Sugarite Canyon, 5.6-5.12

Overview/Approach

Sugarite is a small basalt cliff climbing area composed of approximately 45 short trad routes (bolting is prohibited) located below Little Horse Mesa (8000’+/-) on land leased by the city of Raton to the state of New Mexico for utilization as a State Park (3600 acres).  There are two lakes nearby and fishing and RV camping seem to be the main activities.  Sugarite is adjoined to Lake Dorothy State Park in Colorado.  You can drive or hike from one state to the other.  It has history as a mining town through the 1940’s.

It is remote and quiet, void of sport climbers.  Most routes are quite moderate in nature.  You will not find the stem boxes that are the nature of some basalt cliffs, but rather many perfect corners open to accept gear therefore making Sugarite a perfect place for budding trad leaders to get their lead game going.  By far the most classic route as well as one of the more challenging routes at Sugarite is S&M Crack, 5.11a.  It offers a sustained, slightly overhanging, tight hand crack finish that is spectacular for the grade.  It is also one of the tallest climbs along this relatively short cliff.  There are several outstanding 5.10- trad leads, i.e. the Crack from Hell, 5.10b, a true corner crack from bottom to top.  Many of the 5.10 routes do require a mix of pocket (face) climbing that lead to crack climbing.  There is also a slew of outstanding 5.8 true corner crack leads.  The upper portion of this wall does get moss covered and can offer up some chossy finishes.  Although bolting is prohibited (2021), there are quite a few bolted raps.  There are also several trees that can be used to belay your second up to the mesa and then rap off of a fixed rap along the top.  The summer is fairly hot and yellow jackets protect several of the routes in August.  I would consider Sugarite a better spring or fall option for climbing.  You will compete with RVers for official campground spots at a well-equipped campground directly below the cliff named Soda Pocket.  However, there is also overflow camping you pass near Lake Alice enroute to Soda Springs that might be more attainable. During the winter, as of 2021, you can contact the local rangers for a gate code allowing you access to drive up to the trailhead.

From the town of Raton, NM, drive east on hwy 72 and continue on hwy 526 (well signed).  526 leads straight into the park.  After approximately 2.5 miles in the park, turn left on Soda Pocket road (gravel).  Over a mile up this gravel road, is a trailhead named Little Horse Mesa (on the right).  Head east on this trail for a short distance to a climbing trail on your left.  Use this to access the base of the obvious basalt cliff above.  Continue east for the routes.  30 minutes from the parking area at the most.

Route Descriptions, Listed Left to Right as you face the cliff from Below

Bush Doctor- 5.10/

Endless Summer- 50’-5.9+ PG13/ Yellow jacket nest half way up in August 2021. Had to traverse right onto Up Your Arete. Felt like it was going to be a decent and varied lead.  Definitely spicy for the grade.  You clip a bolt as you traverse in from the right and then face a closed steep corner where you have to climb and place gear in the same pockets.  Then opens up to fingers, where the yellow jacket nest was.  Dow

Up Your Arete- 50’-5.10b/ Old guide says 5.10b.  MP.com says 5.8.  It is probably somewhere in between.  Hug the arete just to the right of the obvious (bolt traverse) Endless Summer. Steep to slightly overhanging at times, but positive edges and pockets the whole way.  Small cams in pockets.  Dow

Pete’s Downclimb- 5.6/

Salt Mother- 50’- 5.8/ Most routes at Sugarite are a bit soft for the grade, not Salt Mother.  It’s start could be 5.9-5.10a many places. Fingers to hands in left facing corner to the right of the easy wide crack named Pete’s Downclimb. Single rack.  Dow

Sangre Verde- 5.10a/

Crack Head- 5.8/

Great Roof Left- 5.8+/

Great Roof Right- 5.10a/

Motengator- 5.8+/

Son of Motengator- 5.8+/

Soma Holidy- 5.10/

Lackawanna- 5.10/

Oral Sex in the White House- 5.9+/

Crazy Cams- 45’-5.9/ Yellow jacket nest after two pieces placed, they were aggressive and I got stung, August, 2021.   Dow

