of holds going up the right end of the face, just left
of the corner.
Where Is My Mind - V0 tall
The North wall is covered with good, solid, jugs.
Air Hunger - V9 (Nathaniel)
Start at the South end of the cave on the Northwest corner, and
climb left and out the cave entrance. Be careful for the bat who
sometimes likes to winter in a slopey heuco here, don't disturb
him.
Below Fight Club
Boulder just below Fight Club Boulder in the wash.
? - V4
Sit start up the East dihedral.
Super Easy Boulder
Just Southeast of Colon Blow and East of Fight Club, small boulder
riddled with good holds. Many V0s!
Behind Edges AKA Spedville
The best way to get there: Take the trail to Unbeatable Boulder,
Continue on the trail to Angela (Edges) Boulder, then follow the
trail up the hill, past the Chalk Fairy Face (bolted routes and a
crack) and past a few huge boulders (Chebacca and Girl Boulder).
Now head Northeast to the base of the band of boulders on the side
of the hill. The trail follows the base to Billing's Gate.
Boulder left of Billing's Gate
? - V?
may not be sent yet.
? - V1 tall
Above the Horizon Boulder
UTM 13S 0316583 3762266
Behind (to the Northwest of) Calm Horizons, and a little up the hill.
Paul Can't Do This - V2 (V2-V3) contrived (Bob*)
Thin dyno off two crimps to the bowl. Either top out (tall, scary) or
come down to the left.
Jiggernut - V2 tall, scary (Bob*)
Just to the right of Paul Can't Do This. Pockets and edges
straight up. Either stupidly top out for maximum value or
traverse down and left.
Under the Horizon Boulder
Just below the main Calm Horizons boulder
Under Anathesia - V1 (Bob 2/18/2004)
Sit start on the left end of the East face and go up and slightly right
to the lip.
Under the Horizon - V3 contrived
"traverse harder than it looks don't touch the lip till the end" - Opie
Sit start on the left end of the East face, traverse the seam
right and up on thin holds all the way to the right end of the
boulder.
? - V1 (2/18/2004 Colin)
Sit start near the right end of the East face and go straight up
the short slab.
Down the hill a ways from Billing's Gate
? - V0
? - V1 (Greg 01/2004)
Stand start near the left end of the East face, go straight up
on thin and crispy holds.
? - V1
Through the huge Hueco in the middle of the face.
? - V1
"slab is harder than it looks" - Opie
Up the hill a bit from that
? - V6?
Sit start
? - V3
"sit start on the bad lip holds looks impossible" - Opie
Lynx Cave
Up the hill from Billing's Gate. Nice roof with lots of poop
under it.
Outhouse
UTM 13S 0316666 3762403
"up and over the hill is a boulder with a less than desireable landing
and a beautiful dyno. The Outhouse" - Opie
North face?
Hidden Walls
Hidden Wall North
UTM 13S 0315580 3762360
The short, overhanging crag you can see to the North from the Alf
Rig parking lot. A few bolted 5.11s, and some boudering. Very
unique, incredibly featured rock.
Rodney's Traverse - V1 bad landing (Andy* 10/6/96)
Knee bar, section with huge jugs with no feet over a stone wall.
BC (Bruce's Chimney) 5.2 (Bruce* 10/5/96
In the back of one of the caves there is a natural chimney.
Graffitti Dwellers - V2 (Andy* 10/5/96)
Short Roof.
Hidden Wall West
UTM 13S 0315334 3762333
Group of small boulders. In the caves at the base are some good
"Ochre Hands". Don't disturb the hands. Good bouldering above.
Hidden Wall South AKA Sangre De Andre Wall
North end at UTM 13S 0315744 3762284
South end at UTM 13S 0315804 3762107 (real close to Alf Rig parking)
This is a long, low-angle, wall West and parallel to the Major wall
road. There are dozens of easy to moderate top rope routes here,
but no anchors and the rock does not protect well. The Sangre De
Andre route was marked for several years with a huge blood stain.
Andy did a 5.8R/X trad route here off of which he took a forty-foot
fall, creating the blood spot. He came back to the route and
finished it (with a helmet this time) and named it Sangre de Andre.
Sangre de Lizard traverse 5.11+ (V3 cruxes, 1/8 mile) (Andy 10/5/96)
"Bruce had us follow him on a long, long traverse going the length
of hidden wall. There was nothing too bad on the first section he
had done, but as we got farther and farther along, we (I) passed a
couple of sections that I recal as being about V3. We'd be going
along, and come up to blank sections.. I had to get off (or fall
off) and look at them first before pumping through. anyway.. at
the end of the wall I think we had come at least 600 feet! Oh
yeah.. the name, Sangre de Lizard, came from the start of the
problem. There was a loose flake that I kicked to break it
off.. As it fell, a freshly smashed lizard fell as well and died
below... whoops.. 8*/" - Andy
Alf Rig
Parking: UTM 13S 0315833 3761972
To get to Alf Rig, veer right at the road "Y" at Major wall. Head
up the road, through a gate, and switchback right to a mining scar.
This is where Alf lived in his old school bus, running all of his
computers from solar power. Park here, and walk uphill and West to
the North face of the hill. Smooth boulders with powerful moves.
