New Mexico · Rock climbing · Albuquerque

First Step

First Step is a 2-route climbing crag in New Mexico with bouldering pads.

2 routes
V1 – V3-4
Bouldering

Best time to visit First Step

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

    45° / 26°

    5 wet · 3 snow

  2. Feb

    51° / 29°

    5 wet · 3 snow

  3. Mar

    60° / 35°

    5 wet · 2 snow

  4. Apr

    68° / 40°

    4 wet · 1 snow

  5. May

    78° / 49°

    5 wet

  6. Jun

    88° / 58°

    5 wet

  7. Jul

    89° / 62°

    11 wet

  8. Aug

    86° / 61°

    11 wet

  9. Sep

    80° / 55°

    8 wet

  10. Oct

    68° / 43°

    6 wet

  11. Nov

    54° / 33°

    5 wet · 2 snow

  12. Dec

    44° / 26°

    5 wet · 3 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Albuquerque Foothills Ne, NM, 0.9 mi away at 5,994 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

First Step is a bouldering area in New Mexico, set within the Embudito Trailhead on city land. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with North Ridge Steps, Boulder A and the Warm up boulders all about 0.1 mile away, and the Manitoba/Montgomery Trailhead at a similar distance. The Embudito hike lies about 0.2 mile off. The climbing here is bouldering only, with two routes listed: Straight Up at V1 and Left Overhang at V3-4. Both are bouldering problems, and the area is best suited to climbers looking for short, crag-style sessions rather than longer routes. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 78°F and October highs around 68°F, while July and August bring the most wet days, about 11 each month. The station sits a few hundred feet lower than the trailhead, so temperatures at the boulders run slightly cooler.

Routes (2)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Foothills BoulderingPhoto: maximalideal, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Foothills Bouldering

~3 min drive

Foothills Bouldering in New Mexico has 4 bouldering routes.

Lower Domingo Baca Slabs (AKA: The Ribcage)Photo: Kevin Stroup, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Lower Domingo Baca Slabs (AKA: The Ribcage)

~5 min drive

Lower Domingo Baca Slabs in New Mexico has 8 climbing routes across 6 difficulty grades.

Upper Fat City Drainage (a.k.a. Embudo Canyon)Photo: somjuan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Upper Fat City Drainage (a.k.a. Embudo Canyon)

~5 min drive

Upper Fat City Drainage (a.k.a. Embudo Canyon) in New Mexico has 8 routes spanning 7 difficulty grades.

Domingo Baca Canyon, LowerPhoto: BenFrantzDale, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Domingo Baca Canyon, Lower

~6 min drive

Domingo Baca Canyon, Lower in New Mexico has 4 climbing routes.

Pino WallPhoto: weldonwk, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Pino Wall

~8 min drive

Pino Wall is a climbing crag in New Mexico with 7 routes.

TWA CanyonPhoto: Ktr101, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

TWA Canyon

~8 min drive

TWA Canyon in New Mexico has 6 trad routes spanning 6 difficulty grades.

Sandia MountainsPhoto: Kevin Stroup, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sandia Mountains

~5 min drive

5 climbing routes in the Sandia Mountains, New Mexico, ranging across 4 difficulty grades.

Echo CanyonPhoto: Ktr101, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Echo Canyon

~8 min drive

Echo Canyon in New Mexico has 9 climbing routes across 6 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad options.

Boulder A

~0 min drive

Boulder A is a bouldering crag in New Mexico with 6 routes across 6 grades.

Warm up boulders

~0 min drive

Warm up boulders in New Mexico has 8 bouldering routes across 7 grades.