WatchTower
WatchTower in New Mexico has 8 routes with alpine no fixed protection.
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 8 routes
- 5.9 – 5.12b
- Alpine
Is WatchTower open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Sandia Ranger District. It doesn't name WatchTower, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).
Area Closure for Recreation Residence Structures and Property at 91 Casa Loma Road
Agency closure covering Sandia Ranger District · Order 03-03-05-26-14 · USFS · Sandia Ranger District
Area Closure for Recreation Residence Structures and Property at 69 Casa Loma Road
Agency closure covering Sandia Ranger District · Order 03-03-05-26-13 · USFS · Sandia Ranger District
Area Closure for Sandia Crest “Switchback” Hazard Tree and Fuel Reduction Project
Agency closure covering Sandia Ranger District · Order 03-03-05-26-02 · USFS · Sandia Ranger District
Mountainair and Sandia Ranger Districts Stage 1 Fire Restriction Lifted
Agency alert covering Sandia Ranger District · Order 03-03-00-26-20 · USFS · Sandia Ranger District
Mountainair and Sandia Ranger Districts Stage 1 Fire Restriction Order 03-03-00-26-05
Agency alert covering Sandia Ranger District · Order 03-03-00-26-05 · USFS · Sandia Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Sandia Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
WatchTower is a climbing area in the Sandia Mountain Wilderness, part of the Sandia Ranger District of Cibola National Forest in New Mexico. The Forest Service manages the land, and the area sits within designated wilderness. The climbing here is alpine, with eight routes spread across a range of grades from 5.9 to 5.12+. The median grade is 5.11d, and the hardest route is Crybaby at 5.12+. Several of the routes have been climbed since the 1990s, including Excalibur and Watchman's Secret, which was first ascended by Marc Ripperger and Matt Lawry. Pinnacle Valley and The TV Station are both climbing areas within a quarter mile. Chimney Canyon and Muralla Grande are about half a mile away.
Routes (8)
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