American Beauty Boulder
UTM 13S 0315553 3761934
A tall boulder with a stunning North face, uphill from Slappin'
the Captain and West of the Tortoise. Named after the Grateful
Dead album. Problems on the North face. It was here that I got
to hear the Highway 395 Meth Hos story, from two of the
protagonists.
Ripple - B1
Start on the big shelf and go up and left the lichen-covered face.
American Beauty - B2 tall, bad landing
Start on the same big shelf and go up to the sloper. The go right
to the arete to top out.
Candyman - B1 tall, bad landing
Sit start on slopeys on the right side of the face. Go straight up.
Slappin' the Captain Boulder
UTM 13S 0315563 3761945
Just downhill (North) from American Beauty and East of Peck's Traverse.
Slappin' the Captain - B2 V? (V6-V7) (Scott? Nathaniel?)
Sit start on the right side of the little cave, do slappy moves
left, and then turn the lip and go up the black streak in the
bowl. "I actaully tore a hamstring completetly in half on it,
it still is missing thanks to Dr. 'Quack'. Upon hearing my
hamstring break (it sounded like a very large finger tendon
breaking) Nathaniel exclaimed `That was the loudest sound I have
ever heard produced by the human body, it actually made my ears
hurt.`" -Peck (Doctor's name removed until legal advice sought)
The Blunt Connection variation - B2 (Scott)
Do Slappin' the Captain but go up the arete.
Pattin' the Robertson - B1 (Scott)
Sit start as Slappin' the Captain but go straight up.
Peck's Traverse Boulder
Peck's Traverse - V1 Peck
Sit Start on the North (downhill) end of the boulder. Do weird
moves left and up until it gets too silly.
Warmup Boulder
A few feet East of the start to Peck's Traverse is a short wall
with some nice B0s and B1s.
Tortoise Boulder
Just West of American Beauty is a boulder with several tortoise
simulcra on it.
The Tortoise - V2 B1
On the right side of the North face, sit start and work left,
turn the lip, and go up the face. Variations go up the arete.
Sound like Slappin' the Captain? You bet! They are similar
problems, But these are *much* easier.
Terrapin Station - B1 (Scott)
Continuing the Dead theme. Sit start in the little cave on the
West face. Go straight up over the shelf and overhanging,
short, blank face.
Terrapin Traverse - B? (Scott)
Same start as Terrapin Station, but go right and up.
Terrapin Arete - B1
Go up the slappy arete. Funky top out.
Lightbulb Boulder
Just to the West and Uphill from The Tortoise Boulder.
Lightbulb - B?
Sit start on the North face, go left to the lightbulb simulcra,
then top out left.
Boneyard - B?
Just to the right of the Lightbulb.
Operation Idaho Freedom Boulder
Just uphill (South) from American Beauty and just East of the
Lightbulb. Worked during the Gulf War Sequel.
Colon Powell - B1 bad landing (Scott 3/31/2003)
Go straight up over the slab landing.
Defense Secretary Bumsfelt - B0 (Bob 3/31/2003)
Sit start, and go up and right just right of Colon Powell.
Scott's V9 - V? (Scott)
Balloon - V? (Nathaniel)
The Red Crystals in my Kidneys - V? (Peck)
Dog Ball Banana Wall
UTM 13S 0315023 3762579
Whilst preparing to go bouldering, Paul and ? were eating snacks
and playing hacky with the dog's rubber ball. A good kick sent the
ball directly onto Paul's peeled banana. Immediately upon heading
to Box, they discovered this wall. DBBW (say that three times
fast) is found about a half mile up the arroyo that flows by
Waterfall. It is close to privately-owned land, so behave.
Chocolate Salty Balls - V4 (Peck)
? - V2 tall
Boulder down from the North end of the wall. Go up the left side of
West face.
? - V3 (Spud? Bob)
Roof problem to Datil-like North face.
? - V1 tall
? - V1 tall
? - V0 tall
The crack.
? - V? tall, bad landing
The rounded arete.
? - V0 tall, bad landing
The dihedral.
? - V2 tall, bad landing, scary
Go up the center of the face over the roof.
? - V3 tall, bad landing
Start just left of the polished prow, above the big overhang.
Crank to a triangular hold, then straight up the crack with a
plant in it.
? - V4 bad landing
Sit start at the back of the cave, powerful moves to the jugs at the cave
entrance. Go up the slab to top out.
? - V0 tall
Slabs.
Dog Ball Banana - V? tall, bad landing, scary (Jake)
Just right of the dihedral is a scary sloper problem.
? - V0 tall
Up the rounded stuff on the face.
Homobanterphilia - V2
Go up the left side of the North face of the Southern Boulder.
Named after a certain individual who got freaked by an explicitly
homosexual conversation here.
? - V0
Go straight up the middle of the North face of the South boulder
? - V1 bad landing
Sit start in the hole between the South boulder and the wall. Work Left,
then go up the jugs and over the lip.
The Scrotum
Between DBBW and Mesquite BBQ, near Hidden Wall North.
The Scrotum - V4 bad landing
Sit start, go up to two horrible slopers, top out.
