Gallegos Canyon
ACA Canyon
Rating – 3A III
Experienced
Canyoneers Only
NEVER ENTER ANY
SLOT CANYON WHEN HEAVY RAIN IS IN THE FORECAST…!!!
However, this is the only tributary in this area that has a
rope-less, non-tecnical route from top to bottom BOTH DIRECTIONS UP AND DOWN…!!! See map and description below
the map
below shows a non-technical route dropping you into the lower slot canyon section
without ropes to only visit part of this slot canyon…also the upper slot can be
hiked well into without technical equipment…only the middle portion is
technical.
Gallegos Canyon has a wonderful “slot”
section… that can be traversed around using an extremely steep and difficult
route/scramble…that can be done without ropes.
I call this route a 4.11 climb as it has some low class 5 moves with
exposure that is low enough to not require ropes…!!!
Very tall, slender, Douglas Firs climb
skyward seeking light from the depths of this deep narrow slot canyon
Damian and Jim
carved their names on the Gallegos Slot Canyon wall. YOU THOUGHTLESS JERKS…!!!
What would this
place look like if everyone did this…?????
…this appears right at a substantial archeology site…
PLEASE NO ONE
ELSE DO THIS…!!!!
ANYWHERE…
EVER…!!!
beta facts:
name- Gallegos Canyon
rappel rope used- 1 – 100 footer, as there is only one 40’
rappel within Gallegos Slot Canyon… and it does have a long but do-able
climb-around on it’s south side
depth of slot portion- 300 feet
length of slot canyon portion- about a
half-mile
elevation- 7200’ at the top down to 6700’
at the bottom
GPS coordinates- ±36°21.951’N 106°44.076’W
flow- intermittent with perennial springs
outside of the slot canyon sections
season to visit- drier months of the year, like
May, June, September, October and November… NEVER ENTER ANY SLOT CANYON WHEN HEAVY RAIN IS IN
THE FORCAST…!!!
accommodations- NONE –Chama Canyon
Wilderness Area
ownership- Santa Fe National Forest
access- is from above on Forest Road #8 and
#11… see the map below
nearest town- Gallina is about 12 miles
south of here
fun fact- this is a special slot canyon in
that it can be navigated from top to bottom, via a very special, hard-to-locate
route. see description below:
essay bro
Gallegos Canyon Slot is special because it
can be both ascended AND descended as “non-technical” using NO
rope. There is only one 40’ rappel and
it can be climbed around. I am 70 years
old and have both up-climbed and down-climbed all of the other drops throughout
this entire slot canyon. We hiked/scrambled
down to the top to the 40’ high drop that is shown on the map below. This falls often has a substantial water/mud
pot-hole below it that makes crossing it extremely muddy. Sooo… if you do not have ropes and gear,
after retreating back up the canyon a short-ways to where a non-technical
climb-out is possible on the south side of the canyon… continuing down a ways,
to a steep ravine that allows a non-technical climb/scramble back down to the
slot canyon floor in the lower end.
Gallegos Slot Canyon can be ascended back upstream, to the 40’ drop,
from there. Altho, some of these
up-climbs are quite challenging. In this
manor Gallegos Canyon Slot can be experienced… for the most part, without ropes
or technical canyoneering equipment… The
GPS cords for this steep ravine to descend is :
±36°21.979’N 106°43.905’W
Gallegos Slot Canyon works
well to do with other nearby slot canyons: such as Little Gallegos, Little
Canyon, Middle Canyon and/or - even the Laguna Canyons.
…please
understand that this non-technical route around the 40’ falls of Gallegos Slot
Canyon… is extremely difficult. ONLY
HARTY CLIMBERS SHOULD ATTEMPT THIS…!!!
…and actually,
there are more than one steep ravine that works to reach the canyon floor, but
the one mentioned above can circumvent the entire canyon
UNLESS you
wish to book a cabin or campgrounds at:
Gallina Canyon Ranch
…it is
Amazing…!!!
Click this
link: http://gallinacanyonranch.com/
Forest Road 474, Abiquiu, NM 87510
(505) 490-3333
Gallina Canyon Ranch a great way to
visit and enjoy these amazing “slot canyons” of the Chama Canyon
Wilderness. Several amazing slot canyons
are easy to visit with normal hiking from here.
In fact, vacationing at Gallina Canyon Ranch will put you in the heart of
slot canyon country...!!! ...AND- you will be in a great position to visit some
of the best parts of some of the best slot canyons in New Mexico, without
technical rock climbing and repelling equipment or even having much
canyoneering experience. Gallina Canyon Ranch is truly
amazing and is the only easy hiking access to this western portion of the Chama
Canyon Wilderness.
Click this link to see a
larger map of this entire area: http://www.dougscottart.com/hobbies/SlotCanyons/Gallina.htm
Enhanced USGS topo map by Doug Scott
The thin Red Lines depict
sections of “slot canyons” and the thicker Red Lines show the boundries
of Chama River Canyon Wilderness Area
_____________one mile____________
Back to New Mexico
Slot Canyons
Send questions and comments to dscott@themarblesculptor.com