Afterburner Face
Afterburner Face in New Mexico has 8 sport climbing routes across 7 grades.
- 8 routes
- 5.11a – 5.12c
- Sport
Best time to visit Afterburner Face
Best months: May–June and August–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
42° / 12°
3 wet
Feb
46° / 19°
3 wet
Mar
55° / 25°
4 wet
Apr
63° / 31°
4 wet
May
73° / 37°
5 wet
Jun
84° / 47°
5 wet
Jul
87° / 53°
8 wet
Aug
84° / 51°
10 wet
Sep
78° / 45°
6 wet
Oct
67° / 32°
5 wet
Nov
53° / 22°
4 wet
Dec
42° / 14°
4 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Taos, NM, 9.2 mi away at 6,965 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Afterburner Face is a climbing area on Bureau of Land Management land in the Taos Field Office of New Mexico, about 9 miles from the town of Taos. It sits among a cluster of other climbing spots, with Gold Rush Wall, Bat Cave and Wayne Manor all within about a tenth of a mile. The area is a sport climbing destination, with eight routes spread across the face. The grades run from 5.11a to 5.12c, with the median around 5.12a. Among the named routes are Pinch to Grow and Inch at 5.11a, Big Howie at 5.12a and Fire It Up at 5.12c. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Taos show May highs around 73°F and September highs around 78°F, while July and August bring the most wet days and the warmest highs, near 87°F in July. Vista Verde Trail and Vista Verde Crag are close by, and the West Rim Trail and The Slide Trail are within a mile.
Routes (8)
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