New Mexico · Rock climbing · Santa Fe

South/East side

South/East side in New Mexico has 36 climbing routes across 20 grades.

South/East sidePhoto: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
36 routes
5.8 – 5.12d
Sport · Mixed · Trad

Best time to visit South/East 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.

  1. Jan

    44° / 20°

    4 wet

  2. Feb

    50° / 23°

    4 wet

  3. Mar

    59° / 28°

    5 wet

  4. Apr

    66° / 34°

    4 wet

  5. May

    76° / 43°

    4 wet

  6. Jun

    87° / 52°

    5 wet

  7. Jul

    88° / 58°

    10 wet

  8. Aug

    86° / 56°

    10 wet

  9. Sep

    80° / 49°

    7 wet

  10. Oct

    68° / 38°

    5 wet

  11. Nov

    54° / 27°

    4 wet

  12. 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.

South/East 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 close to several other climbing spots, including The Overlook, Lower Buttress and North/West side, all within about a tenth of a mile. The climbing here is a mix of sport and mixed routes, with a few traditional ones. There are 36 routes in total, and the grades run from 5.8 up to 5.12d. The hardest of them, Thief in Time, is a sport route at 5.12d. Cholla Wall is a mixed route at 5.10a/b, and Box Overhang Right is a mixed route at 5.8. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station 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 (36)

Land's End5.10Route 215.10aCholla WallFA: Barlow?5.10a/bHoly WallFA: Burns, Fehlau5.10a/bBoy What Assholes (You Guys Turned Out to Be)FA: Schillaci, Nordlandr, Burns, Fehlau, Gram, Beguin, Rutherford and your mother5.10bDave's Face (a.k.a. Sale at Mervyn's)FA: Burns, Schillaci, Fehlau (perhaps TR'd earlier by Barlow?)5.10cJewish Space Laser5.10cLen's RoofFA: Len Margolin, ~1972 (on TR), 1st lead- ???5.11Thorazine DreamFA: Tom MacFarlane, Brian Riepe, 8/895.11+Bosker BoozerooFA: Cameron Burns, Paul Fehlau5.11aBoy What Nice Fellows5.11aWay Beyond ZebraFA: Cam Burns, Steve Provonost, Mike Makely5.11aNarcissistic DreamFA: Tom Wezwick, Matt Gray5.11bNice Guys Finish LastFA: Hagen Telg, Jason Halladay5.11bPaul's BoutiqueFA: Cam Burns, Mike Schillaci5.11bRobot CityFA: Mike Schillaci, Peter Gram ~19895.11b/cDonde Estan Mis PantalonesFA: Walt Wehner and Jason Chen5.11cDouble Vision / Ream DreamFA: Rick Smith, Lee Sheftel & Chris Vandiver, 10/895.11cFace OffFA: Lee Sheftel, Chris Vandiver & Rick Smith, 10/895.12aNo ExitFA: Chris Vandiver, Lee Sheftel & Rick Smith, 10/895.12bOn Beyond ZebraFA: Peter Gram (December 1989)5.12bOvertureFA: Chris Vandiver, Rick Smith & Lee Sheftel, 10/895.12b/cThief in TimeFA: Chris Vandiver, Lee Sheftel5.12dBox Overhang RightFA: Mike Roybal, 19715.8Headwall Crack LeftFA: Len Margolin, 19715.8RDD Crack5.8Squeeze Chimney5.8Polly's CrackFA: Polly Hessing, 1971 ?5.8+5.8 Crack5.9Cholla Crack5.9Headwall Crack Right5.9M.C. Epic5.9Sensuous S5.9Box Overhang Left5.9-Captain Smarmbag5.9-Holy Crack5.9+

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North/West sidePhoto: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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