The Ribcage Rock Climbing

This area describes the collection of short trad and mixed routes that are found on the assorted boulders and slabs in the lower Domingo Baca canyon area. These are all easy to moderate routes (but I am sure there are harder offerings here) and range from 50 to 160 feet. The rock is good quality, with finer grain crystals than found at 3-gun springs.

All these routes face south, are at a low elevation in the Sandias, and can be climbed in the middle of the winter on a sunny day. If it is in the high 40s in Albuquerque and the wind is not blowing you can climb here (even though 50 and 60s feel better). Looking at the names you will see that many of these climbs were done in January and February during some of the notoriously dry and warm winters. We usually find our selves climbing here in early spring or late fall, and by linking a lot these climbs can put in a full day. There are no trails connecting any of the formations, and the brush and cactus can be intense if you wander in the wrong directions. Long climbing pants are strongly suggested.

Photos and descriptions can be found in a small mini-guide at

nmcrag.org/Domingo_baca.pdf