After spending two solid days in the Verdon (catch up on that trip here), we opted to move on to the rather famous Chateauvert for some pumpy sport climbs. The sub two-hour drive to Chateauvert was uneventful.  We had an amazing home style French dinner, an appetizer of salad, a main course of duck and interesting potato dish, and some neatly prepared carrots and zucchini and desert of some citrus mousse all paired with a provence de verdon, a blush wine, that less surprisingly was really good.  Before finding a nice place to camp in the French forest we met another French pig who did a much better job of minding his own business in the night.

Chateauvert turned out to be amazing and the following two days were comprised of some pretty awesome sport climbs on solid limestone in a luscious French valley.  The small surrounding towns had delicious bakeries and Provence de Correns is famous for its wine and cheese so we had a great spread of French fair.  We made friends with everyone from Belgiums to Germans. We were also explained the climbing ethics of the area which were described to us as “Frankenjura Climbing Ethics”.

As explained by a German, the “Frankenjura Climbing Ethics” are as follows:

• Red point: to climb cleanly hanging all draws and clipping all bolts
• Flash: to climb cleanly the first having information about the route (seeing someone else climb it or beta, how to move through the route)
• Onsight: to climb a route cleanly the first time with no information
• Pink point: to climb cleanly with pre-hung draws

Here is a list of the routes we did broken down by the 2 days.  We chose our climbs based solely upon the aesthetics of the line and then cross referenced our initial impression with our guidebook’s level of excitement toward that line. Seeing that we were only in Chateauvert for a very limited time, we wanted to get on as many of the area classics as we could. Chateauvert gets my stamp of approval and I plan a return if ever weathered out of the Verdon.

Chateauvert route names at base were as described, "pretty"

Day 1

• El paf le chien! (6b, 5.10c) – A tricky dihedral capped by a roof you pull!
• Le sot perilleux (6b, 5.10c) – A bit polished but beautiful limestone face climbing
• Meteque et mat (6b+, 5.10d) – beautiful traversing route over the lip of a cave
• Miss tintiguette (7a, 5.11d) – an somewhat unbelievable route out of a sizeable cave
• Etranger aux verities premieres (6b+, 5.10d) – fun but polished
• L’essaim de nat (6b, 5.10c) – an aesthetic arête though perhaps the low crux is a bit   height  dependent
• Abolution des priviliges (7a+, 5.12a) – beautiful holds up a steadily overhung face
• Les frontiers du neant (7a, 5.11d) – a somewhat miraculous line of large pods up the face

Meteque et mat

Miss Tintiguette

Day 2

• Koksinel (6a, 5.10a) – fun bolted trad line
• Vigie picrate (6c, 5.11b) – if you want to learn how to climb a roof these are the holds to do it on – knee bars, bat hangs, you name it you can find it on this route
• Le elementes ne fond pas de cadeaeau (7b, 5.12b) – beautiful but intimidatingly bolted line, they are where you need them
• Le magician d’Oz (7a+, 5.12a) – beautiful overhung face climbing into a crack followed by a traverse into a dihedral

The French were amazing and so were the climbers we met from all over Europe.  We made some awesome friends and are feigning to return to the remarkable limestone climbs in Southern France.

Quick Reference Guide:

Guidebook: France Cote d’Azur (Rockfax Climbing Guide), by Chris Craggs. Full color and in English.

Location: Chateauvert, France

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Arriving via Ryanair pretty late in Montpellier on Wednesday, we quickly equipped with our steed (thanks Hertz for the upgrade to a Golf TDI) and were off to get the 2-3 hour drive to the Verdon out of the way so we could catch a few zzzzs before being faced with my first Verdon big wall and Ari’s (my climbing partner) first big wall ever!  We wisely brought our European lifesaving device, a GPS unit, but an hour into the drive I looked down and realized something was amiss.  It was not charging and the battery was almost dead.  We were about to navigate Europe in the dark sans GPS, sans map.  Panic ensued but rationality persisted.  Some exploratory analysis of the problem found that the negative had broken off the GPS car charger.  A search of the car and luggage determined the missing part was not onboard.  A stop at a gas station in which all transactions and communications had to be performed through the window and a small drawer led to the acquisition of 1) yet another hilarious episode of my linguistic charade chronicles 2) an increased desire to learn more French than the 24 hours prior study had provided me 3) a map of France 4) the determination they do not sell either GPS or GPS chargers at French gas stations and 5) (possibly the most impressive acquisition) paperclips.  We began to attempt navigation with the map but rapidly concluded that fixing the GPS at risk of electrical shock was the better option.  This undertaking minus a fair share of the electrical shock risk was performed by Ari and thankfully returned us to status quo – GPS navigation.  We parked a few kilometers outside of the Verdon, threw our sleeping bags out on the ground and called it a night.

Gorge du Verdon

Thursday morning we arose early and traveled the remaining distance to the Verdon in the dawn light.  The goal for the day was the 200 meter, 9 pitch Or Sujet (6c, 5.11 a/b).  The route was fairly sustained (with 5 pitches at 6c) but had comfortable belay ledges and the more challenging pitches were shorter than the easier ones, making it a pretty perfect route for us and it would be hard to describe the setting as anything less than amazing.

P3 of Or Sujet

Or Sujet went well – well being defined as finishing alive, in the daylight, with only minor mishaps while learning a lot and having a good time while being in an amazing setting.  We managed to get lost on the descent (which had painted red dots to mark the way) but fortunately so had plenty of other people and several abseils eventually placed us at the start – a generally good place to be.  We had some beginner climbers get lost on the descent above us and then attempt to murder me by throwing some rather large rocks in my general direction.  Rocks hurt and the valuable lesson was learned that routes near beginner climbs in the Verdon, of which there are not many, require helmets.  Beyond that Ari learned a lot about multipitch climbing, from rope management to belaying while hanging on a wall and jugging.  He also learned that climbing shoes can develop blisters readily on 9 out of 10 toes if you have not been climbing as frequently as you should.