The boulder just North and down from the Scrotum has a
number of good problems, notably:
The Angry Bag - V2 - bad landing (Bob 3/20/2004)
Left end, go up slippery arete from sit start
V?
Sit start, use bad hold to gain chickenhead, top out.
V1
Sit start, use steeply angling shelf to get to the top.
V1
Stand start, go straight up.
V?
Sit start just right of the arete on horrible crimpers. Crimp
to the jug just below the lip and top out.
Mesquite Barbeque Wall
UTM 13S 0315223 3762207
You are practically in someone's backyard here, so behave and
stay low profile. Lots of tall, scary problems on a juggy wall.
Thorny mesquite landings.
I Fudged Your Mama - V? very tall (Peck)
Middle of the West face.
Getting Gay with Kids - V? very tall, crux at top (Peck)
Also middle of the West face.
Highway 395 Meth Hos - V? (Scott)
Three young men lost some of their innocence to older women in
Bishop, California.
Towards the left side of the wall, seperate boulder with an overhanging
Northwast face. Sit start on this face and go up.
Inflatable Hitler Wall
Directly across from Mesquite BBQ wall.
Toad Licking Perverts - V? (Peck)
Inflatable Hitler - V? (Peck)
5 other lines, according to Peck.
Monkey Bars
From Alcohol Wall, you can see an outcropping of rock up the hill to
the North. There is some neat stuff on this, but the coolest is the
Monkey Bars area, on the East side. A ventana, or natural window in
the rock, marks the bottom of the wall.
** WARNING: there is an active beehive in one of the huecos! 4/28/2003 **
? - V5 tall, scary
** WARNING: as of the time of this writing, 4/28/2003, the starting
hold for this problem contains an active beehive! **
Sit start in a juggy hueco, then work your way up to the line of
heucos, and exit right as above.
? - V3 tall, scary
Start on a big sidepull, go up and left to the line of huecos, then
exit right on the ledge.
? - V2 tall
Start on little pockets and edges, go to the obvious hueco, and then
straight up.
? - V1 tall
Sit start on two underclings left of the cave, and go right to the
chimney and straight up it.
Super Monkey Collider - V3 tall, scary, bad landing (Ben W.)
Super classic. The arete on the right side of the main wall. Sit
start left of the little cave on two underclings, then go up and
right to the arete and crank up it.
? - V?
sit start to crimpy roof holds.
? - V?
short problem on the far right side.
Monkey Bars - V1 bad landing (Steve R.)
Very spiffy. Keep going uphill from the main wall. Big huecos
appear in an overhanging face. Use gymnastic moves to climb this
classic jug haul over a slab landing.
South of Box
UTM 13S 0315372 3760459
A mile or two South of Major Wall, west facing cliff band up on a
hill South of the road. Big pockets in roofs but can be loose.
Other miscellany, Peck's two canyons (Cibola NF or BLM?).
The Dingleberries
These short walls can be seen to the Northwest from the base of
Sedillo hill on US60. The best approach is to go to the top of
Sedillo hill and pull in to the parking area. Go through the
unlocked gate from the parking area, and drive east, past the power
line road, to the end of the two-track road. Park here and hike East
to the boulders. You'll find them.
Spook Canyon (BLM)
Spook parking UTM 13S 0317032 3763718
Don't drive up the steep hill. Although the sign is missing, this
road is closed by the BLM.
During a particularly wet summer one year, the stream flowed for a
few weeks. It was really nice to boulder amongst the flowers while
the stream gurgled. As a bonus, the Biting Bugs of Box never got bad
that year.
? Boulder
The first boulder you come to at the top of the hill. The lower
branch of the Y in the trail goes next to the uphill side.
? - V1 bad landing
Left side of the East face. Go up and right following the right
side of the arete. Ankle breaker rock below the top out.
? - V1
Right side of the East face. Sit start in a big pocket and go straight
up. Harder if you off the big rock to the left, V0 if you stand
start.
Beer Bucket Boulder
Large boulder just Southwest of Warmup Boulder. Two bolts on top.
No Excuses - V4 (Peck)
Right side of East Face. Sit start on icky holds, and go straight up.
Alex did this one in a leg cast; so even a broken leg is no excuse!
Elephant Seal - V2 (Barrett 6/25/2003)
Sit start on the huge undercling under the big bulge sticking East
out of the bouder, just right of No Excuses. Climb straight up and
over the giant seal's head.
Clouds Mean Death - V2 (Bob 5/29/2003)
"We were always told that clouds meant death in the mountains, so
everytime we'd see a little cloud, we'd ask our guide, 'does that
cloud mean death?', and he'd say, 'no, probably not that one'"
- Todd Skinner at slide show in Socorro, around 1994
Just right and around the corner from No Excuses, sit start on two
pockets under a short overhang. Up and left and over the lip.
Beer Bucket - V0 tall, scary
Go straight up the middle of the North face. Originally
bouldered, this is also top-ropable at 5.8 with a good, two-bolt
anchor on top. "lovely fun much better without a rope" - Peck
? - V0- tall
The arete on the right side of the beer bucket face
? - V0 tall
Just right of the arete on the left side of the West face. Fun
jug haul.
