Community Top Roping Sessions

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White Rock Weather    Scheduled Community Top Roping Sessions    Climbing Fundamentals - Online


Community Bolting Agreement - click here

LAM Bolting Reimbursement Policy - click here

All Route Guides or Route Guide links on this site - click here

Weekday (schedule below):  People start showing up at the scheduled top roping location about 4:30 pm this time of year.  Civil Twilight End is 6:58 pm on October 12th in White Rock.  Scheduled by Jan Studebaker.

Weekend:  Visit the "Los Alamos Social Climbers" for weekend climbing information, finding partners, or discussions about any climbing topic.  Contact Mark Mathis if you have any questions or would like to be added directly to the "Los Alamos Social Climbers" email list.  This Forum is not directly associated with LAM, however, many of it's members are also LAM members.

Climbing Gyms: Climbing gyms are often available in the event of bad weather and/or evenings, and are an excellent way to stay in shape during the winter.  Many leaders get their first leading experience at gyms.  The routes are generally well protected, and the falls seldom result in injuries.  Click here for local gym information.


Notes:  Bring a rope and an anchor set if you have one.  We share and share alike.  Please examine all anchors; your own and those of fellow climbers!  This is particularly important at the beginning of the season!  Please don't be too shy to ask fellow climbers to look over your anchor if in doubt.  Also, be very careful not to knock rocks off of the top!

Disclaimer:  Top roping locations are presented as a favor to the climbing community as a whole, and as such, are not activities of the Los Alamos Mountaineers Club, even though many LAM club members are climbers and take part in the listed climbs.  Please feel welcome to participate! 

All participants, regardless of affiliation, are welcome and must assume responsibility for themselves, and the safety of the others at the crags.  Helmet usage is optional, recommended, and seldom observed.  Experienced climbers are usually available to help in the selection of appropriate climbs, to check anchors and to help with belay technique (feel free to ask for help, if in doubt).  You are encouraged to check other's anchors, and report questionable sets to whomever is responsible, or to any other climber/s at the session.  There is no sponsor, and all equipment must be provided by the participants.  Climbing can be dangerous to your health!


Tuesday, October 7, The New New Place

The "New New Place" is a 60 foot, southeast facing, basalt cliff with approximately 20 traditional routes and topropes.  Many excellent and classic lines, mostly cracks, are found here.  Many are best toproped.  This is a good crag at which to escape the crowds at the Overlook or the Playground.  Click here for a route guide.  Sport route bolting is not permitted here, by community agreement.

To get to the "New New Place," park at the cul-de-sac at the east end of Kimberly.  Walk straight out, but veer left (east).  The main climbing area is a short walk from the cul-de-sac. The descent is a down climb at the south end of the main climbing area.  Click here for a street map.

Thursday, October 9, The Playground

The Playground is a 60 foot south-facing basalt cliff with over 40 traditional routes and topropes.  This area is White Rock's most popular toproping area.  Numerous moderate to difficult crack and face climbs ascend the cliff.  In addition, the entire base of the cliff can be traversed as a boulder problem.  Many people come here just for the excellent bouldering.  Be warned, however, that this bouldering is very dissimilar from what most boulderers would enjoy, and has as much to do with memorizing moves as strength.  Toproping is usually fairly easy, bring a rack and long slings to tie off trees.  Most toprope sets are on a shelf 10' below the rim.  Click here for a route guide.  Sport route bolting is not permitted here, by community agreement.

To get to the Playground from NM state road 4, turn south on Rover Blvd.  After about 100 yards, take a left on Meadow Lane.  Follow this street (it will slowly curve south) passing the turnoff for the "Overlook", and continue to 719 Meadow Lane.  Park near by, being careful not to block mailboxes or driveways (several residents have complained in the past).  Take the public access trail between 719 and 721 Meadow Lane.  From here, turn right and walk toward the rim of the canyon.  Follow the rim for 300 yards and locate an approach gully with a 30 foot basalt tower on it's left side.  At the bottom of this gully is the Playground.  Click here for a street map.

Important Safety Reminders

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A top rope anchor must be absolutely bombproof! If you have any doubt what-so-ever, add another piece of protection.  There is no excuse for a poor top rope anchor.  The entire line from the rope to the anchor points must be entirely redundant, equalized, and without a chance for significant extension should an anchor fail.  At a minimum, a top rope anchor must have: TWO independent strands of rope or THREE independent pieces of webbing (NO self-equalizing V slings,) TWO bomber anchor points like trees, or a minimum of THREE good and equalized pieces of gear in SOLID rock.

Note: Many of us habitually use the Pinon trees in the area for anchors; please keep in mind that many of these trees are now dead and likely unsafe for anchors.

Tuesday, October 14, The "Y"

The "Y" is a 45 foot basalt canyon with about 35 traditional and toprope routes.  The "Y" is a popular toproping area for locals.  It is not on the canyon rim as are the other climbs on this page.  Due to the narrow canyon, it's not climbable in the winter.  There are routes on both sides of the canyon - the north side (which faces south) has most of them.  Click here for a route guide.  Sport route bolting is not permitted here, by community agreement.

The "Y" is just east of the intersection of NM 502 and NM 4.  The unobvious parking area is just past the first guard rail on the south side of NM 502.  Park along the road (beside the fence), and walk between the guard rail and the fence to the cliff's edge.  The descent is at the west end of the cliffs.  Click here for a street map.

Thursday, October 16, The Overlook

The "Overlook" is a 65 foot (mostly south-facing) basalt cliff with over 65 sport and traditional routes.  This area is White Rock's premier sport climbing and toproping crag (routes on the Overlook's popular south side have had toproping bolts installed that can be reached from the rim).  The area is climbable year-round, due to the varied aspect of the cliff.  Most people come to the Overlook to sport climb; though many worthy cracks exist, they are not on par with those of many other crags in the vicinity.  Click here for the Samet/Jett route guide, or click here for the Chen/Wehner route guide.

To get to the "Overlook," turn off NM 4 onto Rover, make an immediate left onto Meadow Lane.  Turn at the sign on Meadow Lane that announces "Overlook Park."  Follow this road due east until you get to its end.  Park here, and walk straight out. Just before you get to the Rio Grande "Overlook", turn left (north), and walk to the end of a narrow ridge of rock.  Climb down to the next level, which is the top rope anchor level.  Due north is the sport climbing area, and due east is the more traditional (crack and bolted) top roping area.  The Overlook top ropes are all set with bolts.  It is not always obvious that people are below...be careful!  Get to the cliff base by following a distinct trail on the south end of the main cliff.  Click here for a street map.