For years, El Potrero Chico has been at the top of my climbing bucket list. It’s home to the second longest sport route in North America, Time Wave Zero, and the notorious El Sendero Luminoso, made famous by a Honnold free solo in January of 2014. It’s the sport climber’s Yosemite, with more multi-pitch sport routes than a climb-cation could ever have time for.
Thankfully, if you want to make the most of your climbing time at El Potrero Chico, it’s easy and doable to climb in the morning and evening at different crags. We visited in April, which is not the best time to go, so we continuously battled the heat of the day. That meant 6am alarms, mid-afternoon naps, and evening sessions.
With the pool at La Posada’s, I couldn’t complain about downtime and lounging in the hammock above the pool, though. It. Was. Glorious.
Transportation To and From El Potrero Chico
Getting to and from El Potrero Chico is fairly easy. My husband and I flew into San Antonio, and hailed a greyhound from there to Monterrey, which cost about $26 each way. Since the ride went through the night, and there weren’t a lot of people on board, we were able to sleep for most of the journey.
Once at the station in Monterrey there were taxis outside, and with a little bit of help from Google translate, we were soon on our way. Friends of ours flew into Monterrey International Airport, and the drivers there immediately knew where to take them. The ride to the park entrance is about 500 pesos, or $26.
Where We Stayed in El Potrero Chico
I can’t speak about the other campgrounds, but there are quite a few you can stay at near the entrance to Potrero. We chose La Posada because we went in the off season and everywhere else was pretty slow. The campground saw a surge of visitors during the weekend, with locals coming to camp. We found the ideal camping spot for our two tents and three hammocks in a patch of new growth trees. We ended up paying 130 pesos/night ($7) which included showers and pool use.
El Potrero Chico Climbing
While my eyes were set on climbing Time Wave Zero, I quickly realized it was out of reach after spending a day on Space Boyz (5.10d). The eleven-pitch, 1100-foot climb, demanded every ounce of courage and strength I could muster. I grunted my way up, and wasn’t able to carry my own weight. Coby ended up leading most of the pitches, and being a good sport about it.
A few days later we went up a six pitch 5.10b, Dope Ninja, which included the most epic 5.6 traverse I’ve ever led in my life! I’d highly recommend this route to anyone headed down to Potrero. It’s also a great introduction to the type of climbing in the area.
Eating & Drinking
In terms of food, the market, La Mexicana, is a 45-minute walk from the campgrounds. The food (and alcohol) is super cheap–we bought a bottle of tequila for five dollars. We also bought 17 avocados for about six dollars. Each time we went down to the market we were either picked up by a passerby without trying, or stuck out our thumbs far enough to hitch a ride. The locals are incredibly friendly, often honking their horns and waving as they drive by. There is a restaurant at La Posada with a variety of Mexican food as well as dollar beer and tequila shots.
You can also check out the Tuesday market in town on a rest day. Someone described it as a “WalMart on wheels,” because there are so many things for sale. From milky fruity drinks, to usb chargers, to shoes, to produce, you can find nearly anything you’re looking for here. We had the opportunity to meet Raul Reyes who makes some of the best hot sauce I’ve ever tasted.
There’s definitely enough in El Potrero Chico to keep you occupied for a lifetime; in our two weeks we barely touched the surface.
Freedom in Motion 