Trip Report: El Potrero Chico, January 2020

Report by Claire Stolz

Day 1: Travel day.

We took a 5:30 AM flight from Boston so we could arrive in Monterrey with plenty of time to get to Hidalgo before dusk. I never felt unsafe while I was visiting, but I think it's probably smart to try and do most of your travel during daylight hours. We got a taxi ride from a local for ~$50 (arranged in advance with recommendations from a friend). On the way to our hotel we stopped at a local supermarket and got ~$40 of groceries (lasted us half the week). In general you can find a wide variety of produce and some limited packaged goods (cereals, bread, etc.) at the grocery store.

We stayed at Rancho El Sendero which I highly recommend. We paid around $30/night for a private room with a shared bathroom/shower right next door (I recommend buying some toilet paper as they occasionally run out). There is camping as well if you want to save money. The communal kitchen was well stocked with pans, bowls, cutlery, etc. and was an awesome place to hang out after a long day of climbing. We chose Rancho El Sendero for its reputation for being quiet with great vibes, and I'd say it exceeded our expectations.

After getting settled we took a quick hike up into the canyon to get oriented and then we were off to bed!

Day 2: Cragging at Virgin Canyon.

Neither Emma nor I had much experience climbing limestone before our trip, so we decided a day of cragging was in order to get used to the rock and the climbing style. We went to Virgin Canyon, a beautiful area with grey towering walls.

After a couple warm ups, we tried the classic 5.11d, Don Quixote. This was one of my favorite climbs of the trip. The route follows a corner that widens as the climb progresses, forcing the climber to choose between climbing the arete, which takes you further from the draws, or committing to a tenuous stem. In retrospect, I should have asked Emma with her level 10 bravery and 6'1" arms to hang the draws, but after a minor battle and a couple of takes, I made it up. Emma tried it next and confirmed that it was, in fact, mildly terrifying. On my second go I felt a lot better--I was able to enjoy the movement with only mild stress levels and I clipped the chains

At this point I was pretty tired, but Emma was still down for one more climb and in the gathering dusk she set off up El Balota (5.12a). Even though it was quite dark, a floodlight from the canyon illuminated the climb above her. I watched as she climbed delicately through the thin corner and stepped out into a tenuous stem, her right toe wedged into the only possible foothold, a tiny pocket the size of an acorn (the route's namesake). After lowering off, we walked out by headlamp, both of us feeling extremely psyched for the coming days.

Day 3: First Multipitch.

Our primary goal for the trip was to climb the EPC ultra-classic, Time Wave Zero (5.12a). Time Wave is 23 pitches with 2300 ft. of vertical climbing. After topping out, you have to rap the route which can take upwards of 8 hours for slower parties. Coming into the trip, Emma had only done a handful of multipitch climbs, the longest of which was 6 pitches. I had done a few longer climbs, but always as the inexperienced climber in the party. We knew that we needed to practice our systems and see how fast we were before committing to a route like Time Wave.

For our first multipitch, we chose at 4 pitch 5.10a called Will The Wolf Survive. The climb starts off with an unremarkable 5.8, but the climbing quickly increases in quality. Pitch 3 climbs some dope pockets over a bulge, and pitch 4 takes you on an airy traverse with the whole town of Hidalgo spread out beneath you.

After rapping down, we went a couple canyons over to try Salty Dog (5.12a). Emma took the lead and absolutely crushed it for her first 5.12 (and a flash, too)!!! (Unfortunately, as Emma was racking up for the climb, another climber offered her some unsolicited beta for the crux . Otherwise she probably would have got the onsight.) Nonetheless, it was a glorious send and we were both extremely psyched. Emma's hardest redpoint before Salty Dog was 5.11b, and I was super impressed with her send.

Day 4: Multipitch, but make it bigger.

After Will the Wolf Survive, we decided we needed to step it up a notch. While we were climbing Salty Dog, we saw a beautiful white streak in the back of the canyon and upon further investigation found out it was the climb Supernova (5.11a), 8 pitches. This was the perfect next step in our Time Wave prep.

