Mexico rock paradise: El Potrero Chico

Silvestro Stucchi introduces El Potrero Chico, a rock paradise in Mexico

January 2005

El potrero chico, arrampicata, Silvestro Stucchi

Want to climb somewhere completely different, on sundrenched, fantastic rock? The Italian climber Silvestro Stucchi sent us this brief report from El Potrero Chico, in Mexico, circa 40km from Monterrey. It sounds like it could become a new Yosemite...

POTRERO CHICO TRIP REPORT 2005
A hidden corner in Mexico's lost paradise
by Silvestro Stucchi

This holiday wasn't planned. We'd booked to go to Thailand, to climb and relax on the enchanting beaches... unfortunately we all know what happened. So we decided to head to Mexico as I'd heard of a place where the only question you ask yourself in the morning is "where should we go climbing today?" This place is called Potrero Chico, it's in Mexico, roughly 40 km from Monterrey.

We camp at "Posada El potrero chico" and it seems as if we're in Yosemite's Camp 4! By chance we meet up with our friend Carlos, a strong local climber who tells us the best places to go. We follow his advice and start at the sector Outrage. The climbing is exceptional, highly technical on excellent quality red limestone. One day isn't enough to see it all.

Potrero Chico offers all types of climbing, from single pitches to long multi-pitches. Don't miss out on the highly popular "Sendero Luminoso": 15 pitches all graded 5.12a-5.12b. Almost all single pitches are 30m long and most do not have abseil chains or abseil carabiners - you have to know the lower off manoeuvres well to abseil from the final ring. Don't worry if you wake up in the morning immersed in mist - after an hour it lifts and the weather will be, as always, simply perfect. If it's too hot climb on the North Face of “El Toro” or “Zapatista Wall”. And don't miss out on Milesky wall... all routes here are 5 star quality, in particular the mythical “Mano de Dios”!

After 10 days climbing at Potrero we discover that our skin is completely trashed but we're happy and content of our trip to this "Mexican Paradise".

Silvestro Stucchi

El potrero chico, arrampicata, Silvestro Stucchi

From top to bottom: El Potrero Chico; Outrage Wall;
right top: Silvestro Stucchi climbing at Milesky Wall, and Milesky (photo archive Silvestro Stucchi)

	Archive news Stucchi
	Single pitch rope manoeuvres
	www.elpotrerochico.com
	http://gq.msn.it

MILESKY WALL *****
Silvestro Stucchi's recommended routes. An updated topo is located at Tami’s CafÃ¨

- Permanent Vacation 5.11c
- La Mano de Dios 5.12c
- Mother Superior 5.12a
- Shakti 5.12a
- Pope on a Rope 5.11d
- Mr. Big 5.12b
- Twist of Fate 5.11d
- Weeping Jesus 5.13a
- Rain of Gold 5.11a, 5.13b
- Little Elvis 5.11b
- Roman Holiday 5.9, 5.13a, 5.12a, 5.12c
- Chutes and Ladders 5.10d, 5.10d, 5.11a
- Rest Day alla Pagoda 5.11a, 5.11d, 5.11d, 5.11b, 5.11c, 5.13a

OUTRAGE WALL *****

- Palm Sunday 5.12d
- Habanero Sunday 5.11b
- Job Restored 5.12d
- Habanero 5.12b
- Time for Living 5.12b, 5.12a, 5.12a, 5.12a, 5.13a
- Hurdy Gurdy Man 5.12a,5.13a
- British Invasion 5.12a
- Mothership Connection 5.11d, 5.13a
- Steel Pulse 5.11a, 5.12d
- Celestial Omnibus 5.12a
- New Bolts 5.11a
- Love Removal Machine 5.11a
- Tax Day 5.12a
- Despachadora de Homitas 5.11a
- Eternal Fatalist 5.11c
- No Excuses 5.11a
- A Fistfull of Excuses 5.12a
- For a Few Excuse More 5.12b
- Afro-Juan 5.11b, 5.11a, 5.12a, 5.12a
- Kung Fupert 5.11b, 5.12a
- Flim Flam Man 5.11b
- El Sendero Diablo 5.9, 5.11c, 5.11b, 5.10a, 5.11a, 5.7