I Spy - V2 (Rob 7/22/2003)
Right side of West face, directly under the point that sticks out.
Sit start on crimps, slap the sidepull and fire over the point.
The Sausage Grinder - V3 (Bob 7/22/2003)
In a little alcove in the South face. Sit start and reach left to
a sharp hold, then go for the slopers on the lip and pull over.
Grinds your little sausages.
Beer Bucket Butthole - V2 bad landing (Rob 7/22/2003)
To the right on the South face. Sit start in a small hueco and
go straight up. Top out.
The V-4s AKA Heavy Metal Boulder AKA ?
UTM 13S 0316776 3763581
Just West of Warm Up Rock, about 30 feet East of the main wall.
Mesquite Variation? - V4 (Joel? Nathaniel?)
Same start as Judas Priest, but go left on crimps over a mesquite bush.
Judas Priest - V4 (Peck)
On the left side of the South-facing face. Sit start to freaky mantle.
The Eric Scully V7 - V4 (V4-V7) (Peck)
In the middle of the South-facing face.
Sit start on a sidepull and an undercling hole. Go straight up
over the lip and top out.
Squat start on the low holds for the most fun. Sit start makes
you want to poop your pants but doesn't add any difficulty.
Eric Scully seemed like a teenage prodigy in the late 90's. The
proud youth had supposedly redpointed 8b+ (5.14a/b) at age 13 and
had a long list of incredible acheivements by age 15. However, he
could not do this problem, claiming that it was "at least V7
(~7c)". He went on to compete all over the world with
dissapointing results, lost all of his sponsors and disappeared
from the competition scene just after the turn of the century.
Were his early accomplishments mere fabrications and
exaggerations, or did he just peak early? And where is he now?
Hopefully, still enjoying the rock somewhere...
Peck had given this one V4 (and the consensus grade as of 2003 is
hard V4 almost V5) but didn't have a name for it. People would
refer to it as "that Peck problem that Eric Scully insisted was V7"
and thus it eventually became The Eric Scully V7.
Heavy Metal - V3 (Andy*)
Sit start in the hole with both hands in the hueco. Go left
through slopers and bad feet to then crank the lip.
Peck
rediscovered this problem a few years after Andy did it (although
Andy neglected to name it), but there was no chalk on it by then,
so he named it something really cool that no one can remember.
Anyway, it's such a classic line that it was probably done first
long ago...
? - V1
Same start as Heavy Metal but go straight up.
? - V3
Start as above but do the goofy butt-dragger gut-wrencher traverse
and then go up just left of the arete.
Gummy Ratt - V3 (Bob*)
The loose rock is gonna knock someone's teeth out.
On the left side of the West overhanging face just behind Spook wall.
Powerful sit start on underclings. Work onto the loose stuff and huck
for the lip.
Locnar - V1
Sit start and pull jugs and sidepulls left to the jugs at the lip.
Warm Up Rock
? AKA Spudnip - V2 (Peck)
Sit start on a sidepull, crank to slopers and crimps, finish on the
ledge.
The Smell of Beer - V? tall, scary, very bad landing (Peck)
From the traverse start on the Northeast corner, go straight up
the North face over the very bad landing. Peck may have had
chemical assistance to build up the neccessary gumption, hence the
name. A variant goes right on the traverse to crimps, then
dyno and top out over hideous block landing.
"A fall off of either would be like landing in a giant blender" - Peck
Spook Traverse Wimpout Version - V1 (V1-V9) tall, bad landing
Sit start down on the Northeast corner. Cruise up and right all
the way to the wide crack, then up the crack to top out.
Spook Traverse Wimpy Version - V1 (V1-V9) tall, bad landing
Instead of going up the crack, keep going around the corner and go
up the juggy West face. This whole face is fun at V0-V1.
Spook Warmup AKA Spook Traverse V1 (V1-V9) tall, bad landing, scary
Keep going right, until you are at the Southwest corner. Go up
on small crimps to top out.
Cowshit Cave
Overhang on main wall just West of Beer Bucket Boulder.
Devlin's Demise AKA ? - V? (Jake)
A very large block came off the wall here and took most of the good
holds with it.
Rubberband Fingers - V8 (V7-V8) (Jake)
"***" - Opie
Dihedral straight up. Small crimps and a dyno.
Meine Gummi Frau - V10 (Jake)
Sit start to Rubberband Fingers. Starts just to the right, up on
desperate holds, and traverses left into the undercling/sidepull
to finish up Rubberband Fingers. Originally a Peck line, Jake's
ascent put the spurs to Peck, and anger fueled Peck's immediate
second ascent.
Vulgar Display of Power - V? (Scott)
Wake and Bake - V3 (V3-V5) tall
Sit start on jugs to the right. Traverse left on good holds to a
block. go up and left below a scoop to a jug haul straight up.
Loop right, back down to the scoop and downclimb down to the
block.
French Ethics
13S 0316813 3763560
French Ethics - V4
Sit start and straight up.
? - V0
Right behind French Ethics, stand start and crank sharp pockets.
? - V?
Just to the right. Sit start and go up/right, top out straight up.
All Done Boulder
13S 0316831 3763523
Just up the wash from French Ethics. The down is the East-facing
ramp (V0-).
