North/West side
29 routes, 17 grades, sport and trad climbing at North/West side in New Mexico.
Photo: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 29 routes
- 5.8 – 5.12a
- Sport · Trad
Best time to visit North/West side
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.
Jan
44° / 20°
4 wet
Feb
50° / 23°
4 wet
Mar
59° / 28°
5 wet
Apr
66° / 34°
4 wet
May
76° / 43°
4 wet
Jun
87° / 52°
5 wet
Jul
88° / 58°
10 wet
Aug
86° / 56°
10 wet
Sep
80° / 49°
7 wet
Oct
68° / 38°
5 wet
Nov
54° / 27°
4 wet
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, 15.4 mi away at 6,344 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
North/West side is a climbing area in New Mexico, about 1.3 miles from the town of Buckman. The land is managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the area sits among several other climbing spots, including The Overlook, South/East side and Lower Buttress, all within about a tenth of a mile. The climbing here is a mix of sport and trad routes, with 21 sport routes and 8 trad routes among the 29 listed. The YDS grades run from 5.8 up to 5.12, with the median at 5.11a. Some of the named routes include Overripe Fresh-Squeezed California Crack (5.8, trad), Dangle Your Participle (5.10c, sport) and Vasoconstrictor (5.12, sport). For timing, late spring and early fall tend to be the most comfortable. 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.
Routes (29)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
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Photo: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)The Sewer Crag
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Old New Place in New Mexico offers 24 mixed and sport climbing routes across 15 difficulty grades.
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Doughnut Shop, The in New Mexico has 8 climbing routes with mixed styles.
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Photo: National Trails Office (US National Park Service), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Middle Earth Sector
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Middle Earth Sector in New Mexico has 8 routes across 6 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
Coffee Shop (aka Quickstop)
~1 min drive
Coffee Shop (aka Quickstop) in New Mexico has 6 climbing routes.
