Lost Causes. A Climbing Guide to the Mesilla Valley. Installment 2.4. Dona Ana Mountains Pizza Boulders. By: Charles Cundiff

Transcription

1 Lost Causes A Climbing Guide to the Mesilla Valley Installment 2.4 Dona Ana Mountains Pizza Boulders By: Charles Cundiff

2 Pizza Boulders Legend has it that back in the day (somewhere between 1960 and 1986) the South West Mountaineers would take some pizza out to these boulders on Wednesday afternoons to power up for some after-class bouldering. Every generation has their story of how they rediscovered the Pizzas. With every new influx of climbers into New Mexico State University the adventure starts afresh. Strewn below the back side of the ever popular Checker Board, the Pizzas offer perhaps the greatest concentration of boulder problems and top ropes in the Dona Ana Mountains. The rock is often loose or crumbly, but the polished granite gems that can be found amongst the rubble make it worth the half hour drive from Las Cruces. Bring your crash pads, rope and tape, and a spare tire because cell phones generally don t work out here. Javier on Sven s Crack Directions From Las Cruces take State Highway 70 (Main St.) East. Exit at Mesa Grande Dr. and head West towards Shorty s Gas Station. Turn right (North) on Jornada Road. In 6.0 miles you will reach the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park s East entrance. Travel another 0.4 miles and turn left (West) just before the stone pillars that announce the entrance to the Jornada Experimental Range. Take this road past Bear Boulder (1.9 miles), the power line road (2.5 miles) to a left turn up a broad triangle shaped canyon at 3.3 miles. Drive until you ve nearly reached the end of the canyon and you will see the Pizza Boulders on your left (East) with a pullout drive also on the left. Most vehicles can make it to the turn off, but some clearance is needed to park at the Pizzas themselves. Fifty meters farther down the road is another pullout to access the trailhead for Checkerboard and the gully boulders. Charlie Cundiff on Strawberry Milkshake Photo Ben Parker 1

3 A view of the Pizza Boulders from the West. 1. Anyways V1 * Start matched on the under-clings on the North side of the boulder. 2. Knee Clapper V2 Start Right in scoop on south face of boulder Katie Drexler on the Knee Clapper 2

4 Environmentalist Boulder Problems exist on the West face. 3. Save the Whales V3 ** Start on right side of rail. Traverse left out to pocket on face and exit up crack. 4. Nuke the Whales V4 ** Start matched on rail and slap the lip. Milkshake Boulder Due East of the Fjords. Down climb the SE corner 5. Strawberry Milkshake V7 *** FA Jason Ploss Start in side-pull below the big scoop. Slap up the scoop and exit left. 6. Period Piece V4* FA Walker Kearney Climb the arête on the West side above the juniper stump. The Jew Boulders Just uphill from the Milkshake boulder. 7. Jewbaca V6 ** FA Walker Kearney Start with left hand in obvious hueco and right hand on the arête. Walker Kearney on Jewbaca 8. Jew Did It V4 9. Jewjitsu V4 * Start low behind the boulder on the North side of and traverse right. 10. Jewdonit V4 One move. Dyno for the top 3

5 The Fjords The Fjords can be found thirty yards North and down hill from the Supreme Pizza. They face West. Viking Boat Rock 11. So Tall the Brave V2 ** Start up Sven s Crack, then traverse the face left to exit on the right bow of the boat. 12. Sven s Crack V2 *** Straight up the crack! An area classic. 13. Sven s Crack Right V1 If you can t exit the crack 14. Midgi Mullet V2 FA Walker Kearney On the NE side, start just above the dead yucca stump on slopey side-pull and a crimp. 15. Jumping for Jesus V1 Dyno from the horizontal crack to the top 16. Sven on Crack V4** Up Sven s Crack, then turn the corner and traverse through the slot until the horizontal crack runs out and then go up. 17. Razorback V0- Arete of the rock across the slot from Viking Boat 18. Toquiko V1 * Start on the side pull jug. Sharp. SD V6 * Start in the Hueco on the West face and traverse up into Toquiko. 19. Fording Fjording V0 Slab it up Walker Kearney on Razors for Katie 20. Razors for Katie V5 ** FA Charlie Cundiff Located on a West facing over hang just through the slot in the Fjords and to the right. Sit down start matched on the side pull. Razor sharp. 4

