Wild and Scenic  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  6,000' Lat, Long:  36.6982, -105.7077 Map Page Views:  8,352. Good page?    Administrators:  Mike Howard, Aaron Hobson, Jason Halladay, Anthony Stout, LeeAB, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Mike Howard on Nov 11, 2007 Make this area a Favorite What's New  Printer View Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

Caution: Poison-Ivy MORE INFO >>> Poison-ivy is ubiquitous along the rivers edge up to the highwater mark. Careful, if you are close enough to identify it, you are likely standing in it. 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

Steve Laycock leads Kid In A Candy Store

Description 

The main cliff is known as the "Candy Store" and has the best basalt crack climbing in the region. Trad climbing splitter cracks and corners on perfect rock. Look for anchors at the top of each 30 m pitch for easy lowering and top-roping after you lead them.

Adventure Sport-Trad: This is no roadside sport area. Be prepared and equipped to scramble/bushwhack/wade/boulder hop/route find and get less done than expected. Head lamps are used more often than one would guess. Please use established trails (may be faint but often cairned). The hike out (~600 ft) can be the hardest part of your outing.

Getting to the Candy Store 

Get the Taos Rock book for the best description. The Wild Rivers Recreational Area north of Questa, NM has excellent camping, spectacular views and great access to the trad climbing at Questa Dome as well as the riverside cliffs of this crag. There are also a few sport climbs up in the Red River Area.

From Taos, follow NM 68 north 7 miles. Take NM 522 approximately 20 miles to Questa. Travel 3 miles past the stoplight in Questa to NM 378. Turn left onto NM 378 and follow the signs about 12 miles west to Wild Rivers Recreation Area. The Candy Store is accessed from the Bear Crossing trail. Descend this steep trail for about 10 minutes. At the river, travel north on the East side, for about 10 minutes.(watch for poison ivy!) The cliff is located on the west side of the river and crossing can be problematic.

www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/taos/wild_rivers_rec_ar>>>

Arial view. Submitted By: Mike Howard on Apr 17, 2010

The Classics

Featured Route For Wild and Scenic

Crack In The Cosmic Egg 5.10+  NM : Taos Area : ... : Ground Up Wall

Diverse climbing on great rock. Start in a thin seem layback this past a lone bolt to a ledge then up a steep finger crack to another sloping ledge.Step left and follow steep pockets to gain a large right facing corner when it ends do an airy traverse out right on a short horizontal hand crack then up to a ledge and rap anchor. Two ropes or A single 70 meter rope will just barely get you down (stay right at end of rap). Stiff for the grade!...[more]   Browse More Classics in NM

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Kid In A Candy Store. A Sam Lambie Photo from New ...	Jay Foley. Andrewburr.com photography	Joel Tinl: the Prince of Wides. Check out the Infl...
Best crack climbing in the county Andrewburr.com	Jay on his classic jam crack "Kid in a Candy Store...	Jay considering the art of cairning. Andrewburr.c...
The view from the approach trail.	Herb's Lounge. Photo by Josh Smith.	Josh on Spearhead.
Fall colors along the Rio Grande.