Texas · Rock climbing · El Paso

The Big Time

Big Time, The in Texas has 11 climbing routes with 9 difficulty grades, offering bouldering and trad.

Photo: aafromaa, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

11 routes

V0- – V12

Bouldering · Trad

Best time to visit The Big Time

Best months: February–May and October–November. 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
54° / 32°
4 wet · 1 snow
Feb
59° / 35°
3 wet · 1 snow
Mar
67° / 41°
3 wet
Apr
75° / 46°
2 wet
May
85° / 55°
2 wet
Jun
93° / 64°
4 wet
Jul
93° / 65°
8 wet
Aug
91° / 65°
7 wet
Sep
86° / 60°
4 wet
Oct
76° / 50°
4 wet
Nov
64° / 39°
3 wet
Dec
54° / 33°
4 wet · 1 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at El Paso 32 Ene, TX, 7.7 mi away at 5,240 ft. The station sits about 500 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The Big Time is a climbing area within Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site in Texas, managed by State Park and Recreation. It sits among a cluster of bouldering spots, with several climbing areas just steps away, including 100 Proof Roof, The Small Potatoes and The Grenade, all about 0.1 mile off. The Gymnasium is also close by. The climbing here is bouldering-focused, with 10 boulder problems and one trad route among the 11 routes listed. The boulders range from V0- to V12, with the hardest, Barefoot on Sacred Ground, at V12 and first ascended by Fred Nicole. The trad route is rated at 5.10. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in El Paso show April highs around 75°F and October highs around 76°F, while June and July average highs near 93°F with more wet days. The park also has hiking trails close by, including the Pond Trail and Nature Trail, each about 0.2 mile away, and the Basin Area Trail at about 0.3 mile.