Nearing top of Or Sujet

Topping out around 4 we headed into La Palud, the local town.  It was siesta and no place served food until 20:00 so we visited the grocery store to stock up on water and then the bakery to try their chocolate croissants and buy some pretty amazing sandwiches.  Lazing about we eventually motivated ourselves to drive around the gorge some and explore our next day’s climb before choosing a rocky outcropping above the gorge to park inconspicuously and throw our sleeping bags down for the night under a beautiful starry night only interrupted briefly around 0100 when a 300lb wild pig stumbled into our territory and needed some encouragement to depart.

La Palud

The next day we climbed A Tout Coeur  and finished up Coeur de Verre.  While the route was supposed to be 7 pitches we managed to split it into either 8 or 9 with every pitch falling between 6a (5.10a) and 6b+ (5.10d).  It has the misfortune of once being easier and so traffic has polished the rock making it slick like marble in many places.  The route was pretty much plumb line vertical without exception meaning most belays were hanging belays, where one simply anchors into the wall with no where to comfortably stand.  This made for far greater exposure and in my opinion better climbing and a truer big wall experience but had the unfortunate effect of turning Ari’s blisters into angry blood blisters.

We finished around 4 and celebrated by revisiting the grocery store and the bakery and having our first wine from Provence de Verdon which turned out to be rather surprisingly, horrible.  We decided to relocate to Chateauvert, a famous sport-climbing area of which we learned from our friend back at home in Germany. Chateauvert is where climbers go to mix it up from the technical Verdon faces to more powerful overhanging climbs.  This had the added benefit of providing Ari’s feet the ability to spend most of the day free from his climbing shoes and me with a very dedicated belayer.

Quick Reference Guide:

Guidebook: France Cote d’Azur (Rockfax Climbing Guide), by Chris Craggs. Full color and in English.

Location: LA Palud sur Verdon, France

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Having just moved to Germany from the United States and still in the juvenile stages of friend development, it is monumental when you meet a fellow female who like you, climbs! This beautiful moment occurred last week and I quite eagerly made, borderline obsessively encouraged, plans to climb for the upcoming weekend. A few communication failures later, I eagerly met up with my new friend at 4pm on Sunday. Rather late for me who obsessively starts climbing days at an ungodly hour, but with six hours of sunlight left and my need to stay awake for an 11:30pm airport pickup of my boyfriend returning from the Verdon there was plenty of time to basque in the glory of the sun (an oddity in Germany) on a beautiful sandstone wall.

Jungfernsprung Formation - Dahn Region, Südpfalz

My new friend had brought a friend of her own. Thus making us a climbing party of three which also added to the excitement of not only climbing with one new partner, but becoming comfortable climbing with two new partners. After working out some logistics on a practice run partially up Pfeilerwand (6-, 5.8) we worked out the kinks experienced when climbing together for the first time and began our three person climbing adventure on the 55m (180 ft) Nordverschneidung (7-, 5.10b).

Nordverschneidung (7-/5.10b) – Dahner Gebiet, Südpfalz
The route is approximately 55 m and can be broken into 2-3 pitches. I chose to break it into 2 while keeping in mind a comfortable belay at the top of P1 and limiting rope drag for P2.  The line is on the north side of the Jungfernsprung formation and is two lines to climber’s left of the prominent arête – a mindblowingly aesthetic route I will be back for, Franz-Seiler-Ged.-Weg (7+, 5.10d/5.11a). The route has mixed protection, so bring a rack of friends with some draws (I believe there were 6 bolts).

• P1 – follows a beautiful crack with a few jams and some happy stance stemming to a comfortable belay ledge about 20m up
• P2 – easier climbing with a mantle exit to a comfortable stance before entering into a beautiful lieback sequence with a small rest before a few happy finger jams to a spectacular jug. One more rest before the strenuous crux traverse to the top.

3 Happy Climbers on P1

P2 of Nordverschneidung

Quick Reference Guide:

Location: Dahn, Deutschland

Weather:

Today	05/22/2012	05/23/2012	05/24/2012	05/25/2012
Chance of Rain 72°/50°	Chance of Rain 73°/57°	Chance of a Thunderstorm 72°/57°	Chance of a Thunderstorm 73°/54°	Partly Cloudy 70°/46°

Guidebook: Kletterführer Pfalz, by Jens Richter and Sabine Tittel. It is in German, but is still very useful to us non German speaking climbers with its full color pictures and topos with UIAA ratings.

Climbing Ethics/Red Tape:

The Power Bucket, Chalk – Generally there is a moral, no chalk rule in this region. The reason behind this is that the magnesium, what your chalk is made of, mixes with the sandstone to create a slippery mess when exposed to moisture. If you must use chalk, do so sparingly only at crux sections on routes that see limited moisture (i.e., overhung).

Area Closures – due to bird nesting and breeding there are some areas that are closed from Jan 1st through July. A full list of area closures can be found on this German website (or the google translated version).

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A week of rainy weather in Germany is not uncommon; however, it can really cramp your climbing lifestyle. This past week was filled with intermittent rain and grapple showers making all climbing limited to pulling plastic at an indoor gym. This isn’t a horrible consolation prize because German climbing gyms are about ten times more awesome than those I have frequented in America, but I may be biased as they serve beer and food and I am a lover of all things calories – liquid and solid state. You can crank for a few hours, take a snack break topped off with your favorite Weisen, all whilst staring at climbing posters for inspiration to crank a little more before calling it a day at the gym.

Thankfully the weather gods granted some generous and beautiful weather, by Germany standards and we only had to suffer the awesomeness of a climbing gym for half the weekend while the other half was spent outdoors at Ettringer Lay in Ettrigen, Deutschland. Your history lesson for the day: Ettringer Lay is an old Basalt quarry that ceased mining in the 70s and was developed by climbers starting in the 80s.  The area boasts bomber cracks, balancey face climbs and all the stemming your legs could dream of amongst abandoned cranes and metal rods spread sporadically throughout the rock. The routes are mixed protection, meaning there are bolts but you are going to want some friends and nuts for a lot of them.

