Anybody in the Las Vegas, NM area?

I know it's a dead town as far as outdoor activities is concerned, but is anybody else here? ALSO, are there any bolts set up on hermits peak/el cielo mountain that anybody knows about?

Rockclimbing.com does have other descriptions of some routes at lower walls than the route Eric and I put up (with Hiroki Ide) quite a bit ago. Don't go expecting bolts or anything resembling a sport crag, go with gear and see what you can find to climb. Be aware the rock out there has limited gear placements. LV needs some locals.

me and a teammate go bouldering once a week, and we've got 3 or 4 walls(some granite, some sandstone) that we're going to try and lead climb once it warms up a bit. And I saw the report for hermits on rc.com, did you guys also set up the ones for Gallinas canyon?

I live about 1.25 hours from Vegas near Taos, myself and some friends ofmine have been going out that way for some bouldering because all of our stuff is still snowed in. I don't know anything about the Hermits Peak area, I am planning on exploring this spring around there. Send me a message if your interested in the bouldering beta.

Will JW wrote:I saw the report for hermits on rc.com, did you guys also set up the ones for Gallinas canyon?

Nope, I have no idea who that is who put up the routes in Gallinas (actually Porvenir I think) Canyon. Porvenir Canyon is really just the south aspect of Hermits Peak and not another area. I saw those folk's fixed ropes when I put up a route just left of the Lower Slab routes they describe at rc.com. Based on their descriptions they may have retrobolted the route since I placed no fixed gear when I did it. If you like ground-up new route establishment you should have fun. The sandstone cliffs and boulders above that glued-up limestone cave up Gallinas Canyon are alright but sharp.

Well El Porvenir Canyon leads to the hermits peak trailhead, Gallinas Canyon leads to the Elk Mountain TrailHead/evergreen valley. The ridge between them divides the watershed of 2 creeks that converge into the Gallinas river.(that's how I've understood it). I was up there 3 weeks ago, the road was closed at 8000ft, so I had to snowshoe 4miles to the TH. I saw some cool trad/sport spot, but they were covered in ice. Before you drive up the road to Gallinas, right after the castle, have you ever thought about climbing those intrusions over the dam?

Carlos, there's a pretty neat bouldering field area west of town, to the northwest of the masonic cemetary

maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&…
in that depression area, the sandstone is exposed, giving a ton of cool problems and overhangs.

I've been out to Hermit Peak / El Porvenir to hike and have been astounded by the scale of the area. I swore last time I went that I'd come back with ropes and gear. I live in Taos where all the big stuff near me is on private land, but El Porvenir is USFS and a possible jewel if the rock is sound.

There appears to be next to nothing written up about the area. The ones on rc.com refer to the smaller slabs at the foot of Hermit Peak, right? I'm wondering what routes exist on the larger walls, particularly long moderates? If anyone wants to head out that way to explore let me know!

Bowe Ellis wrote:I've been out to Hermit Peak / El Porvenir to hike and have been astounded by the scale of the area. I swore last time I went that I'd come back with ropes and gear. I live in Taos where all the big stuff near me is on private land, but El Porvenir is USFS and a possible jewel if the rock is sound. There appears to be next to nothing written up about the area. The ones on rc.com refer to the smaller slabs at the foot of Hermit Peak, right? I'm wondering what routes exist on the larger walls, particularly long moderates? If anyone wants to head out that way to explore let me know!

Me and a buddy where driving up to Colorado on friday and where wondering the same thing. If you ever want to meet up there we would be more than happy to meet you up there to see what Hermit provides.

I know all the things up above El Salto are off limits but what about the big walls even higher on the mountian in Taos. Are those still on private land?

I recognize that this is an old post, but perhaps I can breathe some life into it.

While in-transit moving to the ABQ area, we stayed the night in Las Vegas, and I too was struck by the size and potentially adventurous terrain of Hermit Peak and vicinity.

If anyone would like to do some exploring, I'd be down!

If anyone has any information, Post it!

I used to live in Las Vegas, NM.
There is a crag owned by the water organization in town just on the left side of HWY 65 before you get to the United World College (castle). It's all short single pitch climbs but a fun warm-up. (It's private access so you should make sure you get permission with the college or with the city)

More near the castle:
Sebastian Canyon is located just to the east of the United World College campus. There is some bouldering on the eastern ridge that looks over Storie Lake. Hiking in a couple of hours up the main forestry road will get you to some larger boulders that are fun.

At Hermit's Peak (El Porevenir)
There is evidently a 5.11 or 5.12 at Hermit's Peak proper that frames the hermit's old cave at the top of the peak.

I've scouted out a few other possibilities on the trail up to the top. I wish I still lived there as I wasn't serious about trad climbing when I was out there a few years back.

There really looks to be great opportunity for route establishment there.

Here is the link to the area/route that Eric, Hiroki and I put up 14 years ago...with no second ascent for perhaps obvious reasons of approach and adventure:
mountainproject.com/v/thai-…

The upper formation has tons of potential and is even easier to approach now because a road is now open from the campground and cuts off 15 minutes of hiking. I would start by just walking up El Porvenir canyon with some binos and take a look. Miguel Grijalva has put some long, 1-pitch 5.10 routes up on some rock down and right if you are looking at the entire south-facing wall of the canyon. They seem great.

Generally there are few crack systems so the new routing can be laborious. There are also some sick boulders at the stream level about a mile back in.

Hope you get out there and do something new...you'll have an adventure for sure.

W