"a cube with many V0s and V1s none named all done" - Opie
to which I reply:
All Done - V2 tall (Bob)
Sit start on the North face on an overhanging block. Slippery and
powerful start to a juggy top out.
? - V0
Fairly obvious line on the left side of the South face, Fun and just
a little sharp.
Polly Prissy Pants - V3 semi-contrived (Bob 1/25/2003)
In the middle of the South face, use poor holds to gain the
undercling shelf. Milk the tiny edge in the blank face and top
out. The big shelf a few feet to the right is off-route.
Flounder Boulder
South of Cowshit Cave.
Hooked Flounder - V?
"as the name implies a belly flop may be required" - Opie
Upper Spook
UTM 13S 0316719 3763413
Warm and Fuzzy - V? (Peck)
Start down in the hole and come out the roof.
"Tape your left fuck you finger or you'll regret it." - Peck
Better Than Life - V2 bad landing (Peck)
Overhanging face up left in the South-facing wall the trail goes under.
Red Dwarf - V? (Nathaniel)
Starts immediately over the trail. Long reaches between small, sharp
holds on a beautiful red face.
Tempting Fate - V? (Peck)
"Aslo ontop of BTL boulder head down to edge look R, there is
"Tempting Fate" (peck) self-explanitory." - Peck
The other problems are on the short wall to the South.
? - V1
The far left problem on the East face. Sit start back under the
roof in the crack. Work out and left to the slopey top out.
? - V1
In the middle of the East-facing face. Sit start on funky blocks,
then go straight up.
Brain Scan - V5 (Nathaniel)
Just left of Crub Jaw, super sloper problem straight up.
Curb Jaw - V9 (Peck)
Brown Noise - V9 (Peck)
A little further up the canyon:
Fifty Little Black Guys - V? (Nathaniel)
Describing an ant attack.
Virgin Area
Substance P
UTM 13S 0316772 3763619
Substance P - V8 (V8-V10) bad landing, scary (Peck)
The obvious line of sharp holds up the stunning overhanging face
on the North side. Sit down start, work up to a big, slick hueco,
top out just to the left of the hueco.
Substance P is a nueromodulator that acts on the transmission of
pain stimuli. Liberate your Substance P with this... or just do
what most people do and eat some extra hot green chile instead
(capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot chiles, acts directly on
the Substance P in your sensory nuerons. One theory holds that
the subsequent endorphin release is what makes both chile and nice
sharp holds both so wonderful and so addictive.).
Wallflower Wall Bouldering
UTM 13S 0316715 3763802
? - V0 tall
Go up the slab on the leaning block. Downclimb on the back.
? - V1 tall
Go up the right side of the block. Two bolts on the face.
? - V4
Sit start in the right end of the cave, work out the crack right and up.
? - V1 tall
Up the blank-looking face just left of the Wallflower cave.
Tipsy - V1 tall, scary (Bob)
Just left, go up good holds to a bowl and top out.
Grotto, Chupadera Spring (BLM) and Cow Crag (Private)
Cow Crag is the Northern end of the band of rock and hills East of
Spook. US60 cuts through it, and the Spook road meanders the valley
between these hills and the Box/Spook Canyon hill system. The Grotto
and Chupadera Spring are waterfalls where the washes go over a band
of underlying Box-like rock. They are both just East of the Cow Crag
Hills.
Cow Crag North
North of the highway. On EMRTC land, off-limits to us. Some
bouldering and extremely short routes. Andy did some stuff here
around 1995.
Cow Crag South
UTM 13S 0318158 3763898
Private land (Access?) Some short trad routes at low angle. More
Andy routes ca. 1995. Up the hill to the South lots of easy and
some very hard bouldering (Scott?)
Grotto
UTM 13S 0318289 3762681
Down the wash from the tank. Some good bouldering (Names?) and one
5.11+ bolted route. High-schooler party spot, Often graffitied and
littered with cheap beer cans.
? - V3
Sit start, go left and up.
Chupadera Spring
UTM 13S 0318623 3763411
The next big canyon North of the Grotto. A few routes including an
easy bolted route, and bouldering of dubious quality.
Enchanted Tower (Cibola National Forest)
Wait for Sal's book, or just go out and play. There's a suprising amount
of quality bouldering under Mother Goose Wall.
Monster Island and Kong's Playground (Cibola National Forest)
UTM 13S 0225287 3795505 US60 turnoff
UTM 13S 0225065 3801801 Park here
Small, remote bouldering areas. The rock is similar to the stuff
at the Enchanted tower, but less featured and more devious.
US60 Between Datil and Pie Town, Mile marker 65, North on Forest road
6A about three miles. This road can get slick and muddy after a
rain. After passing Monument Rock (a nice free-standing pinnacle)
look for a good place to park on the road. Looking East, you'll see
some really neat rock formations, with a jumble of boulders on side
of the hill to the left. That is Monster Island, about 3/4 mile
hike. To the West you can see big boulders peeking through the
trees. One of those is Kong's Playground.
Jet Jaguar Boulder
UTM 13S 0226126 3801788
"A robot created by scientist Goro Ibuki"
Jet Jaguar helped Godzilla fight Megalon.
