Mexico - english

MEXICO MORE THAN BEACHES, by Ramon Alvarez

                      Mexico is best know as a beach destination; waves, sand and sun are the main attraction for most of the people who visit this colorful and exotic country, but for those fanatics of rock climbing, Mexico could be more than that, Mexico has great rock climbing, with perfectly fixed and developed routes and crags, in a country that present itself attractively cheap for any European or North American climber.

                      Pretend to  talk about the climbing in the whole country result ambitious and maybe not serious; there´s a lot of articles about potrero chico and el gigante in Chihuahua, so maybe it could be more adequate to leave them out for this time, and limit us to talk about a part of the country with the highest concentration of routes and crags. I´m talking about the center of Mexico, within 4 or 5 hours  you can find several high quality crags of conglomerate, limestone an riolite, connected by the best highways in Mexico, most of them whit more than 50 routes each.

The best of central México climbing, is the short driving distances (about 1 hr), you can go from stalactites and tufas in overhanging caves, to technical and vertical volcanic rock, both higly developed and with grades that goes from 5.10 to 5.14´s.

This time, I´ll try to refer only  to the emblematic, and more developed zones, starting with those near México city, where you can find “los dinamos” a urban but not less important crag with 4 different sub zones: primero, segundo, tercero y cuarto and the gorgeous cave in contacoatlan near  the white and beautiful town of Taxco, a world class crag,  with some of the hardest and most beautiful routes in Mexico, work mostly by Carlos Garcia, this crag is just beside the chontacoatlan river, a destiny for those who love speleology, that can be an alternative activity.

Facing north, about 3 hours, you arrive to Jilotepec, a small town, placed just beside the crag of Dexcani, best know as “Jilo”, by local climbers, in the middle of a beautifull wood u can find a quiet and peaceful destiny form Monday to Friday, but in the weekends, it gets really crowded, the best moment for the interaction whit local climbers, Jilo habe more than 100 routes from  5.9 to 5.14b and a few harder projects in volcanic conglomerated rock, some of the recommended routes in this crag are “masiosare un extraño enemigo, 5.13b” and “megasesino 5.14a” for those who climb hard, and if you a re a 5.11 or 5.12 climber, will find a bunch of high quality long lines the sector “el circo”.

Close from dexcani, about 1 hour away is the super classic “Cañon de Aculco” (Aculco gore), whit thousands of cracks for those who love the trad climb, in Acluco you find literally a climbable crack each , whit perfect protection placements and rock quality, so we are talking about hundreds of clean lines waiting to be climbed, and with a wide range of difficulties.

Time to drive again, just one hour and you arrive to Bernal, this color and peaceful town have the biggest monolith in México,  with easy but beautiful 3 and 4  pitches routes, a one day stop before keep going north to Guanajuato, a colonial city where u find “la bufa ” crag  with 75 vertical technical climbs from 5.8 to 5.13d, and maybe one of the most beautiful views that u ll get in México , whit the whole city at your feets, then  after climbing u can go for a drink “chela” (beer) in the down town at any of the multiple bars.  

                      Near Guanajuato, 20 minutes away, is the industrial city of , and the “Cañada del Gigante”, a crag whit more than 50 routes, and a overhanging sector, that can be attractive for those who climb 5.12 and 5.13.      

Ok, lets keep going north, , famous for its April fest, there is the crag called “Tapias Viejas”, 90 vertical and hard routes in a almost desert landscape, all for you, this place is pretty quiet and is practically impossible to find it crowded, in Tapias you will find routes to 5.14.

Then you will arrive to San Luis Potosi, another big city, but the crags located in the near town of Realejo are maybe some of the best in the central México, la cueva de las candelas (Candles cave) and “la joya del salitre” have wonderful overhanging routes, maybe this could be my choice for a weekend.

Finally lets drive the final hour, to gets Zacatecas, and the festival in linares, a highly developed zone in the desert limits between the center and the north of the country, more than 200 routes and a great climbers party in the month of may, drums, electronic music, beer and climbing, maybe the best mix. www. festivallinares.com

                      Here we finish this trip, not talking about, Actopan (who deserves a special article), and Jalisco and states crags, but maybe next time.

First and second photos: chontacoatlan cave

Third: aculco.

Fourt: la bufa