Mountain Project: Climbing Taos Area

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 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.)"

A new online Tres Piedras Route Guide 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. From the guide:

Access Notes: Tres Piedras climbers should sign the waiver found on this page because the popular South Rock is mostly on private land, as is some of the access to the area. The landowner, requests a waiver, NO fires, no chalk and "please close any gates".

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.

On August 19, 2009 the landowner stated: "Yes I still own the property, and yes I'd still like to have waivers on hand - even or perhaps especially from your organization. Only once in awhile do I have problems with climbers, mostly not picking up after themselves. My biggest gripe is that despite repeated requests, the climbers don't remove protection (edit: colored webbing, shiny hardware) from the climbing routes, which is both lazy and unattractive. Your organization could do me a big favor by doing a group climb and removing the crap that others have left on the various routes so that it is both a pristine part of the landscape, and so that each climber must figure out his own route without relying on the handiwork of others."

This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project.
You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates.

Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Busy day on the south face of Mosaic Rock.

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Mosaic Rock:

Chicken Shit 5.7 Trad, 1 pitch, 40 feet

Chicken Heads 5.7 Trad, 1 pitch, 200 feet

Dirty Diagonal 5.7 Trad, 2 pitches, 150 feet

Fried Chickens 5.8 Trad, 2 pitches, 220 feet

Mama Jugs 5.8 PG13 Trad, 2 pitches, 190 feet

Serpentine Crack 5.8 Trad, 2 pitches, 200 feet

Baby Cakes 5.8+ Trad, 1 pitch, 90 feet

Clean Green Dream 5.9 Trad, 140 feet

Five Years After 5.9 PG13 Trad, 1 pitch, 150 feet

Unknown (Right of Mama Jugs) 5.9+ Trad, Sport, 57 feet

Bienvenidos 5.10a/b Trad, 1 pitch, 100 feet

Black Streak 5.10b Trad, 1 pitch, 160 feet

Better Red Than Dead 5.10b PG13 Trad, 1 pitch, 180 feet

Serpent Face 5.10c PG13 Trad, 1 pitch, 110 feet

Holthouse to Hell 5.11- Trad, 2 pitches, 220 feet

Techweenie 5.11+ Sport, 75 feet

Techtonics 5.11+ R Trad, Sport, 75 feet

Featured Route For Mosaic Rock

George Perkins on the sharp end on <em>Better Red Than Dead.</em> July 26, 2008.

Better Red Than Dead 5.10b PG13 NM : Taos Area : ... : Mosaic Rock

Quintessential TP climbing with the crux moves above your gear make "Better Red Than Dead" a bit intimidating. My first time I was a bit spooked, a couple more recent times, it didn't seem as bad. One of the more rewarding 5.10s here.Face climb up to right-angling crack. Step onto the slab above to clip the 1st bolt, slab up and right to the 2nd bolt. From here, sneak up 5.10 slab/face straight up to a seam (no pro there), then a thank-god left-angling finger crack. You probably don't want ...[more] Browse More Classics in NM

Comments on Mosaic Rock

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By Stuart Turner
Jan 26, 2009

What's up with Holthouse Hallsack?

By Eric Whitbeck
Jun 18, 2012

Anyone know if TBOL, or whatever the left most of the four steep routes is called, was also put up by Doug and Lee? The first bolt is suspect, the second is a joke, and the large flake which looks like it would eat up a big cam is a bit hollow. Its fine for climbing but putting a cam back there is about as safe as the button head below. FA party opposed to upgrading the hardware? No additional gear and same placements, just modern?
Thanks

Mosaic Rock

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