EPC Quickie

Go back to Mexico.

Stuffing

El Potrero Chico

Welcome to El Potrero Chico…Parque Recreativo.

Back in October after a 13 hour drive we were somewhere east of Ely, NV when the “check engine” light went on in our old pick up. We were about to turn off the highway and head into the desert in hopes of climbing some back-country, multi-pitch American limestone. A short but vigorous debate on the shoulder of highway 93 ensued: “yes, it could just be a faulty oxygen sensor”…”no I can’t miss the Monday morning meeting at work”…”yes, it could be the transmission”…”yes, we need more vacation time.” We made a u-turn and headed back for Portland. By the time we passed Boise, our last-minute Thanksgiving plans were finalized.

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Off The Couch

Off The Couch.

Our fourth visit to the beautiful El Potrero Chico was a brief and a somewhat lazy one. We had three days to do some climbing and without fail could not manage to wake up before 9…alpine starts. We climbed Off The Couch (7P, 5.10d) on the front side (an excellent crimping route!!), Las Chimuelas (3P, 5.8) to Jungle Fever (2P, 5.10a…stiff) on the Jungle Wall, tried Ed’s new route called Time Loves A Hero (a handsome line even if it doesn’t look it from below) but bailed after looking up at the hard crux and finished off the trip with the classic Will The Wolf Survive (4P, 5.10a…super fun climbing). It was good to see Ed again but we also concluded that – much like a bottle of good tequila – EPC is more fun when shared with some friends as we had in January of 2014…hopefully we can talk them into going back there in 2015. Also, we both feel an itch for another climbing road trip through that beautiful country… we need more vacation time.

Video Haikus

Will The Wolf Survive

Will The Wolf Survive.

  • Uno: Hiking through the Potrero and looking up The Jungle Wall (Space Boyz route).
  • Dos: Rapping Will The Wolf Survive in the late afternoon.
  • Photos

    Nevada

    The girls taking a lunch break on the side of some highway in the middle of nowhere, NV (Oct. 2014).


    El Potrero Chico

    Three EPC essentials: 70 meter cords, 20 QDs and a fifth (per 3 days…YMMV) of tequila (Nov. 2014).


    El Potrero Chico

    Welcome to El Potrero Chico…Parque Recreativo (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    Shirley leading pitch 1 of Off The Couch which is shared with Satori (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    A party on Satori as seen from Off The Couch next door (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    Shirley leading pitch 3 of Off The Couch – the crimping fun starts on the next pitch (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    Starting the upper half of Off The Couch (smile fucker!).


    Off The Couch

    Beautiful limestone on Off The Couch (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    Shirley topping out on pitch 4 of Off The Couch (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    Pitch 6 of Off The Couch (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    Shirley & I on somewhere high up on Off The Couch. Photo credit by Drew Smith – taken from Satori next door (thank you very much Drew!!).


    Off The Couch

    Pitch 6 of Off The Couch with El Bobo visible below (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    Climbers from St. George climbing Satori next door to us (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    Off The Couch – crisp limestone crimping to glory (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    Shirley topping out on pitch 6 of Off The Couch (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    Starting up the final and crux pitch of Off The Couch (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    Views from Off The Couch route (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    Shirley nearing the top of Off The Couch (pitch 7).


    Off The Couch

    A couple from St. George rapping Satori (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    Shirley Off The Couch (Nov. 2014).


    Off The Couch

    Virgin Canyon as seen from the top of Off The Couch route (Nov. 2014).


    El Potrero Chico

    Yeah the fireplace in the casita did not suck on the cold nights in an uninsulated structure (Nov. 2014).


    El Potrero Chico

    Starting up Las Chimuelas (3 pitch, 5.8) on the far left side of Jungle Wall (Nov. 2014).


    Las Chimuelas

    Shirley on pitch 1 of Las Chimuelas (Nov. 2014).


    Las Chimuelas

    Fun stuff atop pitch 3 of Las Chimuelas (Nov. 2014).


    Las Chimuelas

    Topping out on Las Chimuelas (Nov. 2014).


    Las Chimuelas

    Shirley hiking the scree field in the bowl above Las Chimuelas/Jungle Mountaineering (Nov. 2014).


    Jungle Fever

    Pitch 1 of Jungle Fever (Nov. 2014).


    Jungle Fever

    Looking back at Shirley from just above the crux of Jungle Fever (pitch 2).


