Little Gallegos Canyon

ACA Canyon Rating – 3A II

 Experienced Canyoneers Only

requires a full range of technical canyoneering equipment as well as multiple ropes…!!!

NEVER ENTER ANY SLOT CANYON WHEN HEAVY RAIN IS IN THE FORECAST…!!!

   

                                                       …first rappel – 20’…                                               Top of the first rappel… plenty of tree anchors thru-out the canyon

 

…below a monkey style tree climb (down) worked in leu of a short rappel…

 

Man peeks thru window at “Little Gallegos Arch”

 

the final 120’ rappel, see rope in the photo upper-right

 

 

beta facts:

name- Little Gallegos Canyon Slot

rappel rope used- 2 - 120’ rappel ropes & used natural anchors only (small Rocky Mountain Maple) trees.

length of slot canyon- maybe a quarter mile

elevation- 7250’at the top down to about 6750’at the bottom

GPS coordinates- ±36°21.999’N 106°43.564’W

flow- intermittent

season to visit- most anytime except winter may have ice & NEVER ENTER ANY SLOT CANYON WHEN HEAVY RAIN IS IN THE FORECAST…!!!

accommodations- none

ownership- Santa Fe National Forest

access- is from Santa Fe  National Forest Road 11 … see the map below

nearest town- Gallina is about 18 miles south of here

fun fact- …another AWESOME Chama Canyon Wilderness slot canyon…! ! !

 

essay bro

We parked on Forest Road 11 near Gallegos Spring, hiking first the trail then down Little Gallegos Canyon and descended Little Gallegos Slot Canyon.  See map below- Then we traversed southwest to Gallegos Canyon, keeping our elevation as good as possible.  See the yellow line on our map below.  We enjoyed the “special feature” and proceeded to do several up-climbs ascending Gallegos Slot Canyon… to the base of the 40-foot rappel.   From there we exited the slot, scrambling all-fours up that major side-canyon (marked with a yellow line on our map) …returning back down into the slot above the 40’ rappel and continuing up thru the upper Gallegos Slot… and back to our wheels.  But you do it however you like…!!!!

So we “descended” Little Gallegos Slot Canyon and “ascended” Gallegos Slot Canyon.

We “ghosted” our descent of Little Gallegos Canyon.  We used no webbing.  We did a simple wrap around the base of small Rocky Mountain Maple Trees, pulling our rope after each rappel.  This leaves no evidence of us ever having been there.  Those who follow us may think they are the first to ever be there…!!!

 

Click this link to see a larger map of this entire area: http://www.dougscottart.com/hobbies/SlotCanyons/Gallina.htm   

 

Right-click-save-as on our map below, to print your own “hand-held” copy for your hike

 

Enhanced USGS topo map

The Red Lines depict sections of “slot canyons”

 

 

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Send questions and comments to dscott@themarblesculptor.com