Ettringer Lay

He climbs rain or shine for tourists

Arriving at 10 am, we realized we were not so in tune with the workings of German weather as the parking lot was fairly crowded (fairly unusual at that “early” hour). After socializing with some local climbers we were informed that our generous weather gods would only serve up clear, blue skies and shelter us from the rain until around 2 pm. So with that useful information we were off, or up rather.

Dürener Wand

• Harakiri (7-) – an awesome hand crack that pulls a roof with an exciting push for the anchors. As always with cracks, don’t get suckered in too deep.
• Kondensstreifen (7+) – hand crack with comfortable stances for gear placements in all the right places. Right when the crack peters out, look around for happy hands.
• Flying Circus (8+) – holy balancey. Very technical with a muscle move or two. Right when you think you’re done, it’s time to bust out your best Jane Fonda.

Harakiri (7-)	Clearing the roof on Harakiri (7-)
All aboard the Flying Circus (8+)	Did you stretch today? Flying Circus (8+)

Groβe Wand

• Gemütlicher Ausklang (7) - balancey face moves before the first bolt and then eases off until you reach fun cracks in a corner, when you reach the roof
  clip a bolt before making an exciting swing left around the arête to move
  up and then back right into the corner.
• Mut der Verzweiflung (8+/9-) - Easy terrain into a pod, clip a sling and launch up the slightly overhanging seam, rapidly thinning hands coerces you into a layback.
• Irrgarten (6) – don’t let the rating fool you. Very aesthetic line up a widening crack with a mantle exit.

Gemütlicher Ausklang (7)	Gemütlicher Ausklang (7)
Mut der Verzweiflung (8+/9-)	Mut der Verzweiflung (8+/9-)
Irrgarten (6)

We called it a day around 7:30 pm (yep, it stays light quite late) after a full day of climbing with mandatory rests when the sky started projectile leaking. It is unusual for me to have two climbing partners on my climbing jaunts, but today we did and as a result one was belaying while the other was snapping photos leading to a very well documented trip to Ettringer Lay. Cheesy sentiment: A special thanks to Ari and Eric for the awesome belays, the top notch photos and fun times at the crag.

Quick Reference Guide:

Location: Ettringen, Deutschland

Weather:

Today	05/22/2012	05/23/2012	05/24/2012	05/25/2012
Thunderstorm 72°/57°	Chance of Rain 70°/61°	Fog 73°/57°	Chance of a Thunderstorm 79°/54°	Clear 73°/54°

Guidebook: Schwarze Säulen: Kletterführer Mayen, by Alexander Schmalz-Friedberger

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Being in Germany, a climber must spring forward at the opportunity to pay a visit to Frankenjura. Frankenjura is not only the birthplace of the “redpoint” (rotpunkt), a term now ubiquitous with free climbing, but also home to the world’s first 9a (5.14d), Action Directe.

An original Rotpunkt (Redpoint) seen at Weiβenstein crag

Frankenjura boasts challenging sport climbs on perfectly pocketed limestone upwards of 10,000 routes and growing. While the area does have a reputation for stout climbs, there are an endless supply of moderates for us mere mortals. Frankenjura is spread out and typically referred to as North and South Frankenjura. We limited ourselves to Northern Frankenjura for this trip and picked up a guidebook with GPS coordinates (not a luxury, but a necessity) from one of the many local climbing shops.

Throughout the Frankenjura, your adventure takes you meandering about beautiful villages with countless Gasthofs serving up homemade German cuisine and  local beers on tap ready to quench your post cranking sessions.

DAY ONE – Krottenseer Turm and Maximillianswand

Amazonenpfeiler (8+)

A beautiful crag hidden behind a forest of trees. The climbs here varied from pocketed, technical slabs to overhung pocket pulling delights. Ratings vary from doable to superhuman. Note: all ratings are listed as (UIAA, YDS).

• Westwand (8-, 5.11c) – really good. sidepulls and pockets
• Blindes Huhn (6+, 5.10b) – fun climbing, crux forces you to make a few moves leaving behind a very comfortable stance
• Spätlese (6+, 5.10b) – up a corner to a roof with an exiting exit to the anchors. Really good route, even if the past rains left a little mud in places you didn’t want it.
• Luisenband (6-, 5.9) – climbs directly to the right of Spätlese. Very fun and heavily pocketed.
• Südriss (7-, 5.10c/d) – crux right off the ground up a right facing corner
• Gratwanderung (7, 5.11a) – deceptively pretty pockets
• Abheber (7+, 5.11b) – strong pockets with awkward clipping into technical face
• Amazonenpfeiler (8+, 5.12a) – delicate, thought provoking and overhung climbing to a definite crux.
• Anaconda (8+, 5.12a) – technical face with a sequencey roof. Just enough there, on a good day.
• Schnitzel on Seitz (8-, 5.11c) – Climb turned out to be much better than it appeared from the ground. Beautiful arete.
• Westkante (6-, 5.9) – heavily pocketed up a crack.

DAY TWO – Weiβenstein (Veissenstein)

Weiβenstein

Weiβenstein is located directly off the roadway and may be one of the most popular crags in the Frankenjura. The crag features juggy albeit polished limestone with routes from vertical to overhung. Unfortunately for us, the weather got a little feisty and gave us a tour of its emotions - snow, grapple, wind, COLD. This did not deter the crowds and the climbers climbed on, until loss of feeling in the fingers occurred necessitating a mid route hand warming break.