    Jungle Fever

    The Spires as seen from the top of Jungle Fever route on The Jungle Wall (Nov. 2014).


    Jungle Fever

    Shirley topping out on pitch 2 of Jungle Fever route (Nov. 2014).


    El Potrero Chico

    Ed’s van and a gang of cute mutts (Nov. 2014).


    El Potrero Chico

    El Potrero Chico (Nov. 2014).


    El Potrero Chico

    Hiking into EPC – once again – at the ass crack of dawn (10ish).


    El Potrero Chico

    The front (north) faces of the EPC formations.


    Time Loves A Hero

    Shirley leading pitches 1 and 2 of Time Loves A Hero. It might not look it but it really is some fun climbing here (Nov. 2014).


    Time Loves A Hero

    Following pitch 2 of Time Loves A Hero (Shirley linked 1 & 2).


    Treasure Of The Sierra Madre

    Our airport shuttle mates climbing Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Nov. 2014).


    Time Loves A Hero

    Starting up pitch 3 variation of Time Loves A Hero (Nov. 2014).


    Time Loves A Hero

    Shirley on the variation of pitch 3 of Time Loves A Hero (Nov. 2014).


    Time Loves A Hero

    Nearing the top of pitch 3 of Time Loves A Hero…this is where the easier/right variation rejoins the line proper for a final kick-in-the-nuts exit move to the belay (Nov. 2014).


    Time Loves A Hero

    A free soloist on Time Loves A Hero (Nov. 2014).


    Time Loves A Hero

    Shirley on the hard exit atop pitch 3 of Time Loves A Hero…like A0 hard for us (Nov. 2014).


    El Potrero Chico

    Welcome to the zona de peligro!


    El Potrero Chico

    Enjoying some pizza and margaritas from Edgardo’s trailer in the canyon. The margaritas tasted like lime juice until you tried to stand up. It was fun to climb the first pitches of Wolf with a good buzz…man, I love the Potrero (Nov. 2014).

    Will The Wolf Survive

    Well, will he?


    Will The Wolf Survive

    Starting up Will The Wolf Survive – we linked the first 2 pitches (Nov. 2014).


    Will The Wolf Survive

    Shirley starting up Will The Wolf Survive (Nov. 2014).


    Will The Wolf Survive

    Two riders entering The Potrero as seen from Will The Wolf Survive route (Nov. 2014).


    Will The Wolf Survive

    Shirley topping out on pitch 2 of Will The Wolf Survive (Nov. 2014).


    Will The Wolf Survive

    Afternoon views towards Hidalgo from Will The Wolf Survive route (Nov. 2014).


    Will The Wolf Survive

    Shirley following the wonderful pitch 3 of Will The Wolf Survive (Nov. 2014).


    Will The Wolf Survive

    Palm tree ledge atop pitch 3 of Will The Wolf Survive (Nov. 2014).


    Will The Wolf Survive

    Leading the 4th/money pitch of Will The Wolf Survive (Nov. 2014).


    Will The Wolf Survive

    Shirley topping out on the very fun (if small) Will The Wolf Survive (4 pitches, 10a).


    El Potrero Chico

    Senorita enjoying our cozy casita (Nov. 2014).


    El Potrero Chico

    Some rental casitas come with kittens, other come with baby tarantulas (?).


    Hidalgo

    Hiking to Hidalgo (Nov. 2014).


    Hidalgo

    Hidalgo.


    Hidalgo

    Hidalgo railroad structure (Nov. 2014).


    Hidalgo

    Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon (Nov. 2014).


    Hidalgo

    Walking the streets of Hidalgo (Nov. 2014).


    Hidalgo

    Best tamales in Hidalgo according to Ed (they were good; Nov. 2014).


    Hidalgo

    The blue collar Hidalgo with its cement plant (Nov. 2014).


    El Potrero Chico

    El Potrero Chico (Nov. 2014).


    Hidalgo

    The Mini Super in Hidalgo closest to EPC (Nov. 2014).


    Hidalgo

    The short road between Hidalgo and EPC is now lined with fixed-in-place exercise equipment (Nov. 2014).


    Hidalgo

    New billboard at the entrance to Hidalgo…wait a minute – who’s that in the rightmost photo??


    Snott Girlz

    December 2013: Shirley starting up pitch 6 of Snott Girlz.


    El Potrero Chico

    Packing perfection purely based on feel (Nov. 2014).


    Go back to Mexico.