Supernova starts up a rude 5.11a slab, then eases off to more moderate climbing. We swung leads and linked pitches, with Emma taking 1&2 and 5&6. The climbing on Supernova follows a ledgy and mildly exfoliating weakness in the rock. The easier climbing is somewhat runout: I clipped 12 bolts in 60 meters on pitches 3&4. While the climbing is easy, it's definitely a lot of climbing in do-not-fall territory.

On the descent, we practiced our simul-rapping technique. For those unfamiliar, simul-rapping is when both climbers rappel at the same time on opposite ends of the rope. For efficient parties this can mean saving a significant amount of time, especially on a route like Time Wave where you have to rappel 23 pitches. However, simul-rapping can be more dangerous. Climbers rely on each other as a counterweight, and if one climber unweights the rappel, the other can go into free fall.

We read up a lot on how to do simul-rappelling safely and we followed this system for every rap: after threading the rope to the middle, each climber takes one side of the rope, ties an overhand figure-8 on a bight at the end of the rope and clips it to their harness. The two climbers are tethered together with a triple length sling (or similar). Each climber gets on rappel on a single strand with a grigri or an ATC with a prusik. Simultaneously, the climbers pull up on their belay devices and weight the rappel. Before removing personal anchors, check that: both climbers are weighting the rope, the rope is in the middle, the rope is through both chains, both climbers have a knot with the end of the rope, and all biners are locked. Then rap down, maintaining similar speeds and freeing the rope from snags/trees as you go.

Note: I am not a guide or professional climber and if you are unfamiliar with this system, please educate yourself before trying this. Many people have been injured or killed rappelling, and some while simul-rapping. It is not something to be taken lightly. While we were in EPC a climber rappelled of the end of his rope because he did not move the rope to the middle or tie knots in the ends of the rope. Always tie knots! If you are worried about the knot getting stuck in something while you rap, holster the rope and let out slack as you go.

Supernova took us about 3 hours to climb, and 2 hours to rap. We had to free one stuck rope after the 5th rappel.

Day 5: Forced Rest Day.

On Day 5 we had hoped to do a link-up of two classic multipitches on Mota Wall: Pancho Villa Rides Again (5.10c, 5 pitches) and Treasure of the Sierra Madre (5.10c, 7 pitches). Unfortunately, we woke up at 5 am to howling wind and temps in the low 40s. We snoozed for a few hours, but the weather did not improve . Intermittent rain and strong winds convinced us that it was probably time for a rest day. On the upside, we finally had a chance to check out the town of Hidalgo. We'd heard great things about the market and the climber's cafe, El Buho. There are numerous people who work remotely and climb weekends in EPC, and many come to El Buho for the fast wifi and strong coffee. The Hidalgo market is also a must see. We saw everything from playstations to Seahawks hats (I'm from Seattle so I thought this was great) to mountains of avocados. If you forget any non-climbing gear at home, you can probably find it here.

After another grocery run, we walked back to our hotel (~30 mins) and spent the evening reading Emma's self rescue book, learning knots, and practicing different rescue scenarios.

Day 6: Mini-multipitch & Claire's sub-par reading skills.

After the disappointment of waking up early and being unable to climb, I was unenthusiastic about another early wake up and told Emma we should sleep until 6. Unfortunately, this meant that when we got to Mota Wall, both multipitches we were interested in climbing were busy. EPC is an area known for rockfall, and we were not thrilled at the prospect of climbing below 4 other parties. Mildly disappointed, we walked uphill a bit and found a 3 pitch 3 star 11a called Leap of Faith. Despite being relatively inexperienced at crack climbing, we found this bolted crack to be pretty fun (though sharp).

The highlight of the climb was watching a wave of clouds pour over the surrounding mountains and into the valley behind us.

After rapping down we went to check out the spires, two free-standing rock towers with a number of highly rated climbs. Despite the cold weather, the southern side of the spires was sheltered from the wind and it was warm enough to climb in t-shirts. I had my sights set on a climb called Aspire (5.12a): 175 feet of mega-enduro climbing. The climb is so long you have to lower to an intermediate anchor to get down. I was so psyched on the route that I failed to read the guidebook accurately and accidentally got on the 11d next door, Young Crankenstein.