• Eieruhr (6+, 5.10b) – Very fun, heavily pocketed climb
• Don’t Worry be Happy (6-, 5.9)
• R2 Muffengang (6-, 5.9)
• R7 (7-, 5.10c/d) – one of my favorites for the day. All around fun climb with a little bit of everything, an arete, huecos, you name it.
• Akku (7+, 5.11b)
• Panische Zeiten (7+, 5.11b) – Very fun route that traverses out left off an arete. Deeply pocketed and extremely polished.
• Wilde 13 Direkt (8, 5.11d) – sharp pockets.
• Saftpresse (8, 5.11d) – bouldery and sequence intensive.
• Mon Marie (6-, 5.9) - great warmup to the crag’s climbing style

Climbers on Wilde 13 (8) & Saftpresse (8)

Exploring Frankenjura was very exciting. It spans through quite a vast area making it impossible to tire of any time soon. Though I may not speak Deutsch, they are definitely speaking my language – Crags + beer + food.

I leave you with a lesson in German climbing commands and terms:

Your new German climbing commands in action: Climber ties in and belayer threads atc. Climber says “ok”, belayer pulls in loose rope and has climber on belay then responds “ok”. Climber climbs and when he wants belayer to take in rope (i.e., to rest or at top of route), climber says “zu” and belayer immediately pulls in all rope slack. Once climber is ready to be lowered, climber says “ab” and belay lowers the climber.

Climb now, thank me later. Gut klettern!

Guten Ostern! (Happy Easter)

 Quick Reference Guide

Location: Northern Frankenjura

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I recently returned from spending 10 glorious days climbing in El Potrero Chico (EPC for short) and it was an amazing and CHEAP trip. The area boasts climbs, mainly sport climbing, anywhere from 1 to 23 pitches on superb limestone for climbers of variable ability.

The recent travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State have kept many climbers away from the EPC as it lies just shy of an hour from Monterrey, Mexico (see travel advisory). In fact, I have been told that the EPC used to see 500+ climbers at any given time during the climbing season (winter) and now sees roughly 100. Sure, this means a very non-crowded climbing mecca and access to very popular routes for yours truly; however, this also means that the local economy has taken a painful blow. Many accommodations and restaurants once overflowing with climbers have now closed which leaves you feeling like you are in a ghost town as you endure the painstaking 10 minute approach to EPC from your accommodations. The economy of the surrounding area is highly dependent on the influx of climbers during the winter and the locals in the summer (EPC has a swimming complex that attracts many during the hot months).

EPC Park Entrance

Hidalgo, EPC's closest town

A special thanks to Janette of Cliffmama.com for route recommendations and a surplus of information on El Potrero Chico. It is true, mommies do give good beta!

Guide to Climbing in El Potrero Chico

SAFETY - Yes, the US has advised Americans to defer recreational travel to the State of Nuevo Leon, where EPC resides. Did I feel unsafe? Absolutely not. I did; however, exercise extreme caution getting to EPC. I chose to fly to Monterrey, as opposed to driving, and hired a private ride, rather than a local taxi. I spent no time in the Monterrey area besides the airport proper and my private ride was waiting in the airport at our arrival gate and drove us to EPC via the toll road (toll roads in Mexico are much safer than alternative byways). I opted to camp at La Posada, residing directly outside of EPC gates (EPC is like a gated park). At La Posada, the management actually maintains closed gates at the facility during the evening hours and is actively aware of guests’ presence. I highly recommend traveling by means of air and hiring a private driver just as we did. See Quick Reference Guide for more information on how to do so.

ROCK TYPE AND QUALITY – The massive cliffs and fins of EPC are composed of limestone. There are hundreds of established sport routes, with new routes going up all the time, varying in length from single pitch to multi-pitch (up to 23 pitches I believe – see Timewave Zero). While there are a handful of trad lines available, I would not climb on trad gear at EPC due to the nature of the limestone. It is not uncommon for the rock to break off and there has been at least one recorded death of someone climbing on trad gear. Most of the awesome cracks have been bolted, so you are better off inciting the avid sport climber within you and leave that trad rack at home.

WHEN TO CLIMB - EPC is your winter climbing destination. The best time to climb here is December through March, where average temps vary from 60F-80F respectively. A few things to note here is that the temperature and weather conditions vary wildly. There was one day that it was raining at our campsite; however, it was clear in the park. There was another day where the winds were fairly strong and cold at our campsite and then it was unbearably warm with relatively calm winds in the park. I could keep listing examples that we encountered, but you probably get the point – prepare for anything and make no assumptions on weather based on the conditions at your accommodations.

PACKING LIST - bring everything you need to climb at EPC. There is really no gear shop nearby, so you would be in a rough spot if you didn’t have what you needed. Chalk (Tiza in spanish) is about the only climbing related item available for purchase nearby. It can be purchased at El Buho Cafe in Hidalgo, your rest day headquarters, if necessary and you can pick up one of their scrumptious pastries and fair trade coffees while you are there. I would recommend packing your climbing gear as carry on if possible (I flew American Airlines and you are allowed to carry on rope, draws, etc.) so that you have everything you need to climb with right when you land and don’t suffer any mishaps due to baggage loss issues.

• helmet - not a motherly, pushy suggestion but a MUST for EPC. Rockfall is a constant issue so protect your noggin’
• 20 quickdraws
• 4 shoulder length slings (~60cm) to extend, especially useful when linking pitches.
• 70m rope - A 70m gets you down all lines at EPC, a 60 does not. You can bring a 60m with a tag line but I highly discourage this as there is a lot of vegetation and blocks for your rope to get stuck while pulling a rope on rappel. A 70m keeps it simple with no extra volume available to stick (i.e., knot connecting two ropes).
• harness
• belay/rappel device (i.e., atc)
• bail biners - Just a few, prepare for everything. You are climbing bolted lines which enables you to bail due to any given factors (think: climbing beyond your limit, weather, rappel gone awry, etc.)
• climbing shoes - limestone is rough on the sticky rubber so if it looks like you are about to burn through your current pair or are staying for an extended period, bring a backup pair because you can’t get a resole or purchase a new pair in the area.
• nuts - yes I know I said bring no trad gear; however, I recommend this option to some climbers that are a little timid from large bolt spacing and high first bolts. I brought these but never remembered to bring them to the wall and was just fine although there were a couple times that I cursed myself for not having them on me mid climb. This is more of an optional item.
• Clothes – pack for variable weather, some days were sunny and some were cold and windy. softshell pants, heavy base or light mid-layer (such as a fleece or merino/capilene) and a hooded softshell jacket should be worn or brought in a daypack. These items kept us comfortable throughout the wild temperature fluctuations. Other than that, bring whatever other personal items you like. May I recommend a swimsuit to enjoy laying poolside on a rest day?

