Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works

Hi my name is Steven and I am addicted to climbing on rocks. As simple as it sounds its actually quite complex, and brings me great joy. The very idea of hanging from hand jams 1,000 feet above the ground makes my hands sweat with excitement. And fortunately the climbing season lasts twice as long as ski season, if not year round.

When I have a route in mind that I know Iíll be getting on soon, the fun begins immediately. Now I actually have an excuse to study the guide book! First I check out one of my favorite parts, the approach. How gnarly is it going to be? Will I need my approach shoes or can I get away with light compact sandals. Next the logistics. Can I link any pitches with a 70 meter rope, or shall we take a 6o meter, save the weight and pitch it out? If its going to be a steep route then Iíll take some snug fitting, stiffer, slip lasted shoes. Though if itís a longer lower angle route Iíd really like a softer more comfortable shoe. Comfort or speed, always a hard choice. Finally I save the best for last, the oogling and googling of the rack. What shall we take? What does the route call for? Special RP nuts, a bad to the bone number 5 or 6 Camalot? Sandia routes always require many long runners to alleviate rope drag. And on the longer routes rarely are there bolted anchors so little bit of extra gear can be nice, especially when linking pitches. And donít forget your dome piece!

Next I collect my usual multi-pitch duds. If itís a cold day I layer accordingly. First I start with a thin layer of merino wool top and bottom. Then my synthetic guide pants, followed by a thicker merino wool long sleeve shirt. Often times when there is going to be a bitter howling wind, Iíll climb with an additional synthetic or merino wool hoody type top. And no matter what season it is I always carry a compact synthetic jacket in my climbing pack. Sandia storms can be quite fierce, its nice to be out there, but not that far out there!