If you approached Monster Island correctly, this is the first good
boulder you come to.
? - V2 tall, scary
On the small, Northwest face, first crank jugs straight up to a bad
sloper, then straight up to top out.
? - V0 tall
The arete just to the right of the above.
? - V0 tall, scary
Follow the licheny slopers and jugs to the lip.
? - V0 tall, scary
Another licheny highball, just left of the arching break.
? - V3 tall
Sit start sidepulling the arching break. Go right, up the arch,
and then reach up to good holds.
? - V3 tall
Sit start on the small South face, go up and left and top out the left side
of the face.
? - V2 tall
Sit start on the right side of the small South face, then go up and left
to top out the right side of the face.
? - V4
On the East face is a slopy, crimpy problem that tops out under a tree
that has fallen on the rock.
Vampire Cave
UTM 13S 0226148 3801788
Look for the old frying pan. Harder stuff around the corner to the North.
? - V5 tall
Sit start at Golden, but traverse left and then straight up to
top out.
Golden - V4 tall
Super fun. Sit start on two holds. Follow the jugs up and then
left to a big hueco on the left side of the slab. Top out the
slab.
? - V3 tall
Sit start on the right side of the face. Mantle the lip and go up
the slab.
Frankenstien Wall
UTM 13S 0226167 3801788
A long, South-facing, slightly overhung, asthetically pleasing wall
with small holds. Cool problems!
Left Frankenstien - V4
Middle Frankenstien - V4
Shares the start with Left Frankenstien.
Right Frankenstien - V7? tall
Crimps to an improbable sloper, then tops out.
Boulder Solo wall
Just East of Frankstien wall is a tall boulder. Some of Peck's tall
boulder problems have been bolted. Some individuals stole these hangars
from New Canyon in the Manzanos and chopped down a tree at the base
of the boulder, just to bolt a scrappy boulder problem?
Boulder
UTM 13S 0226230 3801819
A small boulder just on the North side of a ridge. Three lines on the
West side
? - V1 (Rob 5/11/2003)
Sit start, go up the left side arete.
Dinkhole - V1 (Rob 5/11/2003)
Sit start, go up the face on jugs.
? - V1 (Rob 5/11/2003)
Sit start, go up the right side of the right arete.
Kong's Playground
UTM 13S 0224091 3801506
(there is a beautiful natural arch near UTM 13S 0224029 3801380)
Kong - V4
Kickin' mantle problem. Start right of Kong's foot.
Quebradas
Bursom Springs (BLM, Private)
Cool roof problems on Limestone, sometimes over pools of water, some
approaching solo height. Some short boulder problems.
Reefer Canyon (The Reef) (BLM, NM)
Park here: UTM 13S 0335846 3772639
Drive out the Quebradas road until it starts going South. After
about 1/2 mile of South driving, look for a wash cutting across the
road. The road should start going uphill for a ways immediately
after the wash. Park on the side of the road. Do not drive up the
wash as this is a restricted vehicle use area. Use caution, this
area has flash floods several times a year. Walk East up the wash
about 2 1/4 miles. You will enter a large limestone canyon. The
boulders and walls in the bottom of the canyon can have excellent
bouldering.
Slabby Warmup Rock
UTM 13S 0338178 3773240
One of the first rocks as you head up the canyon. Easy, super low-angle
but fun.
? - V0
? - V0
? - VO
Bum Boulder
UTM 13S 0338190 3773247
Just behind Slabby Warmup
? - V1
Grab the shelf on the East face and go up on small cuts.
? - V?
Just right of the arete on the North face.
? - V2
Middle of the North face. Power up to a jug and a sharp thing,
then to the top.
Dimple Face
UTM 13S 0338219 3773282
South-facing short boulder, covered in dimples.
Dimple Face - V0 (Bob 1/1/2003)
Straight up the middle.
Lambcakes
UTM 13S 0338226 3773298
Lambcakes - V2 (Bob 1/1/2003)
Sit start on square cut hold on the East face and go straight up.
Dirty Little Boulder
UTM 13S 0338237 3773305
South side of canyon.
? - V3 (Chris 12/28/2002)
Start on slick things on East side, crank over the lip.
? - V? (Chris 12/28/2002)
Start on slick things as above, but slap out right to the other lip,
then mantle your way to dirty bliss.
Madness Boulders
South side of canyon.
Reefer Madness - V? (Scott 12/2002)
Start back in the cave. Use slick and sharp things to get up
to the slabby face, the top out right.
Space Madness - V3 (Bob 12/2002)
Start on a wonderful slot and undercling, then either go straight over
the point or go out right to top out.
Pain Boulders
At the waterfall/pond, South side of the Canyon. Obvious, stunning.
Pain Barrier - V4 (Scott 12/2002)
You'll have to break the pain barrier to finish this one. On
the Northeast corner of the right boulder of the jumble. Throw
for the sloping shelf, then straight over the top. Look for
blood.
? - V? (Peck 12/28/2002)
The 45 degree face right of the Pain Barrier boulder. Crimps and
sharp things. Nightmare sharp top out.
? - V0 tall (Paul 12/2002)
All the way right, on the boulder with the huge loose block with plants
growing out of it.