LOCATION - Hidalgo, Mexico

GETTING TO EPC - Fly into Monterrey and prearrange taxi service via toll roads as opposed to driving over the border. A lot of the safety issues lie at or near the border as well as in Monterrey, so stay away from those areas and you should be good. I talked to a few people who drove over the border through Laredo, TX and some had exciting adventures that I was happy we avoided by opting to fly. Flight arrangements should run sub $500 on either Continental or American Airlines and a private taxi arrangement another $50 (for 2 people). I highly recommend contacting Magic Ed for taxi service, because the money paid for a ride to EPC goes toward bolting when you ride with Ed plus you get one of his shnazzy route books that he updates annually all for the $51 fare.

GUIDEBOOK – EPC is consistently getting new route development, meaning that as soon as a guidebook is published it is obsolete. With that being said, you have a few options. The printed guidebook most commonly used is “The Whole Enchilada”, by Dane Bass (buy online here) in conjunction with Magic Ed’s annually updated “Climb El Potrero Chico” (available from Magic Ed in El Potrero Chico).

The Two EPC Climbing Guidebooks

ACCOMMODATIONS – There are a few options here, all very affordable. I opted to camp and it cost me a mere $5/day. Regardless of where you choose to camp, the following seem to be par for the course with your paid rate: wifi, hot showers, toilets, a communal kitchen with fridge and food storage space and a lot of land to plop my tent on with a view of none other than EPC. Understandably, this may be considered as roughing it to some people so I have gathered alternatives for you and they are listed in order of popularity.

La Posada - This was the most populated and party friendly accommodation at EPC. If an occasional loud noise from nearby partiers does not bother you (this only occurred twice during our 10 day stay and the majority of noise was a distance from our campsite) then I highly recommend La Posada. They have a pool along with a full service restaurant and bar. La Posada is just a few doors down from the alternative campgrounds listed. If you are looking to pick up a climbing partner, La Posada is the place to do so.

• Camping – $5/day
• Private Rooms – $29/night. The rooms actually seemed to be near the noisiest areas of La Posada. While they are quite small, they provide the extra fluff for your stay – bed, private bathroom and a roof over your head.
• Casitas – $58/night and up

La Pagoda – another developed camping and lodging option. This is more quiet and less popular than La Posada.

Homero’s- one of the first established camping options at EPC. Unfortunately, I have tried to contact them for more information with no such luck but have listed this for completeness.

Casita Rentals – MagicEdsPotreroChico.com - Magic Ed offers quite a few options here. If you are traveling with a group of people down to EPC, this is the most cost effective and dare I say luxurious option available.

Ariel’s Cabin aka the “Chalet” – a somewhat new option for those wishing for a more unique EPC experience. At the Chalet, you stay in the EPC proper at the back of the canyon. Pro – you are as close as you can possibly get to climbing. Con – you are as far as possible from other climbers come nightfall. Rates start at $25 USD/night for a private room with bathroom and kitchenette with larger room options available.

Now stop reading and start planning your next climbing trip to El Potrero Chico, Mexico. If you need a little more arm twisting or want to experience the climbing asap, read all about our adventures in EPC here.

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• Love Letters from Potrero Vol. 2 Volume Two. Climbing tales from...

Jump to: Quick Reference Guide: Red River Gorge

The Red River Gorge in Kentucky is a climbing mecca within a short drive from many metropolitan areas. Lucky for us, we happened to be in Dayton, Ohio for business which is about a three hour drive to this world class climbing destination.

Red River Gorge, or ‘the Red’ as the cool kids say, is composed of sandstone crags spread throughout the Daniel Boone National Forest and privately owned land (read: access issues). Although the Red is known for its seemingly never ending supply of relentless power house climbs, there are climbs for most climbing abilities. I do suggest being comfortable at the 5.10 grade, so you can start dabbling in the ‘moderate’ classics.

As I mentioned previously, the Red is spread out among forest and privately owned property. Organizations, specifically the Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition (RRGCC) have done a huge part in maintaining climbing access at the Red and have a comprehensive timeline that sums up access issues on their website (see timeline). Please consider making a donation to the RRGCC, as the majority of the Red probably wouldn’t be accessible if it weren’t for these climbing angels.

DAY ONE – TORRENT FALLS

With an ambitious early morning departure from Dayton, we found ourselves at the Red  just after sunrise. I guess we were pretty excited about this weekend warrior venture into Kentucky. We stopped and had a bite to eat to kill some time, as it was still freezing outside, then headed over to Torrent Falls for a full day of climbing. Torrent Falls was absolutely breathtaking.

The cranking goods:

• Wadcutter (5.9+) – pumpy warmup route… good introduction to hold shopping
• Bandolier (5.11a) – pumpier warmup
• Receiver (5.11b) – sustained, overhanging and straightforward enjoyment
• Sex Show (5.11c) – and who does not like one?
• Pocket Pussy (5.10d) – classic overhung fun
• Seek the Truth (5.11d) – don’t play chicken at the crux
• Windy Corner (5.11b) – trad line. Climbs out a corner at the start with the challenges starting early clearing the roof then rock the pump up the overhung jam party
• Tourist Trap (5.9) – lots of awesome… really unique and varied climbing for the grade.  Way underrated in the guide, I would give it 4 or 5 stars.

