John's Wall
John's Wall in New Mexico has 15 routes across 11 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
- 15 routes
- 5.7 – 5.13a
- Trad · Sport · Mixed
Best time to visit John's Wall
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, 12 mi away at 6,965 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
John's Wall is a climbing area in northern New Mexico, on Bureau of Land Management land within the Taos Field Office. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with River Wall about 0.1 mile away and Old Stagecoach Road about 0.2 mile away, so it works well as one stop in a day of exploring the surrounding crags. The area has 15 routes, with trad and sport styles both well represented. The YDS grades run from 5.7 up to 5.13a, and the hardest route listed is Do the Next Right Thing, a sport climb at 5.13a. The Houston S, a sport route at 5.9, was first climbed by John Joline around 1980. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Taos show May highs around 73°F and October highs around 67°F, while July averages about 87°F and August brings the most wet days of the year. Nearby, the John Dunn Bridge Area is about 0.3 mile away, and the Horsethief Loop hike is about 1.2 miles off. For an overnight stay, Lower Hondo campground is about 9 miles away.
Routes (15)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
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