While it wasn't the planned objective, Young Crankenstein turned out to be an excellent climb with a bouldery start followed by a delicate, heart-pounding traverse and a wild stem up a steep corner to top it off. With a little more traffic to clean up what felt like delicate rock, this climb could be a classic. Neither of us got the send, but we forewent another go to try the super-classic 11d next door, Pangea.

Pangea is one of the best sport climbs I've tried. Reminiscent of Dogleg or Amarillo Sunset in the Red River Gorge, it features some amazing huecos, deep incut jugs, and the potential for some big air. Utilizing my Ondra-patented power scream, I managed to pull through the crux and got the onsight! I was so pumped I needed to shake out before I untied my knot. Emma gave Pangea a burn as well and we vowed to try and get back to the spires before we left (spoiler: we did not).

That night, Emma and I had a serious conversation about our goals for the trip and our chances on Time Wave. I shared my concerns about our ability to climb Time Wave in a safe and (reasonably) fast manner. As the more experienced climber I felt a lot of responsibility to keep us both safe. Brad Gobright's death, a recent rappelling accident in EPC, stories of rockfall and 24 hour epics weighed heavily on me.

At the end of the day, we do what we can to remove risk from climbing, but it is always a balance. Time Wave was a climb that we couldn't find anywhere else and while we might say "we can come back for it," the truth is we can never know for sure. For me, climbing has always been about partnership and adventure, and if Emma was committed to giving her absolute best to our partnership and the climb, then I would too. We decided to hike up to Time Wave the next day, do the first two pitches (to avoid trying to onsight stiff 11a in the dark), and then take it easy and pack for the climb

Day 6: Prep day.

As planned, we did the first few pitches of Time Wave, and tried a cool 5.9+ hand crack nearby called Dead Man Walking (I’m sorry purists—they bolt the cracks here too). Afterwards we came back to the hotel to pack.

If you have questions about gear specifics, please feel free to shoot me an email. I'm only listing things I think aren't clear from the photo:

• 22 quickdraws (6 alpine) + 2 double length slings

• 70 m rope (middle mark is very helpful)

• 4.25 liters of water + 1 liter to drink right before starting (total, could have brought more)

• ~2000 calories each

• 2 headlamps each

• T-shirt, long sleeve base layer, fleece, and insulation/windbreaker (for each of us)

• Knife, lighter, emergency blanket, wag bags (2x)

The weather while we were climbing Time Wave was ideal, with a low of 50F when we started, up to ~65F and sunny at the hottest. I didn't wear my fleece at all but I'm glad I had it just in case.

Day 7: DOING THE THING.

After 4 hours of unsettled sleep, our alarm goes off at 1:30. I hit the light switch and check to make sure Emma is sentient. She seems to be moving so I grab my stuff and walk to the kitchen. Some other climbers are just headed off to bed after an evening of tacos and tequila. As I sit in the kitchen drinking instant coffee I can feel the excitement growing. By the time Emma opens the door I'm at psyche level 100.

We set off at a brisk walk into the warm breezy night. I can hear the palms rustling in the wind and the stars blink softly above us. We know the walk well by now and we don't need to think as we move quickly towards the mountains. A set of eyes meet mine in the darkness and I realize we've just been spotted by a Coatimundi (if you're unfamiliar, look them up because they're freaking adorable). We get to the base in about 50 minutes and start racking up.

At 3:30 am we cast off: I take the first 5.7 and set Emma up for the 11a. She speeds up it and we're on to new terrain. It takes me a minute to get used to the darkness. Although it can be stressful to only see a few feet around you, it’s also easier to focus on the climbing at hand. Like blinders on a horse, the darkness keeps me focused and calm. We move quickly, swinging leads in the darkness. We reach pitch 8 (3rd class) and make our way across the spiny ridge of the mountain. The party that started up 30 minutes after us is far below and we feel very alone on the ridgetop, two tiny people picking our way through the darkness with a glimmering city far below.

