Three Gun (Tres Pistolas)  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Lat, Long:  35.0763, -106.4442 Map Page Views:  15,289. Good page? (1 like)    Administrators:  Aaron Hobson, Jason Halladay, Anthony Stout, LeeAB, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  LeeAB on Mar 26, 2009 Make this area a Favorite What's New  Printer View Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

The Rio Bravo Boulder

Description 

Maybe not really part of the foothills but the climbing is quite similar and it is close. Typicaly more secluded, fewer people bouldering and hiking. Rock quality is standard for the foothills, large grain granite can be great or kitty litter. There are several different areas here.

A mound just to the right of the parking, then two groups of a few boulders further out past these about 5-10 minutes and the hillside behind the two groups is covered in rock with at least a handful of problems and possibly a lot more.

If you head straight out of the back of the parking area there is a large wide trail that hikers use and a wash to the left. There are some boulders along the edge of the wash and short walls actually in the wash. Further along but pretty far of to the left is Screaming Jihad which according to Jon C. is the best hard problem on granite for the ABQ area.

If you continue up the trail even further you eventually come to some larger boulders that have routes on them or had routes on them, bolts and hangers may be missing.

Getting There 

From ABQ drive east on I-40 to the Carnuel exit, just after the Tramway exit. Turn left at the stop sign onto old rt 66. After about a mile you will see a sign on the left for the Monticello Estates, turn left then imediately right. The road curves to the left uphill, take your first paved left, Siempre Verde, which will curve back right and continue up the hill. As the road curves right again turn left (this is pretty much as high as the road gets) onto a dirt road, Tres Pistolas Tr, stay right at the fork and the road deadends at the parking.

The Classics

Featured Route For Three Gun (Tres Pistolas)

The Gunfighter V5  NM : Albuquerque Area Climbing : ... : Earth Ship

The obvious splitter crack. I fixed a line to clean it and also tr'd it before bouldering the line. Later I added tr anchors. We have improved the landing, but it is still a bit tall and there is a delicate move to exit. Gently overhanging tips without feet lead to a strenuous thin hands slot and then the technical slab/seam exit. I think it is about 18' or so. This is one of the harder pure cracks in the foothills....[more]   Browse More Classics in NM