Thinking of moving to New Mexico and ISO suggestions/thoughts

Hi everyone! I’m considering relocating to NM at some point in the future and I’m curious of any insights as far as best places to live near quality sport climbing. I know next to nothing about the different cities and towns and would love some pointers as far as places to look into. Thanks in advance!

Los Alamos is pretty good! Steep sport (dungeon) in town that's good during the summer, and great cool weather sport climbing in white rock. It's close to the Jemez mountains which have a lot of great climbing on rhyolite (see upper east fork and the las conchas, area 44 areas)

The housing situation here is competitive and sub-optimal - another good choice would be Taos (also great skiing!)

You'd be mad to move to Los Alamos right now without a well-paid job in town. 400+K for a dilapidated 1950s shoebox that needs major work—and you'll have to fight with other buyers over it. The prices aren't much better in SF, but at least you get something for your money. Also the town of Los Alamos kind of sucks—almost every successful business that is grown here leaves because the local real estate owners won't sell. And the restaurants are mostly terrible because they can't get the staff. But the sport climbing access is pretty good. 600 routes within 30 min drive?

I would consider proximity to a gym also. It gets pretty hot here in summer. Stone Age in Albuquerque is the only decent gym in the state, but drive-able from SF.

I reckon Taos has the best local sport climbing access, year-round basalt & granite.

ABQ has Palomas, Socorro, Diablo, Los Alamos/WR, Jemez, and a bunch of smaller crags within 1.5 hours or so. Whether or not you define 1.5 hrs as 'near' and these crags as 'quality' is up for debate, but they're some of the better sport climbing in the state. El Rito and Taos crags are a little farther, but still possible on a day trip.

ABQ also has Stone Age, is affordable relative to SF and LA, has fun trad climbing in the Sandias, and has a more sizable climbing community than anywhere else, if you're looking for any of those things.

Note that most any crag in the state is reasonably climbable at least 9 months out of the year - you just sometimes need to chase/hide from the sun.

I don't sport ascend and know only the bad things about Abq. and lots of other places are expensive but if you are looking for something a bit more out of the way look at Silver City in the south west corner. Hot in summer but most of N.M is. 

Kevinmurray wrote:

I don't sport ascend and know only the bad things about Abq. and lots of other places are expensive but if you are looking for something a bit more out of the way look at Silver City in the south west corner. Hot in summer but most of N.M is. 

There is very very little sport climbing or climbing of any sort near silver city.  

Silver city has other things to recommend it but not climbing.  Great hiking/backpacking in a huge wilderness and good mountain biking and cycling. 

If you want a gym, Albuquerque is your only option. It has two very good ones. As for very local climbing, it is pretty much just bouldering and trad. Palomas is the closest sport crag, and it is at least a 40 minute drive with a 30 minute approach. There are some other less than mediocre “sport crags” close to town.
Within day-trip distance your options are huge, including some very good “secret” crags that locals tend to free with information about.
Also, bear in mind that while New Mexico, as a whole, has many good, small crags, it also has absolutely no destination worthy climbing. (Well, except for Roy, but that is the best crag in Colorado)

Frank Stein wrote:

If you want a gym, Albuquerque is your only option. It has two very good ones. As for very local climbing, it is pretty much just bouldering and trad. Palomas is the closest sport crag, and it is at least a 40 minute drive with a 30 minute approach. There are some other less than mediocre “sport crags” close to town.
Within day-trip distance your options are huge, including some very good “secret” crags that locals tend to free with information about. 

FYI  there is a new gym in El Paso 35 minutes from las Cruces 

climber pat wrote:

FYI  there is a new gym in El Paso 35 minutes from las Cruces 

Then I’d live in El Paso, and climb in Hueco. Is there sport climbing by LC?  Rough and Ready doesn’t count. There is the Tunnel, I suppose, which is very good, but limited.

Actually, I’ll also concede the T or C crags, which are pretty good a reasonably close. 4WD is helpful for those. 

