The Terrace Rock Climbing

The Terrace

This short sport climbing area, developed in the mid 1990s by Lewis Rutherford and Jon Repa is located downhill of the Sandia Man Cave, near a bridge above mile marker 11 (alternately the area is 1.9 miles uphill on dirt from the end of the pavement near Placitas).

Climbs are listed left to right. Ten draws are sufficient. The cliff faces west, good for afternoons in cool weather and mornings in warm weather.

Extreme Left
Possum Junction

This crag is below the bridge and above a wide parking spot in the road. One crosses the creek and heads straight uphill. It was not part of the original development described below. (Left, Center, Right).

Left

This small face is visible from the road. It is commonly used for dry tooling (climbs 1-4).

1) 5.9-: quality

2) 5.11b R: clip first bolt of #4 then climb left, watch for groundfall at 3rd bolt!

3) 5.11+?: clip the first two bolts of #4 but then climb up (dry tooling route?)

4) 5.10: climb right for three bolts then up, quality

5) 5.11c: quality

6) 5.12b/c: quality

Center

Follow the drainage up the hill but The actual Terrace requires a little third classing up and right to the large shelf.

1) 5.9/5.10- Uncle Dwight: climb a small corner for two bolts

2) 5.11c Santeria: same start as #5 but climb left at the dihedral

3) 5.12b/c Berna Town: same start as #4, climb right through the bulge

4) 5.12c Hale Bopp

5) 5.11? Something Brilliant: same start as #8 but climb left at the ledge with an old bird’s nest, quality

6) 5.12a Marcelle: same start as #7, climb right at the Y near the prominant hole, quality (5.12a if you hand traverse into the hole; 5.11c if one climbs high past the second bolt and then traverses into the hole)

7) 5.12a Damascus: quality

8) 5.11b Mi Vida Loca: quality

9) 5.11c Cornerstone: bolt in scary looking block

The next three climbs are located on the extreme right end of the Terrace following a rotten section of rock containing no climbs. These climbs would clean up with additional traffic.

10) 5.11a: larger holds on steep route, quality

11) 5.12

12) 5.12

Right

Follow the drainage up the hill but traverse right under the rock to the area below the extreme right end of the Terrace to the point one can gain the ledge and traverse left back to the center climbs.

1) 5.8: both climbs start on a relatively small ledge, quality

2) 5.8-