Windy Corner (5.11b)

Tourist Trap (5.9)

NOTE: Torrent Falls is privately owned and you must visit TorrentFallsClimbing.com to request access to climb here. Once granted access, please make sure to drop a little something in the donation box found at the bottom of the stairs and remember to LEAVE NO TRACE.

After a full day of climbing, we decided to check out what the renowned Miguel’s Pizza was all about. Miguel’s did not disappoint these hungry rock feigns. Their pizzas consisted of homemade dough and a slew of unique toppings (sweet potato, avocado, chorizo…you get the point). The only drawback here was no beer (jump to Imbibing at the Red). Miguel’s is in a dry county, so if you want beer you best bring your own. I don’t know about you, but nothing tops off a long day of climbing quite like an ice cold adult beverage. Due to our preplanning failure of bringing beers and lack of energy to drive 5 miles out of county to purchase some, we settled for some Ale 8 gingerale. Full and tired, we cashed in at Abner’s motel in Stanton.

Miguel's Pizza - Unofficial Climbing Headquarters at the Red

DAY TWO – MILITARY WALL

The Military Wall serves up a little something for everyone making it perfect for my climbing partner and me, seeing that he is a 5.12 climber and I am a 5.11-and under climber. There were enough climbs, with varying styles, to keep us both climbing until our fingers boycotted our mission. The weather was about 20 degrees warmer than yesterday which provided us with increased pleasure. In fact, the 5.12 wall received so much morning sun that it almost became too hot until the sun sunk low enough to tuck behind the wall, leaving us with shade around 1pm.

• Fuzzy Undercling (5.11b) – hard start to a super fun jug haul
• Gung Ho (5.12b) – a well protected 1 move wonder
• Reliquary (5.12b) – stout and sustained if you have no idea how to find knee bars
• Tissue Tiger (5.12b) – relatively easy until the 10 foot slap in the face near the top
• All Things Considered (5.11d) – seeking climbers with balance and technique. Based on where else you climb, this may seem easy compared to other climbs of the grade in the Red.
• Possum Lips (5.10d) – balance and technique take two
• Moonbeam (5.9) – glassy/polished but fun

Gung Ho (5.12b)

Fuzzy Undercling (5.11b)

Next weekend we return to the Red with a stout ticklist planned. Truth be told, we haven’t really put down the guidebook and are jonesing to thrash our fingers all over again on the glorious overhung sandstone.

Quick Reference Guide

Location: Red River Gorge, KY (map is set to the climbing headquarters, Miguel’s Pizza)

Access: Red River Gorge is located about 60 miles east of Lexington, KY. All crags are either located on forest or privately owned land. Please read and obey all signs regarding access to particular crags. If an area is closed, do not climb there. The Red has so many climbs so don’t poach routes that are closed as this can and will cause access problems for climbing in the future. Don’t be that guy (or girl).

Accommodations: You have a few options here – camping or lodging

• Primitive Camping: Permitted on forest land, at least 300 ft from the road, with an overnight permit. The permit can be purchased at the Shell Station in Slade (map) for $3/1 night, $5/3 nights, $7/7 nights, or $30/yearly pass.
• Campgrounds:
  Miguel’s Pizza – $2/night (showers and wifi extra) and open year round. This is THE PLACE to stay if looking for a social experience at the Red or if you are interested in picking up a climbing partner. They also happen to have the best pizza and a climbing shop in case you forgot something. 1890 Natural Bridge Road, Slade, KY (map).
  Lago Linda Hideaway – $5/night and includes showers and wifi. The calmer and more plush alternative to Miguel’s. 850 Black Ridge Road, Beattyville, KY (map).
• Motels:
  Li’l Abner Motel – open seasonally (web)
  Abner’s Motel – open year round. Located outside of the Red in Stanton. Provides the basics – a bed, roof and shower (web).
• Cabins: Lots of options here so I will list my favorite and google can lead you beyond this.
  Torrent Falls – located behind the gates, providing access to Torrent Falls’ world class climbing. The property is serene and beautiful (web).

Imbibing at the Red: Yes, a lot of accommodations you will find yourself at in the Red are in Powell County, a dry county. A dry county means there is no alcohol available for purchase; however, you can discretely drink your brews purchased elsewhere. Didn’t bring your own? Thankfully, neighboring Powell County is a not so dry county that houses your go-to beer supplier, C & S Carryout aka “The Beer Trailer”. Buy some beers to take away, buy some beers to enjoy on their patio, or do both. The Beer Trailer is about 5 miles from Miguel’s Pizza at 1163 N Ky 11, Torrent, KY (map). Hours are Monday – Thursday: 8AM to 10PM, Friday and Saturday: 8AM to 11PM and closed Sunday.

Recommended Guidebook: Red River Gorge Rock Climbs, Ray Ellington – The expanded 3rd Edition in full color!

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Well rested and recharged, we were at it again. Temperatures were still in the 90F range for our fifth day on the rock, but dropped drastically to the mid 70s by our sixth and final day.

CLIMBING DAY FIVE: SATORI (5.10c) AND OFF THE COUCH (5.10d)

While most of the other visiting climbers declared a rest day to evade the scorching sun we opted for an early start trying to beat the heat. We headed off for the Zapatista Wall where Satori (5.10c, 7 pitches) and Off the Couch (5.10d, 7 pitches) lie in waiting. The hike was long by Potrero Chico Standards, about 35 minutes, and followed a mining road before turning off up a scree and boulder hopping incline. It is important to note that one can easily tack on an extra painstaking 10 minutes if they cut short of the boulder hopping along the 3rd class ridge and head for the scree field, as we accidentally did. The trail is roughly marked by intermittently spaced red circles, so keep an eye out for those.

Satori (5.10c, 7 pitches)
A fantastic moderate with a short crux at P6. Tops out along the very scenic “Scariest Ride Ridge”. The route follows a prominent white stained arête and the base of the climb is marked “SAR”. Took us about 3 hours swinging leads.