Where you end up in NM will mostly depend upon where you can find work (or reliable and fast internet, if you're remote), where you can afford housing, and what kind of town or city you enjoy or can tolerate.  There's sport climbing, largely from Albuquerque north, but if you're moving for the climbing, I wouldn't consider NM.

Frank Stein wrote:

Then I’d live in El Paso, and climb in Hueco. Is there sport climbing by LC?  Rough and Ready doesn’t count. There is the Tunnel, I suppose, which is very good, but limited.

Actually, I’ll also concede the T or C crags, which are pretty good a reasonably close. 4WD is helpful for those. 

Your got it right.  Rough and ready is about it.  Beyond that and the odd sport climb in the organs or dona anas you have to travel.

There are tons of trad climbing in the area. Lots of walking to the climbs 

Las Cruces has some of the best access to sport climbing with Hueco Tanks, the Tunnel, Mud Mountain, Bat Cave, the Organs, & the new gym in El Paso. City is nice, has lots to offer and is cheap compared to most places of similar size and amenities. LC would be a great pick! 

Nathan Schrimsher wrote:

Las Cruces has some of the best access to sport climbing with Hueco Tanks, the Tunnel, Mud Mountain, Bat Cave, the Organs, & the new gym in El Paso. City is nice, has lots to offer and is cheap compared to most places of similar size and amenities. LC would be a great pick! 

Organs are fantastic, but there is no sport climbing there. Hueco is world class, and there is sport climbing. However, the sport routes are rare and spread out, and there is a bolting/rebolting ban. Bat Cave and Mud Mountain are nice, but that is all they are…nice local crags. I Love The Tunnel, but there are what, 100 routes there total? It IS great for projecting. 

Re gyms, Santa Fe Climbing Center is a small but great gym with excellent setting (based on my small sample size; boulders only) and good training resources. I love going there when I visit, but can’t speak to the full experience of living there.

Richard Randall wrote:

Re gyms, Santa Fe Climbing Center is a small but great gym with excellent setting (based on my small sample size; boulders only) and good training resources. I love going there when I visit, but can’t speak to the full experience of living there.

That’s why SF climbers make the 45 minute drive to one of the Stone Age gyms couple times a week. 

Owen S wrote:

I reckon Taos has the best local sport climbing access, year-round basalt & granite.

A lot of variety near Taos too, you can drive a very reasonable radius and get on quartzite, granite, sandstone, basalt, and conglomerate, in whatever variety of bouldering, sport, trad, single pitch, multipitch you want!

Have always been curious about Las Vegas, NM.  Anybody here familiar?

bernard wolfe wrote:

Have always been curious about Las Vegas, NM.  Anybody here familiar?

Small town, relatively cheap. Closer access to Roy than anywhere else mentioned so far. There's a few crags close by, like the stuff on Hermit's peak and in the Pecos valley. Not a local though, so I'm not sure how much else there might be right by town. Although Hermit's peak has some pretty impressive cliffs, so at least the potential seems like it might be pretty high.

slo ta wrote:

Small town, relatively cheap. Closer access to Roy than anywhere else mentioned so far. There's a few crags close by, like the stuff on Hermit's peak and in the Pecos valley. Not a local though, so I'm not sure how much else there might be right by town. Although Hermit's peak has some pretty impressive cliffs, so at least the potential seems like it might be pretty high.

Seems like there....and Wenatchee, WA.....are potential, unheralded communities ideally located for outdoor rec......biking, climbing, paddling.  Wasn't familiar with Hermit Peak.  Looks a bit like the Sandias. 

bernard wolfe wrote:

Seems like there....and Wenatchee, WA.....are potential, unheralded communities ideally located for outdoor rec......biking, climbing, paddling.  Wasn't familiar with Hermit Peak.  Looks a bit like the Sandias. 

Hermit is definitely cool (I've only hiked it, not climbed there), and Las Vegas is next to a ton of National Forest for hiking/biking/running.  But it's unfortunately on the downwind side of said forest, so the city came close to burning last spring, and a lot of that forest got torched.