El Malpais
El Malpais in New Mexico has 21 climbing routes across 15 grades, offering bouldering, mixed, and trad options.
Photo: RuggyBearLA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 21 routes
- 5.7 – 5.12-
- Trad · Bouldering · Mixed
Best time to visit El Malpais
Best months: 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.
Jan
50° / 15°
4 wet
Feb
56° / 17°
3 wet
Mar
64° / 23°
3 wet
Apr
70° / 31°
3 wet
May
80° / 39°
3 wet
Jun
90° / 48°
4 wet
Jul
92° / 55°
8 wet
Aug
89° / 53°
10 wet
Sep
83° / 45°
6 wet
Oct
73° / 32°
4 wet
Nov
60° / 21°
4 wet
Dec
50° / 14°
4 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Grants Ap, NM, 20.3 mi away at 6,520 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
El Malpais is a climbing area on Bureau of Land Management land in the Rio Puerco Field Office in New Mexico. The land is managed by the BLM, and the nearest town is Grants, about 20 miles away. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Grants show May highs around 80°F and October highs around 73°F, while July and August average in the low 90s and bring the most wet days of the year. Two trails start within half a mile: The Narrows Rim Trail and the Cdt-Alt Ley Bushwhack. Farther out, the Acoma-Zuni Trail and the San Rafel Road are both within about 7 miles.
Routes (21)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
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