Dog Day- 5.10+/

Yo Mamma- 5.10/

Taos Lightning- 50’-5.10c/ Just left of the popular Jam Your Blue’s Away.  Definitely more of a face climb up sequential pockets.  Same ones you are forced to place gear in for the first several meters, therefore the start is the crux.  Shared anchor with Jam Your Blue’s Away.  There are much better 5.10+ trad leads on the wall.  Dow

Jam Your Blue’s Away- 50’-5.10a/ Athough the guidebook has this route at 5.10a, MP.com consensus rates the climb as 5.9+ which I concur with. In fact I told my young partner that this would be a good first 5.10- lead for him at Sugarite.  As the name implies, there are plenty of basic jams to be had.  Solid rock, good rap situation, single to #2 with a few extra mediums for the new leader at the grade. Dow

Raised by Wolves- 5.10d/

Bush Pilot- 5.10a/

Sweet and Sour- 5.8/

Sapphire Crack- 5.8/

Carpa Manana- 5.10c/

Get Your Mojo Running- 5.11d/

A-Frame- 5.12c/

Type O- 5.9+/

Double D Left- 5.10/

Double D Right- 5.10b/

Pocket Rocket- 5.9/

Bad Moon Rising- 5.10c/

Right On Raton- 50’-5.8/ Nothing out of the ordinary, another good lead for the budding 5.8 trad leader to a decent rap station.  A right facing corner to the left of Gift of Aliens which has a single bolt traverse start which makes it sort of a land mark. Dow

Gift of Aliens- 50’-5.10b/ An unusual single bolt start to fairly blank ground (pocket climbing).  Face climb using pockets for gear and holds (tough picking and choosing which) for the first third of the route then you it opens up to fingers.  Stout and dangerous for the grade. Let’s call it an unbolted sport climb. Dow

Arrowhead- 5.9/

Optimator- 5.12a/

Miami Vice- 50’-5.10b/ More of a face climb with pockets that can be TRed from leading Crack from Hell if you wish.  I remember cool movement, but nothing overly special about it.  Dow

Crack from Hell- 60’-5.10b/ My first lead at Sugarite and probably my favorite 5.10- climb there. True corner crack the whole way (vs many routes at Sugarite involve face climbing pockets, etc).  Single from #.5 to #3, doubles #1 to #3.  MP.com references making a #3 and #4 gear station on top, but I recall a fixed rap in the floor on top that can be extended for top roping and rapped when done with minimal pull over the edge (do not lower on it).  Dow

Primodelic- 5.10/

Wounded Knee- 70’-5.8/ If you start in the basement (as you should), then this is one of the longer climbs on the center wall.  The crux is the first few stem moves out of the hole, then mostly hands.  Another great route for the budding leader at the grade.  Single rack from micro and to #3.  Dow

Resurrection Link Up- 5.8+/

Driven to Climb- 5.9+/

 March Madness-5.10/

Spoticus- 50’-5.9/ Very good splitter for the grade through a roof.  Hands to fingers.  Stem through the roof.  The beginning is the crux as is with most routes at Sugarite.  Use a tree for belay or top rope and descend off chains to climbers right several routes over. Single to #2 + wires and/or offset cams for the upper portion.  Dow

Bat Dog- 5.10a/

Duke in a Bucket- 45’-5.10b/ Might as well be named “puke in a bucket”.  Belayer can hang in shade down under the boulders, but the climb starts high.  Chossy and scary lead for the grade.  Pulling out of the recess/roof slowed for some cool stemming, but the moss is thick and healthy in the tips to finger crack above making it yet another pocketed face climb.  Throw in a few loose blocks as well.  Use a tree for belay or top rope and descend off chains to climbers right several routes over.  Single to #3, wires and/or offset cams.  Dow

S&M Crack- 80’-5.11a/ Hands down the best route at Sugarite, located at the far right end of the wall, offering more shade in the late morning hours.  The guidebook has it at 5.11a and MP.com has it at 5.10d.  Splitting hairs regardless.  A beautiful stem through a roof section that lands you into an overhanging tight hands corner.  As with most basalt cracks, you will feel a little pain from the pressure points made by the uneven crack.  The pro and rock are exceptional.   Single from #.3 to #3, doubles from #.5 to #1.  A few offsets and/or wires to boot.  The fixed rap is on climber’s left. MP.com reports the FA as 2009 which would shock me that it was that late in the climbing world for such a fine climb.  Dow

Birthday Crack- 5.11a/