Climbing, Hiking and Route Beta

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Chavez Canyon Climbing Beta

Trip Report       Francesco's Photo Gallery

Mark Zander's Photos & Comments (from 3/25/2006 hike/climb):

These are a few photos of the climbing. There is a lot of good hiking too before the climbing starts. Other than the ramp most of it is fun. The rappel could be climbed, because we did it after we had rappelled down. Always watch out for rotten rock, but it seemed ok to me on most of the places.
 


Francesco climbing a small but tricky water fall. Difficult stemming/friction to a friction exit. May have been the most difficult climbing we did. Easy to spot or give a boost to the leader.


 


Martin starting up the ramp. Looks easier and shorter than I remember. Rock is VERY rotten. The exposure is greater than the distance between Martin and me. The cracks were there but not solid enough to hold gear.


 


Linda climbing up our "big" rappel. We did the rappel and then took turns climbing up. Except for the ramp I remember all of the climbing being reasonably solid, fun and protectable (either by spotting or by a few cams).
 

Mark Zander's Route Beta (from 3/25/2006 hike/climb):

When walking into the canyon there is a split. We took the right fork of the split. There were many short bouldering moves over chock stones and short water falls. All of those could be protected by spotting and a sitting belay. There might have been one longer spot that took a cam or two.

At the end of the canyon was an insurmountable pour off, but I noticed a ramp to the left. I saw a good crack and assumed I could protect it so I started up. When I got up to the crack I felt pretty run out already and put in a cam. When I tested the cam it immediately popped out due to the rotten rock. So I continued to the top of the ramp without gear rather than down climb. There was a tree at the top that I used as an anchor and belayed everyone up. I was worried that seconds might pendulum if they fell off, but no one fell off.
 
Length of pitch - 70 feet? Difficulty - 5.5 or 5.6? Free solo for leader, rock too rotten to protect. Probably not worth the risk or effort.
 
After getting to the top we traversed over to the other canyon and descended it. I remember doing rappels but don't remember how long they were. At least one of them may be 30+ feet?
 
Something to try. Head up the left fork where the canyon splits. It may be that it goes and is safer than the ramp. Climb out and over to the right fork. Rappel into the right fork, may be a 50 foot? rappel.
 
Alternative is to hike up each fork as far as possible and then come back.
 
Sorry that I can't remember the obstacles any better than that.
 
Have fun, the canyon resembles a Utah Canyon but it is here in NM. It is fairly short hiking and the best parts can be seen with little to no climbing.
 
Gear - Have everyone bring a seat harness and rappel gear. Bring one rope 120+ ft? And a handful of cams and large stoppers. Bring webbing to leave for rappels.
 
Rock quality was crumbly and scary on ramp, but seemed surprisingly much better on waterfalls.

However, a very moderate and pleasant HIKE can be had by most in the group without doing any climbing at all. Only those that would enjoy the scrambling need to do it. The canyon is fun to see and easy to get to for everyone.

Francesco Grilli's Comments, Photos, & Route Map (from 3/25/2006 hike/climb):

I agree on Mark's remarks. I prepared a schematic map of the hike, with reference to the pictures.  Click here here for the map.  Click here for the photos described in my map.  Click here for my trip report.

I would grade the ramp out a little lower, but it's inclined (risk of pendulum, as Mark said, in case of fall) and exposed, and the rock quality is poor.  See picture "Mark" on the LAM website, but it looks easier there.  It's not worth, because the most beautiful parts of the canyon are elsewhere.

Hiking out of the right branch offers nice views (unstable terrain, but no problem).

The rappelling down the pour-off at the beginning of the left branch is optional, but it's fun.

4/22/2008 Update, Jan Studebaker's Photos & Comments (from 4/20/2008 hike/climb):

Based on the above comments and Francesco's map, we took the right branch of the canyon, climbed to the "end of the technical part", and skipped some of the "unstable terrain" by cutting straight across to the top of the "insurmountable pour off", where we did a 100 foot dead vertical rappel, and continued down canyon for a final 50 foot rappel (some of us continued to hike, but came back to the final rappel to exit).  Note that by doing the "insurmountable pour off" rappel we missed the unpleasant "ramp out".

I used no protection for the climbing, because either I deemed it unnecessary, or it was nowhere to be found.  I highly recommend our route, but bring plenty of webbing incase you have to leave an anchor.  My photos illustrate our route.  This was a fine adventure!
 

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