King Kong

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Go back to Filo Noroccidental.

King Kong

The King Kong Pillar.

Our second objective on the Pena was the relatively new King Kong La Bestia Electromecanica route established by Carlos in 2015 I think.  This is an 8 pitch, fully bolted 5.10c route on a pillar that butts up to Pena.  The route is nicely sustained but very, very well bolted and the rating felt quite friendly.  We had a ton of fun climbing this one and especially the 4th pitch:  a vertical water groove with some huge, positive chickenheads.  A fantastic pitch!  Just as we remembered from five years earlier, the grippy rock of the Pena is pure joy to climb on.  In the case of this route you do not top out on Pena’s summit (you rap the route instead) and so we avoided swimming in the tourist traffic.  A repeat of the previous day’s afternoon with eating and drinking our way across town.

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King Kong

King Kong pitch 4.

A 3:30am start the following morning to catch our 6am flight home.  Queretaro airport is ~30minutes from Bernal – very easy.  Though we went to sleep early the previous night, the New Year’s party in the hotel ensure that our nap lasted about an hour.  A very long layover in Houston forced us to go into the city, have some brunch (pretty good) and kill of the remainder of the time doing tourist shit (Johnson Space Center).  There are one or two more appealing looking routes on the Pena (in fact, one popped up on the web right after our trip) but I think we’ll go elsewhere for our next Mexico climbing trip.

Photos

King Kong

Second morning in Bernal with a couple of vaqueros. Repeating the west side approach, this time bound for King Kong (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

The toll booth at the entrance to the trail was still unmanned at the alpine start of 9:30 (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Cool cactuses on the west side trail (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

The King Kong Pillar on the north side of Pena de Beral. King Kong route starts up the obvious buttress at center of photo and continues up to the summit of the pillar in 8 fun pitches (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Starting up pitch 1 of King Kong. A thinnish start that is not bad at all if you got a little bit of reach (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 1 above the opening crux (Dec. 2018).

 

Shirley topping out on pitch 1 (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Leading the very fun pitch 2 of King Kong (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Views from low on the route (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Crimping fun on pitch 2 (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Shirley topping out on pitch 2 (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Views from King Kong (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Starting up pitch 3 of King Kong (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Higher on pitch 3 (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Looking down from partway up pitch 3 (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Shirley following pitch 3 (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

And topping out (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Starting up the fantastic pitch 4 (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

View down from the lead (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

View up from the lead: the last 20 feet of pitch 4 (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

More of pitch 4: a vertical water groove with some wildly sculpted holds (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Shirley starting pitch 4 (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Climbing so fun that I think she was singing all the way (Dec. 2018).

 

Filo Noroccidental

Unknown party (actually 2 parties) on Filo Noroccidental as seen from King Kong. Think they’re on the 5th pitch (Dec. 2018).

 

Filo Noroccidental

A close-up of the leader from the lower of two parties on Filo Noroccidental. 5th pitch I think (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

King Kong pitch 4 (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Nearing the top of pitch 4 (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Views from King Kong (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

A cool water groove (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Arriving at the 4th belay (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Looking back at happy Shirley from the start of the 5th pitch (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Shirley on the 5th pitch (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Leading pitch 6 (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Looking back at Shirley on a spacious ledge from the lead of the 6th pitch (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Leading pitch 7 which we linked with 8…or perhaps we linked 6 with 7? Not sure (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Shirley belaying me on the last pitch just below the summit of the pinnacle (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Views from the summit (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Shirley arriving on the summit (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Shirley on the summit of King Kong Pillar with Bernal below (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Summit of King Kong Pillar with the summit of The Pena in the background (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Shirley on the descent. This is the awesome water groove of pitch 4 (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

The King Kong Pillar in all of its glory (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Hiking back to beer (Dec. 2018).

 

Pena de Bernal

West face of Pena de Bernal (Dec. 2018).

 

Pena de Bernal

West face of Pena de Bernal (Dec. 2018).

 

Pena de Bernal

Post climb celebration (Dec. 2018).

 

King Kong

Hiking back to town (Dec. 2018).

 

Pena de Bernal

Shirley and the Pena (Dec. 2018).

 

Pena de Bernal

Strolling through the town again (Dec. 2018).

 

Pena de Bernal

Bernal (Dec. 2018).

 

Pena de Bernal

The charming little streets of Bernal (Dec. 2018).

 

Pena de Bernal

Shirley being serenaded over dinner.  Clearly impressed (Dec. 2018).

 

Pena de Bernal

Town center with its fountain (Dec. 2018).

 

Pena de Bernal

A bit less crowded on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 2018).

 

Pena de Bernal

Last evening in Bernal. We’ll be back (Dec. 2018).

Go back to Central Mexico Quickie.