• P1 – 5.9, Fun run
• P2 – 5.10b, more fun run with a short crux
• P3 – 5.9
• P4 – 5.10b
• P5 – 5.10a
• P6 – 5.10c, short crux and surprisingly, slightly overhung. Lots of fun side-pulls. Stay on the arête and be cautious of loose stuff if you head off of the arête.
• P7 – 5.7, blocky run to the top

P1 (5.8) - Satori

P6 (5.10c) - Satori

Off the Couch (5.10d, 7 pitches)
Shares the first two pitches of Satori, cuts left on P3 and then heads up a flawlessly perfect face for four more pitches of intricate face climbing with thin moves, increasing in difficulty pitch by pitch. This route is fairly new, it was put up about a year and a half ago, and boy was it awesome. If you hike “all the way up there” to do Satori, don’t call it a day without trekking up this one – it only added about two hours of climbing and unequivocally rounded out our day on the rock. This was one of my favorite climbs in El Potrero Chico.

• P1/P2 – same as for Satori.
• P3/P4 – 5.8/5.8, linked. Traverse left from P2 and head up the start of a clean face.
• P5 – 5.10b, thin and balancey face climbing.
• P6 – 5.10c, more increasingly thin moves up the face to a traverse at an awesome flake.
• P7 – 5.10d, thin moves with a few traverses. One of my all time favorite pitches.

P6 (5.10c) - Off the Couch

CLIMBING DAY SIX: PANCHO VILLA RIDES AGAIN (5.10c)

Pancho Villa Rides Again (5.10c)

As our last day to prance up and down limestone, we chose to return to the Mota wall for a climb that touted rave reviews from our fellow climbers, Pancho Villa Rides Again - a five pitch bolted route that follows a luring crack. This was hands down our favorite climb of the trip and should not be missed by anyone visiting the Potrero.

• P1 – 5.10c, follow that crack and enjoy amazing hand jams and finger locks The crack tapers from hands to off fingers at the crux (fingers if you are lucky).
• P2 – 5.10b, continue up the crack to a large flake before heading back left into the hand crack.
• P3 – 5.10c, traverse right and then up to keep enjoying the hand crack until you pull some moves to clear a small bulge.
• P4 – 5.9+, the crack opens up to a beautiful chimney and then exit right to a thinner crack.
• P5 – 5.10a, follow the blocky rock to the top.

P3 (5.10c) - Pancho Villa Rides Again

P4 (5.9) - Pancho Villa Rides Again

Important note: be mindful not to trundle any rocks while on route or during rappel descent as this route is on the very popular Mota wall where rock fall can and will kill or significantly injure someone below.

Our last two days of climbing at El Potrero Chico involved quite varied and unique climbs, which seems to be a constant theme here. I have never been to an area that has routes varying so wildly from one another, which is what makes the Potrero perfect for any climber. There really is something for everyone – cracks, face, multi-pitch and single pitch cragging. I already have a ticklist for when I return to the Potrero and I haven’t even left yet. Though sadly the time has come to call upon “Magic Ed” to taxi us back to Monterrey airport where our flights home await us.

Sold on a climbing adventure to El Potrero Chico? Stay tuned for a quick reference guide by yours truly.

"Magic Ed" - El Potrero Chico

Location: El Potrero Chico – Hidalgo Mexico

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Rest day two has crept up on us already and with temperatures approaching 34C today, we don’t mind being force-fed a pool lounging day at La Posada. Truth be told, the pool may be our only means to bathe as it appears the water is not functioning in the women’s bathroom.

We are basking in the glory of another two days of stellar climbing in the Potrero and have learned a valuable lesson for our two days to come – the word “classic” when used to describe a route tends to equate to exciting bolting. With this valuable lesson learned, we are recharging our cajones on this well-earned rest day.

CLIMBING DAY THREE: SPACE BOYZ (5.10d)

Base of Space Boyz

An El Potrero “classic” that summits the first bolted gendarme in the Potrero. This was the first bolting experience for these guys and they bolted only on weekends over the course of a year. The ratings held very true to the grade and Space Boyz served up the crux smack dab in the middle of the climb on P6, kindly offering a 5 pitch warm up and 5 pitch cool down.

Space Boyz (5.10d, 11 pitches, 1,000′)

• P1/P2 – 5.8/5.9 (linked). Dance up the face of the black and white streaked wall. Balancey moves and technical for the grade.
• P3/P4 – 5.9+/5.9 (linked). More or less similar climbing to the first two pitches.
• P5 – 5.10. Gain position to an exposed ledge
• P6 – 5.10d, exposed moves into a right facing corner. Beautiful position.
• P7 – 5.10c/d Climb the right facing dihedral or make moves up the face, your choice. We opted for the crack naturally
• P8 – 5.9
• P9/P10 – 5.10a/5.9 (linked) Stem master Jean’s favorite. Exposed and fun moves to negotiate a roof.
• P11 – 5.9, wild off width with a featured face. Many ways to climb this pitch, pick your adventure but be mindful of loose rock.

P3/P4 (5.9+/5.9) - Space Boyz	P6 (5.10d) - Space Boyz
P6 (5.10d) - Space Boyz	Looking Up (P11) - Space Boyz

Topped out on Space Boyz - Nice View!

CLIMBING DAY FOUR: SNOT GIRLZ’ (5.10d)

Another Potrero “classic”. A beautiful line up an obvious crack system. This climb gets right down to business with the party all up in front, P1 was the money pitch and P2 was not exactly a party pooper. Snot Girlz’ gave us brilliant climbing and felt true to its grade, leaving us all smiles.