Red Zone Cuba
On the Southern side of the canyon, two large squarish reddish boulders.
Cigar Smuggler - V2-3 (Colin 12/05/2003)
Sit start on the left side of the East face of the East boulder,
on a two-handed slick rail. Go up the face.
Castro? - V3 (Scott 12/2002)
Sit start on the big ledge, work left and up to top out between
the two boulders. For the grade and maximum enjoyment, the
giant shelf is off.
Red Zone Cuba - V0 (Bob 12/2002)
In the middle of the right boulder, easy straight up.
Mini-Thins
A tall face on the North side of the Canyon, with a crack running all
the way from ground to top.
Mini-Thins - V3? tall, scary, crux at top (Scott 12/2002)
Follow the crack all the way to the top on tiny crimpers.
Elephant Area
A wide face on the South side of the Canyon, with many V0 to V2s,
mostly good landings and fairly solid rock. Above this wall is
a cougar cave, where we have found mountain lion tracks, and the fur
of prey.
The Elephant
On the other side of the Canyon as the Warmup Area, a tall boulder.
Downclimb on the back (North side).
Elephant - V1 tall
Go up the Arete.
Elephant Riders - V3 tall, scary (Scott)
Sit start on the middle of the East face of The Elephant, cool
double mantle problem.
Just a few yards East of the Elephant, there is a small boulder with
an overhanging face.
The Body of John Wilkes Booth - V4 (Scott)
Sit start on the overhang, crank to a sloper and top out.
Smarts Area
UTM 13S 0338747 3773404
The nice walls on the North side of the wash, East of Elephant
on the way to Pirate's Cove.
Dr Oddman - V0 (Bob 12/05/2003)
Go up the left-leaning dihedral.
Blood Donor - V2 semi-contrived (Colin 12/05/2003)
Start on the tan face just right of the dihedral, go up and over
the arete. Dihedral is off-route.
Pirate's Cove
A silly short wall on the North side of the canyon. There is a
tree on the South side, and the streambed cuts through the rock
here.
Booty - V0 (Bob 1/1/2003)
"Professor, what's another word for pirate treasure?"
Sit start on the big square block.
Captain Crunch - V1 (Colin 12/05/2003)
Sit start on finger slots and slick feet, and crank your way up.
Carribean Sea - V0 (Bob 1/1/2003)
Strangely beautiful holds. Follow the line of rounded jugs up.
Portugese Man-of-War - V3 (Bob 1/1/2003)
Slick feet! Sit start on edges, crank to the hole and top out.
Seven of Oceans - V3 contrived (Bob 1/1/2003)
"Here we are, seven of oceans
Great divide conquers emotions, for good
Drives in car, transfers allegiance to land
Looks to land's earthen embrace" - Tom Ellard
Traverse below the lip from left of Booty to right of Portugese
Man-of-War, or go the other way, or lap it!
Wall South of Pirate's Cove
Just South of Pirate's Cove, on the 35 foot limestone wall
of the canyon, are some compelling lines.
? - V0- very tall (Colin 12/05/2003)
Just right of the right hand squarish roof is this very tall
slabby route. Originally done to scope the top out for the
roof.
Riley (BLM, State, Private)
Sandstone and some limestone around a remote ghost town. Getting to
Riley involves long drives on dirt roads, river crossings that can
get serious depending on rain/snow fall, slow dusty driving on steep
hills with blind curves. During dry conditions the roads are
generally very good and passable with a typical passenger car, but
they can get bad quickly for even serious four-wheel-drives. There
is no gas, food, or potable water for public use. The nearest
hospital (Socorro) is over an hour away in the best of road
conditions. A high-clearance vehicle with a hand winch
("come-a-long") and shovel, several extra quarts of water, food, and
a comprehensive first-aid kit are highly recommended.
There is a complex pattern of private/BLM/state land here, so new
development needs to be cautious. I would recommend not developing
anything on private land.
To get to Riley:
Method 1: take Exit 175 off I25 (Bernardo) and go West. County-level
maps of the area are highly recommended for this route, but it's
probably the fastest way to get here from the North. Follow the main
road Southwest, past the RV park and across the Rio Puerco on a cool
old bridge. The road turns to dirt at the Sevilleta gate turnoff,
then goes Northwest, West, and finally South, curving around Los
Ladrones (the rugged, rocky mountain). Eventually, after about 29
miles of dirt road, you will hit the Fork (you'll know the Fork when
you see it).
Method 2: Go to Magdalena and turn North of US60 at Evett's Cafe.
after about 200yds you will see a brown sign and a turn to the
right marked for Riley. After about 19 miles, you will hit the Rio
Salado with the Fork just North of the river.
Method 3: Go to Magdalena and turn North of US60 on the road to Alamo
Indian Reservation. After a few miles, turn right (North) on FR123.
After a few more miles, you will see a turn to the right (East) with
a brown sign for Riley. Go about six or seven miles to the Fiesta
Boulders, and two miles or so to the Fork.
Rio Salado Boulders
These may be your only option if you're coming from Magdalena and
the rivers are too deep to drive across. Don't worry, they are
great! On the West side of the Rio Salado, just North of the right
turn to cross the river to get to the ghost town, and just South of
the river crossing near the Fork. On the West side of the road on
the side of the hill are many tan-brown boulders.
