Solar Cave
Solar Cave in New Mexico has 26 sport climbing routes.
- 26 routes
- 5.10b – 5.13d
- Sport
Best time to visit Solar Cave
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
48° / 16°
Feb
55° / 21°
Mar
63° / 26°
Apr
70° / 33°
May
78° / 40°
Jun
89° / 49°
Jul
91° / 57°
Aug
88° / 54°
Sep
82° / 46°
Oct
70° / 34°
Nov
59° / 23°
Dec
47° / 16°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Espanola, NM, 14.1 mi away at 5,620 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Solar Cave is a climbing area on Bureau of Land Management land in the Taos Field Office of New Mexico, about 14 miles from Espanola. It sits among a cluster of other climbing areas, with Sun Devil Wall, Winter Wall and Observatory Wall (Upper Tier) all about 0.1 mile away. The area is a sport climbing destination. Of its 26 routes, the easiest is Struggle for Existence at 5.10b, the hardest is Ötzi Dude at 5.13d, and the median grade is 5.12c. Several of the routes have names that hint at their character, including Lucy at 5.11d and Solo Man (or Homo Erectus Soloensis) at 5.12b. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from the Espanola weather station, about 14 miles away, show May highs near 78°F and September highs near 82°F, while July averages around 91°F. The El Camino Real Historic Route Trail is about 0.3 mile away, and Soda Springs is about 1.6 miles off.
Routes (26)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: National Trails Office (US National Park Service), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Middle Earth Sector
~0 min drive
Middle Earth Sector in New Mexico has 8 routes across 6 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
Photo: National Trails Office (US National Park Service), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Mordor
~0 min drive
Mordor is a New Mexico climbing crag with 2 routes ranging across 2 difficulty grades.
Photo: National Trails Office (US National Park Service), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Chicken Little Area
~3 min drive
Chicken Little Area in New Mexico has 13 routes across 8 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
Photo: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Lower Buttress
~4 min drive
Lower Buttress in New Mexico has 5 climbing routes with bouldering pads and sport styles.
Photo: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)South/East side
~4 min drive
South/East side in New Mexico has 36 climbing routes across 20 grades.
Photo: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)The Overlook
~4 min drive
4 sport routes in New Mexico at Overlook, The
Photo: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)North/West side
~4 min drive
29 routes, 17 grades, sport and trad climbing at North/West side in New Mexico.
Photo: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Below The Old New Place
~5 min drive
35-route climbing crag in New Mexico with sport and trad options.
Photo: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Old New Place
~5 min drive
Old New Place in New Mexico offers 24 mixed and sport climbing routes across 15 difficulty grades.
Photo: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)The Sewer Crag
~5 min drive
Sewer Crag in New Mexico has 9 climbing routes with sport and trad options.
