PRINT: Rock Climb Packrat Dihedral, El Rito

Packrat Dihedral

5.6, Trad, 300 ft (91 m), 2 pitches,

Avg: 3 from 76 votes
FA: unknown
New Mexico > El Rito > El Rito Traditional Area

Access Issue: Seasonal Raptor Nesting Warning Details

Season Raptor Nesting
This climbing area is shared with raptors that nest on the cliffs. Help us maintain access and please avoid climbing near active nests/ledges that raptors are using. If a raptor is disturbed during nesting season it may exhibit aggressive defensive behaviors like vocalizing or dive-bombing. If you witness this behavior, retreat from your climb immediately and find a location on a different formation or a different part of the wall far enough away from the raptors that they are no longer noticeably agitated. If they remain agitated, then please leave the area immediately.
Raptor awareness is especially important during nesting season from mid-February to late May but needs to be considered through the end of August. Please report disturbed and/or nesting raptors to the Carson National Forest the appropriate district office (see below) and share relevant information here on MP. Human-raptor encounters can have negative impacts for the birds and climbers in the area. The Cason NF wants to maintain climbing access while protecting raptor reproduction and relies on climbers to recreate responsibly and share information in order to avoid the need for formal raptor closures.

Questa Ranger District
(575) 586-0520
Camino Real (Comales Canyon) Ranger District
(575) 587-2255
Tres Piedras Ranger District
(575) 758-8678
El Rito Ranger District
(575) 581-4554

Description

P1: Follow the obvious dihedral on the right hand side of the cliff up to a bolted belay anchor under the right hand side of the large roof.

P2: Turn the roof on the right and continue straight up to the top. Excellent.

Location

Starts in the obvious dihedral on the right hand side of the cliff.

For the descent, climb up and go left (northerly) for awhile to reach the standard, well established and cairned descent trail. This is a great trail. Alternatively and much less desirable, you can take the "East Gully" descent as described on page 7 of Gary Clark's El Rito trad area guide.

Protection

Standard Trad Rack (Set of nuts, set of cams, and slings). Additional passive pro may be useful (e.g., hexes or tri-cams). Anchor bolts are located at the top of P1 under the right hand side of the roof. Belay from gear at the top (no anchors).

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Rachael and Cody (age 5) on pitch 1 of their first multipitch trad climb, looking like they're having a blast! May 3, 2008.

Packrat Dihedral (5.6) Trad two pitches.

Climbers on the comfortable belay ledge at the top of the first pitch of Packrat Dihedral.

Devin Shunk looking stoked after leading the first pitch of Packrat Dihedral. Good times!

Cody and Rachael approaching the top of Packrat Dihedral. Soooo much fun! May 3, 2008.

Happy family at the first belay of Packrat Dihedral. May 3, 2008. Can't wait to have Miles in these pics!

The second pitch of Packrat Dihedral is a blast. Warm weather and short sleeves in early November at El Rito--global warming's lovely side-effects.

A slight variation for the last 35 feet of pitch one of Packrat Dihedral. Quite nice. Remember to place pro to protect the follower for the traverse back to the anchor.

Moving into the optional-but-worth-it smooth rock section near the top of the second pitch.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Devin Shunk

5.6

Great second pitch on this one! Sep 24, 2007

Jason Halladay
Los Alamos, NM

5.6

The first pitch of this route offers loads of protection options and is enjoyable. The second pitch is airy as you step around the roof and back left over the big roof atop pitch 1. It's stellar! Personally, I find the gear options on the second pitch to be less-than-desirable with odd shaped cracks and flares. When I lead the second pitch I trend left and up which takes one into a smooth section of rock which offers a bit more challenge as well as a bit more length to the pitch. It also gets you to a bomber tree to use for a belay anchor. Sep 30, 2007

Minesh Bacrania

5.6

The route lives up to its name! Sounded like the packrat was doing its packrat thing in/under the pile of leaves/brush behind the big flake at the first belay..... Sep 30, 2007

Jason Halladay
Los Alamos, NM

5.6

If you're looking for a short bit of variation on pitch 1 of this route climb the obvious corner (a.k.a. Rat Crack) mountainproject.com/v/new_m… to climber's left from the good-sized ledge about 30 feet below the bolted anchor atop P1. It's steep and positive with some fun stemming and no harder than 5.8. Nov 4, 2007

Minesh Bacrania

5.6

Another fun variation: we aimed straight up P2 after rounding the roof at the start of P2. This variation was as wonderfully "airy" as the "aim left for the tree" option discussed above, but the climbing is enjoyable (no harder than 5.6), and there are a fair number of options for gear. Sep 27, 2008

Devin Shunk

5.6

I found my set of tri-cams very useful on the second pitch. Sep 16, 2009

Chris Tucker
Knoxville, TN

Sling material, Locker and cord left at start of route. Didn't take it since it might have belonged to someone walking down possibly. Jun 2, 2010

DrewS

I spent this weekend up at El Rito and climbed the Packrat Dihedral, I am really new to Trad and this was the perfect first route awesome pro and really easy climbing. I was unable to find the bolts and I think it was because I was way on the right face, but I never did see any bolts. But from the pictures I think I was a foot or so off on the right face rather than in the dihedral...I guess it would have made sense to look there even though the guide said it was on the face rather than in the dihedral. Jul 11, 2010

Andrew Nelson

5.6

Fun route. First pitch is very straightforward. Nice and long, with lots of protection. Anchors are at the top of the dihedral. Coming out from the dihedral and getting the full view is awesome. Be warned, although the area was not closed, there were a pair of falcons nesting (mid-june) and they did not enjoy my presence. Made the second pitch a little interesting. From what we could tell, their nest was well to the left of Packrat Dihedral, but they were being very territorial. Placing gear, even on easy ground, is a little interesting when being dive-bombed by angry birds. My wife called this pitch 5.Falcon for good reason. Several trees up top to belay from before the walk off, which is cairned. Jun 10, 2014

Ken Hamel
Bristol, RI

A fun route...as noted by others, the first pitch was very straightforward.
I liked the airiness of the 2nd pitch, but wandered a bit to find gear...dabbled both left and right and a little 5.6 and 5.3. Fun though! If it's your first time, just be patient and open-minded...watch for potential rope drag if you don't commit to one steady line on the 2nd pitch.
Good day, good climb! Feb 27, 2017

TrevorRoulstin
Durango, Co

5.6 R

When you go around the roof at the beginning of the second pitch do yourself a favor and head straight up. don't sell your self short and head for the lumpy crack on the left. it is an ocean of cobble stones, dive in :) May 29, 2017

Jordan Weiler
Telluride

My buddy got a nut stuck at the start of the 2nd pitch, mite now be a fixed pro now haha Sep 10, 2018

Christopher Soper
Northglenn, CO

We climbed this route this past Saturday and were the only two people climbing in the trad area, which is surprising since it was memorial day weekend. For the second pitch there is a pretty obvious ramp leaving the bolt anchor. After that I climbed mostly straight up and then towards the trees where you can set up an anchor. Gear was pretty thin for the last 30 feet before the first tree you encounter. Once we got to the top we did not see any cairns marking the trail to get back down. Instead we just walked left across the top until we were able to do some easy down climbing to a scree field and then walked down the scree field back to the base of the climb. May 28, 2019