Beautiful area set in the meadows in the Jemez mountains, Las Conchas is one of the more popular summer sport climbing areas within 2 hrs of ABQ. Because of the elevation, summer days are often cool enough to be pleasant. Many of the crags in the area are set just near a creek, making the climbing that much more enjoyable.
Getting There
From Albuquerque, take highway 25 North to Bernalillo and exit at highway 550 (exit # 242, DON'T miss this exit, the next exit does not come for many miles). Follow 550 to San Ysidro and head North on state road 4 for about 36 miles. You will drive past picturesque Jemez Springs, Battleship Rock, the small community of La Cueva, just beyond Las Conchas camping area to the second pull out by a well-traveled trail and meadow on your left. From Los Alamos or Santa Fe (or from the north), it is faster to reach the same area by taking NM-4 into the Jemez near Bandelier NP, passing the Valle Grande meadow (watch for elk) and reaching the same meadow.
The obvious cliff seen through the meadow on the north side of the road is Cattle Call Wall. Most of the other cliffs are downstream, following a trail that begins on the west side of the creek.
Resources
'Jemez Rock' is the most complete guide to the area
'Rock Climbing: New Mexico also covers the area
Samet & Jett's out-of-print Sport Climbing New Mexico guide can be found in pdf format on the LA Mountaineers site. It's older, so some newer climbs are missing.
Head up a slab to a high first bolt. Then clip another bolt and pull the first overhang. Get a rest and pull the final overhang to the anchors....[more]
By Jason Halladay From: Los Alamos, NM Apr 15, 2009 CONDITION REPORT
Las Conchas climbers should be interested in an upcoming discussion about the recreation management plan for the East Fork River... see this forum post for more details.
Because of the multi-use nature of this area, there's a huge problem with human waste disposal in the area. It's super pitiful to hike behind any of the climbing walls only to find huge piles of unburied dookers complete with toilet paper dressing.
This past weekend there was a big load sitting at the base of Hollywood Tim that was no doubt put in place by a non-climber. For a long while I've questioned why there isn't a porta-potty at the main parking area for Las Conchas. Sure, there's a permanent toilet just up the road towards the Caldera but people aren't likely to make the short walk or drive up there to take care of business.
This morning I attempted to contact the Jemez Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest at 505-829-3535 but got no answer. When I called the main SFNF office in Santa Fe they told me I'd have to speak with the Jemez Ranger district folks about this. If you get a chance to call the Jemez Ranger district and politely suggest a porta-potty, please do. I've never looked into how much it would cost to have a porta-potty setup somewhere and dumped regularly but I'd be happy to donate funds to the cause if it wasn't terribly expensive.
Las Conchas
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