A pleasant multi-pitch outing that climbs a series of walls in the main drainage of upper la cueva canyon.  This route allows one to climb out of la cueva canyon rather than hike.     P1 - Starts on the left side of the slot area about 150ft left of Heat Stroke.  Climb a short and steep right facing corner to bulge stepping up and left to a small tree.  Clear the bulge and climb slightly up and right past a bolt.  Continue straight up passing a large scoop, climb another bulge and small cracks to a belay at 100ft. 5.10a   P2 - climb up and left for about 15 ft of good climbing then diagonal up and left about 100ft to a big ledge system with some large trees.  Belay from one of the large trees closest to the  wall above. 5.5   P3- Climb up and left to a bolt, the crux is an interesting step over just after the bolt. Continue up and slightly right following good edges and a sparsely protected seam until the seam eventually leads you up and left to a belay ledge at 100ft. 5.10a/b   P4 - Move the belay up to the next terrace 4th class.   P5 - Climb up a nice looking steep lieback crack the crack system is mostly fingers and thin hand size pieces, the lieback turns into a through and then ramblely face climbing to a number of belay options after about 100ft.     P6 - To get to the last pith of the route you need to climb down into a hanging terrace/forest and walk diagonally up hill to the base of a clean 30ft pillar.  You will see a bolt about 20ft up.  Climb the pillar and exit left across a ledge, pull a short steep boulder problem to another ledge then climb mostly straight up for 25ft or so until you can step left across a small ledge.  Climb left into a nice crack system that becomes cool fingers.  Follow this to the top and a gear/bolt bealy. 100ft 5.10a 

Bad Company

Global Warming

Shine On

Heat Stroke

*This route is 110' long, use a 70m rope or two ropes to get back down, even then you need to watch the ends carefully.

  The route right of the obvious dihedral (Shine On) with a fixed nut at its start (EDIT: no longer there as of 6-13).  Climbs a shallow dihedral and roofs to an upper headwall with mostly bolts for protection.  Two bolts for anchors with chains and lowering biners are shared with Shine On. 

  One of the best 5.11 pitches in the Sandias.

*This route is 110' long, use a 70m rope or two ropes to get back down, even then you need to watch the ends carefully.

  Climb the center route up the very obvious left-facing dihedral, eventually climbing up and left past a bolt to a ledge. From the ledge run it out on large holds up and slightly right to a small seam with gear, generally staying left of the arete and below the scoop/groove higher on the route. Good holds and intermittent gear lead into the upper groove section with very cool formations.  Exit right to the chains after the final scoop.  Two bolts for anchors with chains and lowering biners are shared with Global Warming. 

  One of the best 5.11 pitches in the Sandias.

*This route is 110' long, use a 70m rope or two ropes to get back down, even then you need to watch the ends carefully.

  The route left of the obvious dihedral (Shine On). Climbs a left-diagonaling crack to a roof and heads up to a hollow pillar through some slightly grainy rock.  Climb above the pillar into a groove/crack and go straight up a clean face past bolts and gear to a two bolt anchor with chains and lowering biners. 

  Not quite the caliber of its neighbors to the right, but still very good.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Slot