6 The Booby Boulder and the Roof The Booby Boulder The Biggest boulder on the slope. One SMC button head bolt is available to toprope Jen s Cleavage, and the South side can be protected with small cams and chocks. 21. Jen s Cleavage V0* The down climb on the Northeast corner. 22. Boobier than Thou V1 Climb up the middle 23. Boobalicious V1 *** Climb the arete and slap the top. Making the leap off The Roof Photo by Ben Parker The Roof Boulder 24. The Roof V4 *** Simply the roof as it was the only roof problem done here for awhile. Two rusty 1/4in bolts exist to protect the boulder. Start on the rail and work towards the crack up left. A variation exits right without going to the sharp pocket, also V4. Dismount the boulder via the loose slab on the South face, or take the gutsy leap from the top of the roof to the boulder across the way. 5

7 25. Herpes and Slurpies V9 ** FA Jason Ploss Found just a few yards South of The Roof boulder, this is the area test piece. Start sitting and matched on the full pad crimp and start pulling. Nick Duttle on Herpes and Slurpies Blockhead Boulder Nothing but highballs. 26. Tight End V2 * 27. V2 Fullback 28. V1 Linebacker Asking for Cactus There are three easy problems on the South face. A roof project exists on the Northwest side. 29. V0 Start on the left leaning crack. 30. Asking for Cactus V0 * Climb out over the barrel cactus 31. Peyote Please V0 * 6

8 The Sliced Pear The surprisingly pocketed block just up the hill and South from Asking for Cactus. 32. Just Ripe V0 * Climb the arête. 33. Pocket Please V2 ** Using only face holds, make your way to the top. The Juggernaut and the Lions Den The Juggernaut Gigantic ship-shape boulder near the gully. (The bow faces west) There is one 3/8in bolt on the top to protect any face. 34. The Bow V1 * Climb the West pointing arête and try not to die. 35 The Lions Den V4 ** FA Charlie Cundiff In the den-like formation behind the Juggernaut start sitting down as far back as you like and exit out the slot. 7

9 The Gully Boulders The Gully Boulders can be approached most easily from the Checker Board Trail and parking area. The Juggernaut is just north of the gully. Secret Agent Boulder 36. Cabaret V0- Slab on the North side 37. Tig ol bitties V0- The down climb. 38. Secret Asian Man V3* Start below and left of the scoop on a pocket and a crimp and move right to the arete. 39. Secret Agent Man V6* Same start as Secret Asian Man but go straight up. 40. Tom Thumb V Sure-you-did Start with a right thumb mantle and a left sidepull on the vertical block in the center of the South face. A Boulder with a Slab 41. Slabby Doo V0 American Transvestite Boulder 42. Ru Paul s Cankles V4 43. Guns, Guts and God V6* Climb the arete. 44. Two Wrong Fools V3 45. Thanks for the pocket Julie NewmarV0 * Mantle up into the slab and hope you reach the pocket. 8

10 The Pizza Boulder and Satellites The boulders you can park next too at the first pull off. The obvious looking line on the North side of the larger boulder is a no-go as it would involve smearing some ancient rock art.. The smaller boulder has two bolts on top to top rope any side, though it can be easily protected with crash pads as well. The Pizza Boulder 46. Campus Crusade V5 A two move wonder followed by some scary and loose slab. 47. Aid Roof A2? A bolt ladder on the overhang. 48. Anchovies V3 Pizza Pie Boulder 49. Pizza Pie V0 The classic slab on the West ace 50. Boston Pie V2 51. Face o Choss V0 52. Peeling Pepperonis V0 53. Down Climb VB Downclimb the North face The Pizza Boulder and the overhang containing ancient rock art. V0 Boulder V0 9

11 57. Meatball Traverse V0 58. Lotsa Matza V2 SD Sit down on in the hueco undercling and go straight up. Windy Woman 59. Philly Cheese Steak V2 Two variations O 5.8 Windy Woman 5.8 Windy Woman is the granite dome above the Pizza Boulders. Routes range from one to two pitches. 5.9 O x 5.9 North Face 5.9 West Face 10