Warmup Boulder
Yet another Warmup Boulder. Nice vertical tan and brown face on Southeast.
UTM 13S 0294614 3807045
? - V0 (Colin 12/14/2003)
Sit start, straight up over loose block.
? - V0 (Colin 12/14/2003)
Sit start, up over two shelfs.
? - V0+ (Colin 12/14/2003)
Stand start in the middle.
? - V0 (Colin 12/14/2003)
Sit start on right side, go up jugs and top out.
Hotpad - V0 (Bob 12/14/2003)
Sit start on far right side, traverse left and up to left end,
top out on left block. I liked it a lot.
Dead Tree Wall
Up the hill to the Northwest, dead tree on top of overhung face.
UTM 13S 0294576 3807057
? - V1 (Colin 12/14/2003)
Sit start on left side, powerful move up to a jug and top out.
? - V0 (Colin 12/14/2003)
Sit start and climb through the gritty hueco to top out.
Sticks - V1 (Bob 12/14/2003)
Sit start on jugs, go the the lip and pull over. Super
fun with a funky top out.
Root Down - V1 (Bob 12/14/2003)
Sit start on far right end, traverse left across juggy face, top out
on far left. Fun moves on (moslty) positive jugs.
Coffee notch
Looking South from Dead Tree Wall, there is a notch of dark rock.
Lots of nice easy stuff, some serious highballs over bad landings
at the South opening.
Monkey Love Boulder
Just East of Coffee Notch, large boulder with a cool overhang on Southeast
face.
UTM 13S 0294624 3807017
Slope and Crimp Monkey Love - V3 tall, bad landing (Colin 12/14/2003)
Grab jugs under the roof, work left and up onto the large dark
brown face, top out. Super good.
Patina Wall - V0 (Colin 12/14/2003)
Just East of Monkey Love Boulder smaller boulder with nice holds on
light tan East face.
Foot Boulder
East of Patina wall, short powerful roof with poor landing.
Auto-ped-anal-eroticism - V2? very bad landing (Colin 12/14/2003)
Short problem starting at lower lip of roof.
Mosquito(?) Boulders
Fiesta Boulders
UTM 13S 0291846 3808343
After crossing Rio Salado going North, turn left at fork, cross
Salado again, look for CR12A going left. Obvious large boulders.
Ugly 'Viva Fiesta "91"' grafitti. The rock is more solid than it
looks, but unpredictably brittle.
Water Canyon (Cibola National Forest)
About 15 miles West of Socorro on US60 is a signed turnoff for Water
Canyon Campground, FR235. Drive 4.5 miles up a paved road to the
campground, this is a good place to park. The big cliffs are too
loose to climb, and are host to nesting falcons, so don't go messin'
'round up there. However, the boulders in the valley near the
campground can be pretty good, but some may be on private land.
Watch for bees and wasps, who like to nest in the rocks. The rock
can be loose, but the weather is generally cooler than Box and there
are less bugs in the summer.
Nilla's Wafers
UTM 13S 0303723 376938
This is one of the obvious clumps of boulders that can be seen from
the road. Park at Water Canyon campground and walk East to avoid
trespassing on private land.
Chasing Hadia - V0 tall, scary, bad landing (Nilla)
On the tall boulder above the main group, just East of a large tree.
Sit start, go straight up the North corner.
Nilla Wafer - V2 bad landing (Bob)
Sit start back in little cave, one hard move to jugs and a funky top
out.
Soggy Biscuit - V3 (Bob)
Just right of Nilla Wafer, sit start on a big scary hollow flake, top
out over cactus.
Mars Hotel
UTM 13S 0303702 3766833
The most obvious set of boulders that can be seen from the road,
with a large lightning-scarred tree on top. Park at Water
Canyon campground and walk East to avoid trespassing on private
land.
Hippy Tie-dye Boulders
UTM 13S 0303464 3766523
Up a gully to the South of the campground.
Loose Lucy Is My Delight - V? (Scott 6/8/2003)
The steep face. Loose holds.
Beef Curtain Traverse - V? (Scott 6/8/2003)
Sit start on the right (downhill) side of the Ease face. Go left
until you're standing on a slab, then top out.
Beef Sashimi - V3 (Bob 6/8/2003)
Same sit start, but upon reaching the end of the bulge, cheese out and
go straight up to a positive hold, then slab on out the top.
Terrifying Boulder
Further up the gully: loose, compelling boulder solos up to 30 feet high.
Roadside Boulders
Up the Langmuir road a mile or two are some boulders on the South side
of the road near the stream. Dirty and loose, but some fun stuff.
Trail 10 boulders
Up on trail 10 just before the collapsed cabin are a few good boulders.
Several V0 to V2 problems, often dirty and spiderwebby.
Front Boulders
Park opposite the FR235 sign. Hike up and West, past a ruin and a
wash. The hillside has boulders hidden amongst the trees.
Titus
"Possibly the finest boulder problem... anywhere"
East Red Canyon
Rattlesnake Canyon
updated February 18th, 2004
Bob Broilo
