All Locations > New Mexico > Taos Area > Tres Piedras

Lookout Shelf Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map This is our best guess at this area's location.
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Routes in Lookout Shelf

L › R R › L A › Z

	From Here To There S,TR 5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Rebirth T,TR 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Unnamed 5.10 T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Unnamed 5.9 T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c

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GPS:	36.6608, -105.9829 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
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Access Issue: Some rocks in this area are on private property. Seasonal Raptor Nesting. Details

The remainder are on US Forest Service land. A map detailing the public areas can be obtained from the ranger station en route to the rocks from the village of Tres Piedras.
According to Jan Studebaker: "The property line mountainproject.com/v/new_m… runs from approximately the current east corner by the access gate in a straight line over the top of South Rock to the top middle of the Chicken Heads/Mosaic Wall mount, and from there west down the mount slope to the meadow just south of the Alley climbs. Some of the most popular routes are completely on private property. There are survey markers on the top of South rock (the mysterious aluminum stake stuck in the rock) and on top of the Mosaic rock (most of the time buried in water in a pot hole.)"

An online Tres Piedras Route Guide lamountaineers.org/Tres_Pie… from LA Mountaineers has been updated with the latest access information, and should be read by all Tres Piedras climbers. Group climb leaders, and Climbing Directors (future or past) should take particular note.

The landowner requests NO fires, no trash, no chalk and "please close any gates". Basically, be a good steward of the land.

In order to nurture greater landowner acceptance of climbers, participants of group climbs are requested to organize quick clean up activities before leaving the area; this should include the climbing area as well as the access roads (trip leaders could supply plastic grocery bags). Small parties should practice "leave no trace" principles.

Seasonal Raptor Nesting:
This climbing area is shared with raptors that nest on the cliffs. Help us maintain access and please avoid climbing near active nests/ledges that raptors are using. If a raptor is disturbed during nesting season it may exhibit aggressive defensive behaviors like vocalizing or dive-bombing. If you witness this behavior, retreat from your climb immediately and find a location on a different formation or a different part of the wall far enough away from the raptors that they are no longer noticeably agitated. If they remain agitated, then please leave the area immediately.
Raptor awareness is especially important during nesting season from mid-February to late May but needs to be considered through the end of August. Please report disturbed and/or nesting raptors to the Carson National Forest the appropriate district office (see below) and share relevant information here on MP. Human-raptor encounters can have negative impacts for the birds and climbers in the area. The Cason NF wants to maintain climbing access while protecting raptor reproduction and relies on climbers to recreate responsibly and share information in order to avoid the need for formal raptor closures.

Questa Ranger District
(575) 586-0520
Camino Real (Comales Canyon) Ranger District
(575) 587-2255
Tres Piedras Ranger District
(575) 758-8678
El Rito Ranger District
(575) 581-4554

Description

Lookout Shelf is a low east-facing cliff that lies below the eastern foot of Mosaic Rock. Only a smattering of shortish routes are recorded down here, but it gets afternoon shade, and is off the beaten path.

Getting There

Jackson's guidebook indicates that the approach starts from the parking lot, and instead of using the standard approach through the left gate, use the right gate and head north along the east side of the barbed wire fence, past the east side of South Rock. That approach will get you there, but it's probably just as easy to get there from the standard approach too (going around the west side of South Rock).

From the standard approach, once you're in the little valley between Mosaic Rock and South Rock, walk as far east as you can and you will arrive at the top of the Lookout Shelf cliff. Veer a little to the south and drop down a Class 2 gully through the cliff. Turn a sharp left and clamber north through the boulders along the base of the cliff to the climbs.