All Locations > New Mexico > Santa Fe Area > Diablo Canyon

The Shack Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in The Shack

Dog House, The 0 / 4 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 6

Entrance Pinnacle 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1

Factory, The 0 / 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 3

Main Wall 3 / 31 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 33

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Elevation:	6,118 ft
GPS:	35.81318, -106.14435 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	57,544 total · 441/month
Shared By:	A Miller on Aug 3, 2013 · Updates
Admins:	Shirtless Mike, Jason Halladay, Mike Hoskins, Anna Brown Page Updates (admin only)

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Access Issue: Access Issue for Areas in BLM Taos Field Office Lands Details

Per the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Taos Field Office's ( blm.gov/office/taos-field-o…) 2012 Taos Resource Management Plan (RMP) ( bit.ly/2Kab3HO), "Installation of new rock climbing routes or hardware will require pre-approval by the BLM." The RMP is the document that guides all the BLM management in a given field office. Climbers are asked to respect this guidance and not install new bolts or fixed hardware on Taos Field Office BLM land without pre-approval from the BLM. NM CRAG ( nmcrag.org/) is currently working with the BLM Taos Field Office to establish specific guidance for new route development in the district and they hope to have a formal process in the near future.

Diablo areas within the BLM Taos Field Office management area are: The Shack, Winter Wall, Solar Cave, Lake Street and Styx.

Description

This crag is located on the back side of Diablo Mesa, the same Mesa with the Solar Cave and Winter Wall, just the northwest aspect. The climbing starts where you see a large detached pinnacle that, between it and the walls, forms a nice little valley to hang out and watch the sports action.

The Shack is best climbed in warm seasons as it gets full shade all morning until about 2pm. In the Summer, you will be hiking out when the sun hits. But it does stay nice and cool all day so it is a pleasant Summer crag. There are currently 20+ routes here with some further potential for a few more quality lines. The presence of a handful of routes in the 5.13 range at this crag is also a nice addition to the Santa Fe sport climbing scene.

*** Some folks like to bring a stick to clip first bolts.
*** Be on the lookout for rattlesnakes coiled on the trail during morning approaches in summer months.

Getting There

The crag is not visible from the road. Drive past the main Diablo parking area and when you are about to pass Diablo Mesa all together, look for a pullout on either right or left side of the road in arroyos. Don't pass the pump station on your left, you've gone too far (park across from the pump station but not in front of it, they will leave you with angry notes of wildly empty threats!)

A trail begins on the other side of the arroyo and heads up a gulley then traverses out to the nose of a prominent ridge detached from the main cliffband.

When parking on the roadside, beware of sandy berms pushed up by the graders, several 2WD trucks have gotten stuck in these berms. Best to have AWD or 4WD or park further up the road where you can pull off without berms . You can also bring a shovel and easily clear a little path for your car to clear the berm. If in a 2WD pickup-truck, BRING A SHOVEL!

navigate to the trailhead: 35.816574, -106.140833

40 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at The Shack

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 49 ● City Girl Sport Main Wall
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a 45 ● Frogger Sport Main Wall
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 23 ● DogGone It Sport Dog House
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b 41 ● A Thousand Yards of Drift (just… Sport Main Wall
5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c 28 ● Endurance Sport Main Wall
5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c 31 ● 32 Flavors Sport Main Wall
5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c 38 ● Standing on the Edge of Extinction Sport Main Wall
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 36 ● Crispy the Renegade Sport Main Wall
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 21 ● Pull to Live Sport Main Wall
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 38 ● Live to Pull Sport Main Wall
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a 28 ● Block of Life Sport Main Wall
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b 27 ● 40-Love Sport Main Wall
5.12+ 7c 28 IX 27 E6 6b 14 ● Urban Legend Sport Main Wall
5.13a 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E6 6c 16 ● Ring Around The Rosie Sport Main Wall
5.13- 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E7 6c 10 ● Tempest Sport Main Wall