Clifty  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  2,066. Good page? (1 like)    Administrators:  Aaron Hobson, Jason Halladay, Anthony Stout, LeeAB, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Scott Beguin on Aug 12, 2007 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

BETA PHOTO: Clifty proper

Description 

This is the obvious first hill filled with numerous rock outcroppings that is visible from most parts of the north community in Los Alamos. The hill rises about 700 feet from town to the summit where Upper Clifty sits. This area is very uncrowded on a regular basis due to the nature of the surroundings. The Cerro Grande Fire raged through this entire canyon in the year 2000 and scorched the flora and fauna that was once present. It is now a rehabilitating wasteland filled with dead trees and lots of harsh terrain. It still gives you secluded sport and trad climbs with a slight alpine feel. There are also numerous established boulder problems on the entire hillside that amazingly did not get torched. It is definitely a quick getaway for Los Alamos locals, and provides a good all around workout to climb here. Most of the rock is suprisingly solid but can be a little crumbly in spots. It is a form of Rhyolite that makes up all the croppings in upper Rendia and Guaje Canyons. Some formations got cooked pretty good and are less bombproof. You can chase the shade or the sun most of the day. Midday can be pretty hot in the summer nowadays. Afternoons are the best for shade depending on which routes you are on.

Getting There 

Drive up the Main Hill road and into Los Alamos. The main road then turns into Trinity Drive. At the fourth stop light there is the hospital to your left and the intersection of Trinity and Diamond. Take a right turn on to Diamond the pass through the next three stoplights and head down the hill past the Conoco station towards the golfcourse. Turn on 36th Street which is the second street on your left after you pass through the third stoplight at the Diamond and Alabama intersection. Continue all the way up 36th until you reach Arizona Ave. Take a left on Arizona and continue all the way to 45th and Arizona intersection where the Mitchell trailhead parking is to your right. There is also a firetruck playground on your left.

Hike the Mitchell Trail 69 toward the giant green water tank. You will cross a dirt road and the Perimeter Trail, but will reach the water tank after <10 minutes, if you stay on the Mitchell Trail. The Clifty escarpment approach just ahead and right of the closest point on the trail to the water tank. Begin the cairned approach to the right just after crossing the first dry streambed after the water tank.

There is the "Clifty Quickie" 4th/5th class scramble to the left in between the two obvious buttresses and goes up the backside of Thanksgiving Rock where you will find various new and old pins and a register. Continue left and upward to "Clifty Patio" where there is a large live tree and the route Interpretation of Creation starts out of a cave.

There is also a pack trail if you go to the right at the bottom of the buttress. Be sure to stay on rock as much as possible as the hill side is consumed by poison ivy and lots of other itchy plants. This side, if you stay on the climber trail that is devoled but sometimes not appearant, will take you to the base of "Yunctured By A Pucca". If you stay to right of this point there is the "Sandbagger Boulder", and a 3rd class scramble to the top of Clifty. These can also be used as descent routes.

The Classics

Featured Route For Clifty

Interpretation of Creation 5.10b  NM : Los Alamos & White Rock : ... : Clifty

A nice bouldery shorty out of a cave and then up three bolts out an overhang at the top. The crux is at the third bolt. A nice warm up....[more]   Browse More Classics in NM

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BETA PHOTO: Clifty Quickie approach gully

Clifty before the burn.