New Mexico · Rock climbing · White Rock

East Side, Big Enchilada

Near White Rock

11 routes
5.8 – 5.11b
Mixed · Sport · Trad

Best time to visit East Side, Big Enchilada

Best months: April–May and September–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.

  1. Jan

    44° / 20°

    4 wet

  2. Feb

    50° / 23°

    4 wet

  3. Mar

    59° / 28°

    5 wet

  4. Apr

    66° / 34°

    4 wet

  5. May

    76° / 43°

    4 wet

  6. Jun

    87° / 52°

    5 wet

  7. Jul

    88° / 58°

    10 wet

  8. Aug

    86° / 56°

    10 wet

  9. Sep

    80° / 49°

    7 wet

  10. Oct

    68° / 38°

    5 wet

  11. Nov

    54° / 27°

    4 wet

  12. Dec

    44° / 20°

    4 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Santa Fe Co Muni Ap, NM, 13.7 mi away at 6,344 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

East Side, Big Enchilada is a climbing area in New Mexico on land managed by the Department of Energy. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with South Side, Big Enchilada and Tortilla Flats each about 0.1 mile away, and The Crack House (aka Estante Edge) about 0.2 mile off. The area is a compact hub of routes, with several climbing areas and trails within a short distance of one another. The climbing here is a mix of styles, with 11 routes in total. Seven are mixed, two are sport and two are trad. Grades run from 5.8 up to 5.11, with Route 7 at 5.11a and Huevos Verdes at 5.11. The Big Enchilada (Left Crack) is a mixed route at 5.9+. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Santa Fe show May highs around 76°F and October highs around 68°F, while July and August bring highs near 88°F and about 10 wet days a month. The Estante Rim Trail and Estante trail are both about 0.3 mile away, and the Ruin Mesa Trail is about 0.6 mile off. Potrillo Cliffs, a climbing area, is about half a mile away.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

The Doughnut ShopPhoto: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

The Doughnut Shop

~4 min drive

Doughnut Shop, The in New Mexico has 8 climbing routes with mixed styles.

Old New PlacePhoto: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Old New Place

~4 min drive

Old New Place in New Mexico offers 24 mixed and sport climbing routes across 15 difficulty grades.

Below The Old New PlacePhoto: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Below The Old New Place

~4 min drive

35-route climbing crag in New Mexico with sport and trad options.

Lower ButtressPhoto: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lower Buttress

~5 min drive

Lower Buttress in New Mexico has 5 climbing routes with bouldering pads and sport styles.

South/East sidePhoto: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

South/East side

~5 min drive

South/East side in New Mexico has 36 climbing routes across 20 grades.

The OverlookPhoto: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Overlook

~5 min drive

4 sport routes in New Mexico at Overlook, The

North/West sidePhoto: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

North/West side

~5 min drive

29 routes, 17 grades, sport and trad climbing at North/West side in New Mexico.

The Sewer CragPhoto: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Sewer Crag

~6 min drive

Sewer Crag in New Mexico has 9 climbing routes with sport and trad options.

Chicken Little AreaPhoto: National Trails Office (US National Park Service), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Chicken Little Area

~6 min drive

Chicken Little Area in New Mexico has 13 routes across 8 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.

MordorPhoto: National Trails Office (US National Park Service), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mordor

~7 min drive

Mordor is a New Mexico climbing crag with 2 routes ranging across 2 difficulty grades.