Base of Snot Girlz

Route Profile - Snot Girlz

Snot Girlz’ (5.10d, 7 pitches, 700′)

• P1 – 5.10d, starts on a face to the left of the crack and quickly moves into the crack. The mental crux may be more daunting than the physical crux, as you make moves well above 2 body lengths from your last bolt with another body length to go before your next.
• P2 – 5.10c/d, continue up the crack and enjoy an assortment of holds – side pulls, crimps, slopers, hand jams, pockets, underclings.
• P3/P4 – 5.10/5.9 (linked), dancing up the rock, move right, left, right, left (in no particular order).
• P5 – 5.9 (Jean led), amazing position for the grade! An airy traverse up a blocky ledge with a breathtaking view of the Potrero.
• P6/P7 – 5.9/5.9 (linked), pull moves up a face wandering right and then enter a perfect hand crack leading to summit.

P2 (5.10c) - Snot Girlz

We are hopeful that the temperatures start to back off for our final two days of climbing at the Potrero. We discovered yesterday that climbing in the blazing sun is like standing in front of a firing squad with bad aim. It is slow and painful and really sucks the life out of you. With the assumption being that it will be intemperate tomorrow, we are planning an early start right when the roosters start cock a doodle doing. We hope to get on Satori (5.10c, 7 pitches) and perhaps the adjacent line that shares the first two pitches of Satori, Off the Couch (5.10d, 7 pitches). We have yet to settle on any given route for our final day of climbing, but we are sure it will be a “classic” not shy of epic.

Until we chat again…

Location: El Potrero Chico – Hidalgo, Mexico

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Buenos dias amigos!

We arrived to some interesting weather in Monterrey, MX – rain and hail. This is quite unusual for an area boasting temps averaging 70F this time of year. Transportation from the Monterrey airport went flawlessly. We were greeted by “Magic Ed“, our driver, who has lived in the area establishing climbs in the Potrero since the late 80s. He also is the man responsible for putting together a guidebook of sorts that he updates on an annual basis, of which a copy was included as part of our taxi fare. At first sight, Potrero Chico seems magical. Its limestone canyons are massive and welcoming. Usually the area is packed with queues of climbers; however, many people have been staying away from Potrero due to fear of escalating violence. Restaurants that were once packed with hungry climbers now lie vacant and closed for business as of 2010. Jean and I did a quick grocery shop at the Carniceria to stock up on the essentials (50 eggs, veggies, instant coffee, etc.) and headed to La Posada, our base camp for the next ten days. La Posada is a popular place for climber’s to stay. In addition to a few rooms for let, they offer camping for $5/person and have several amenities that are unheard of for these two dirtbag girls – hot showers, kitchen facilities with stove and fridge, toilets and a very frigid swimming pool with a sundeck. We found a lovely terrace with a beautiful view of the Potrero to pitch our tents on. Our first night culminated with a 60 peso bottle of Tempranillo (5 USD) and socializing amongst the fellow La Posada campers.

El Potrero Chico Entrance

Climbing day one was our crag day on the Mota wall (mota means marijuana in spanish) to get a feeling for ratings. I took it pretty easy, because my lungs were in agony but we still managed to get a pretty good feel for the ratings and I got to see my climbing partner’s eyes light up as she experienced limestone for the first time. The rain had let up; however, it was still cold and windy for the majority of the day.

DAY ONE – CRAGGING

• Caguama Queen (5.9) – meaning Turtle Queen, climbs a face to a wide crack and finishes with some more face climbing.
• Tlaloc (5.10b) – fun, balancey/technical face climbing.
• Death of a Tradman (5.10a) – an aesthetic crack line involving no crack climbing but with exciting bolting
• Rusty’s Crack (5.9) – Lead by Jean, a fun curving and discontinuous crack
• Sleepwalkin’ (5.9+) – Jean lead this one. Should more appropriately be named DirtDustin’

Sleepwalkin' (5.9+) - Space Boyz is prominent gendarme in background

With day one cashed in, we headed back to the Carniceria to get more essentials – carne, salsa and Tecate Light, of course. We had high hopes of grilling but were too exhausted when we returned, so we ate at the restaurant at La Posada and saved grilling for our victory dinner the next day.

DAY TWO – ESTRELLITA (5.10b)

P10/P11 (5.10b) - Estrellita

Bright eyed and powered by two cups of java a piece, we headed for Estrellas Canyon where Estrellita was the plan. Estrellita is a 12 pitch must do for the area. It ascends a dihedral ramp to a breathtaking summit. This was a great multi-pitch for Jean and I to work on our communication and rope management where we got to practice swinging leads, making us an efficient team for the more difficult climbs to come. This was our first multi-pitch climbing trip together, so its necessary to mesh your styles and preferences together. The weather participated quite nicely and we topped out with plenty of sun in the day to safely negotiate the five long and somewhat wandering rappels off the back side of the wall into the adjacent Los Lobos Canyon. This was Jeans first rap decent of a multi-pitch so it was very exciting and of course, she did awesome.

Estrellita (5.10b, 12 pitches, 1100′)

• P1 – 5.9
• P2 – 5.9+
• P3 – 5.9
• P4 – 5.8
• P5 – Third Class
• P6/P7 – 5.7/5.8 (linked)
• P8 – 5.10b
• P9 – 5.9+
• P10/P11 – 5.10b/5.10b  (linked)
• P12 – 5.7

We were excited when our feet reached soil and quickly walked back to basecamp at La Posada. Before setting our gear down at the tent we saluted each other with a clank of our tecate lights. The night was far from over as we had some grilling to tend to. We puppy dog eyed our way to some firewood and a groundskeeper gave us some killer advice on kindling the fire – douse a wad of paper towels with aciete de comida (cooking oil). Jean’s determination left her with some rather slick paws after a 2 hour mission to get that fire going and boy did she. We rejoiced with some pretty amazing steaks and quite possibly the spiciest jalapeno pepper of my life. Tears of happiness later, we hit the sack.

Today is rest day one and we are enjoying the accommodations at La Posada, although quite eager to get back on the rock. Stay tuned…

Your favorite classy dirtbags,
Ilana and Jean

Location: El Potrero Chico – Hidalgo, Mexico

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