Y - North Side
Y - North Side in New Mexico has 20 climbing routes across 11 grades in mixed, sport, and trad styles.
Photo: Mary P Madigan, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 20 routes
- 5.7 – 5.12a
- Mixed · Trad · Sport
Best time to visit Y - North 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
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, 12.1 mi away at 5,620 ft. The station sits about 500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Y - North Side is a climbing area in northern New Mexico, managed by the Department of Energy. It sits about 0.1 mile from The Y, the other climbing area at this cluster of routes, and is part of a broader network of climbing and hiking within a few miles. The area has 20 routes, with mixed climbing the most common style, and grades from 5.7 to 5.12a. Among them are Hessing Route (5.7), a mixed climb first ascended by Polly and Steve Hessing in the early 1970s, and The Nose (5.12a), a sport route climbed by Mike Roybal in 1974. Porter Route (5.10a) is a trad climb by Jim Porter. The Notch is a mixed route at 5.10c, and Herb's Roof (5.9) is a mixed route first done by Herb Kincey. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Espanola, about 12 miles away, show May highs around 78°F and October highs around 70°F, with lows in the 40s. Summer highs typically reach about 91°F, and winter highs sit in the upper 40s.
Routes (20)
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