As Emma begins pitch 10, we remember a climber we met in town who tore 3 deep flappers on this pitch, and sure enough the rock is spattered with blood under a sharp jug. Emma places her feet with care and moves smoothly up the rock. Though she never comes close to falling, I still breathe a deep sigh of relief when I hear her yell "Off belay!" By the time I've reached the pitch 11 belay, the sun has begun to rise. The early morning light casts long rays and we run our eyes along the many valleys and mountains we couldn't see in the darkness. I take the next block and link pitches 12,13, and 14 into one mondo pitch ending at a palm tree belay.

We're in the rhythm of it now, and the pitches go by with relative ease. I take us past a couple more 5.9s and we pause for minute to snap some photos of the view. We can see three parties below us, but no one close enough to hear. Swallows wake up from their neighboring nest and begin to pour out of the rock. With each passing gust they tumble down like droplets from a waterfall into the air. They free fall momentarily, then catch then catch a tendril of wind and coast out of view. I can't think of any better way to wake up in the morning.

By pitch 18 were starting to feel the aches and pains that adrenaline had soothed away. I call up to Emma:

“I’m not even trying to find the best holds anymore! I’m just trying to find the ones that make my skin hurt the least!” to which she replies “I find it’s usually the dogbones!”

The higher we climbed, the more our hands and feet battled with one another. To unweight one was to weight the other, and both were throbbing with pain. Finally, we reached the 20th pitch. Pitch 20 is a notoriously hard 10d with burly moves on a gently overhung wall. I'll admit I was tempted to ask Emma to lead it. My body ached everywhere and the sun was beginning to make me feel like a toasted marshmallow. But it was my lead and I knew this was the most efficient way for us to get to the summit. Pitch 20 turned out to be one of my favorites of the trip: burly moves on pockets lead to an awkward not-quite finger slot and, pumped, I summoned my remaining power and deadpointed for a huge jug.

As I pulled up the rope at the belay, I felt a deep satisfaction knowing we were almost to the top. We were actually going to make it! I thought about past adventures and how thankful I was for partners who taught me what they knew and gave me the confidence and skills to attempt a climb like Time Wave. Emma took us up pitch 21, a combination of free climbing and aiding for those of us who can't climb stiff 12a after 2000 ft of climbing (definitely me), and I lead the last (extremely sandbagged and runout) 5.8 to the top. We had done it!!!

As Emma went up the fixed rope to the summit, I rigged the rappel and got ready for the descent. It took us a couple rappels to get comfortable, but after that we fell into an easy rhythm. We can confidently report that with a 70m rope, you cannot skip any of the raps even if it really looks like you might be able to! (Don't ask how we know ) . After 11 hours of climbing and 4 hours of rappelling, we touched back down to terra firma! Despite the exhaustion, I felt like I was walking on clouds the whole way back to town. We devoured 8 tacos, 8 quesadillas and 2 bowls of guacamole for dinner and passed out.

Day 8: Recovery day.

We woke up feeling like we'd been hit by a truck, but since it was the last day of our trip we were determined to climb regardless. We rolled up to the crag around 2pm and did a spicy 5.9 warm up to get ready for The Sword (12a), a beautiful off-vertical bit of limestone. Emma got the onsight (!!!) and I followed it up with a flash. We agreed it was a bit soft but considering how swollen our feet were I was proud of us for climbing anything.

Day 9: There and back again.

In true overstoker form, we woke up at 5:30 am to try and get a couple more pitches in before our flight. Neither of us were feeling great, but we got up the first pitch of Two Pump Chump (5.11a) at Mota Wall and enjoyed the climbing in spite of our delirium. Our ride picked us up at Rancho El Sendero at 11:30. At the airport we ate an absurd amount of food at Starbucks (which serves totally different food in Mexico) and we flew out of Monterrey at 2:30

*Almost all photos by Emma Kowal who is pretty much a pro photographer and the best climbing partner a girl could ask for*