The first time I heard about El Potrero Chico (EPC) was when I came across a YouTube video of Alex Honnold free soloing the route Sendero Luminoso. The video struck me, not only because of the extreme solo, but also because of the place itself. A chain of steep limestone peaks, tall, very tall. From then on, EPC went straight to my bucket list.
In mid-2024, chatting with my friend and inseparable climbing partner, Samanta Chu, we started thinking about spending at least a week there and, so that the idea wouldn’t become just a legend, we committed to buying the tickets right away. Said and done!
Because of our work schedules, the only window we had was in January 2025. We left Guarulhos – SP on January 16th for nine days of climbing in Mexico, arriba!
We settled into the first accommodation (we had to book two through Airbnb) which was about 200 meters from the park entrance. Yes, El Potrero Chico is a park, and it has a gate at the entrance and that’s it, there’s no park infrastructure, but you do need to pay for a permit that lasts the whole season.
Gateway to paradise!
January is cold there, and it can get VERY cold, but overall we were lucky. We had a few sunny days with mild temperatures, but also freezing days, even with sun.
Frozen and happy
Well, settled in and eager to get to work. We woke up, ate our tortillas with Tajin (I’ll explain below), and headed to the rock — a routine that repeated itself over the following days.
A dream!!! A valley with perfect limestone walls on both sides, hundreds of routes everywhere, and – I must confess I’ve been a bit lazy – no approach. There are sectors like Jungle Wall where it’s like walking down the street and entering a shop, that’s how easy it is to get on a route. Super chill!
There are more distant sectors, and we ended up going to Diedros, which requires about a 20-minute approach and passes by the base of the iconic Time Waste Zero, a route of more than 20 pitches. But we spent most of our time in the no-hike sectors.
We climbed nearly 40 routes that week between 5.6 and 5.11a, and on the last day I was completely out of skin. I remember the last route was Zombie Wolf, awesome, but I could no longer bear to put my hand on the rock.
Routes identified with a sign at the base – Zombie Wolf
Zombie Wolf route – last climb of the trip and completely out of skin
With another successful climb trip completed, we returned to Brazil with a clear mind and totally skinless.
Me on another hard day at work
Chu crushing it on the Osito route
Tips and gossip about El Potrero Chico
How to get there
EPC is a park located in the city of Hidalgo, and the nearest international airport is in Monterrey, the second largest city in Mexico. So, it’s easy to find flights from Brazil to Monterrey with a layover in Mexico City.
From Monterrey airport to EPC it takes about an hour, and you can grab an Uber or a taxi. We had already arranged with a “taxi,” Roberto, who specializes in transfers for climbers going to EPC. He was very friendly, punctual, and even made a stop at the supermarket so we could buy our tortillas! Price? We paid 1,100 pesos for the ride there and 1,000 pesos for the return to the airport.
Luggage
Since this was a climb trip, I packed as little as possible to avoid paying for checked baggage. 3 shirts, 2 underwear and half (don’t ask what a half-underwear is), and the rest of the backpack space was for warm clothes and climbing gear.
And then things went wrong.
Leaving Brazil was fine, we were allowed to board the plane with all the gear, but on the connection from Mexico City to Monterrey they didn’t allow climbing equipment in the cabin, claiming that carabiners could be used as weapons (???). So, we had to check one backpack.
Where to stay
On the street leading to the park entrance, there are countless accommodation options, from chic inns to various Airbnb listings. Inside the park there are also options. In addition to Airbnb, there’s a lot on Booking.com.
The town of Hidalgo is 3 km from the park entrance. It’s a small industrial town with not much to do. Few grocery store options and only one cool café, @elbuhocafemx, basically an American climbers’ hangout that feels like being in California. The espresso and snacks are excellent. At Café El Buho you can also buy the EPC CLIMBING guidebook. Whenever possible, I like to buy the local guidebook — it helps support this kind of work and, of course, enriches my library. I bought the third edition. It’s a beautiful guidebook, super well-made and detailed. Worth it.
EPC climbing guidebook
Language
We’re talking about Mexico, so of course the language is Spanish, right? Well, sort of… Inside the park you feel like you’re climbing in California. It’s full of Americans! Foreigners everywhere, including when I looked in the mirror — after all, there I was also a foreigner. Even when asking locals for information, many times they preferred to answer in English, which was pretty humiliating for my “Portuñol.”
People
I travel a lot. It’s what I love doing most in life, and every year I head to some corner of the world. I can honestly say the Mexican people were the most hospitable I’ve ever met. Friendly and helpful all the time. I felt very comfortable. Proof of that is that to go into town we hitchhiked and just raising a thumb was enough for the first car to stop.
By the way, since our goal was to stay only in EPC, we didn’t need to rent a car. But if you want to explore other areas, it’s definitely worth it.
Food
Delicious! A few options near the park entrance, all very simple, small eateries, but with tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and even grilled chicken. Good food at very good prices. And for the farewell toast, TECATE, the iconic Mexican beer. So good!
Daily routine: climbing and lots of burritos
Tecate!
Tajín
Ahhh! I discovered this seasoning and decided I can’t live without it anymore. I bought one to take home. Tajín! So delicious!!! It’s a powdered seasoning made from a blend of chilis that adds a real kick to food. Tajín also became a term between us during the climbs: when the pitch was spicier, we’d say: “that’s a 5.10 (YDS) with Tajín(*).”
Tajín on food is a delight — and even on the routes…
(*) Horacio Fernández created a seasoning inspired by the sauce prepared by his grandmother and, in 1985, founded the company. To name it, he decided to pay tribute to the pre-Hispanic city of El Tajín, from the Totonac culture, known for the Pyramid of the Niches. The word Tajín originates from the Totonac language. It was also the name of the God of Rain, Thunder, and Lightning, and can be translated as “Throne of Lightning” or “City of Thunder.” The seasoning was given this name to associate it with Mexican tradition and culture. Source: https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/what-is-tajin-mexican-seasoning
The rock in El Potrero Chico
Dream limestone! Very vertical, short sport routes, sport climbs over 40m, traditional with more than 20 pitches… you name it! Pockets, comfy two-finger holds, big jugs, cracks, dihedrals… it’s all there! And the cool thing is that the limestone has good grip.
ATTENTION, heads up! Climbers everywhere, lots of loose rocks and ropes being tossed around, so near the walls WEAR a helmet at all times! We often heard shouts of “Rock!” and constantly “Rope!”.
Wish list
In Brazil, I already had a list of routes I wanted to do, but it was practically a waste of time, because once I arrived and saw the walls, priorities changed. Los Lobos and Jungle Wall weren’t in the original plan, but became priorities when we saw them live. Also, sport routes I didn’t even know about became must-dos, like Something old, Something new, Dead man walking (I got properly spanked on that 5.9), and Zombie Wolf.
Grades
They’re honest. A 5.10 (YDS) is a real 5.10 (YDS) and so on. The grading system used is Yosemite, so if you’re not familiar with it, it’s worth checking before jumping into something tricky. Anyway, it’s a very democratic place, with plenty of routes from 5.6 to 5.11a (YDS), so everyone can have fun there.
Protection
Overall, it’s well protected, but it’s not a climbing gym (as I had read somewhere). We came across several long run-outs. The local ethic is bolts only, even in cracks! But there are lots of possibilities for gear placement, so if you bring a rack of nuts and camalots you’ll have fun and make some run-outs less sketchy.
The master of masters, Eliseu Frechou, knows the place well, and it’s worth reading his article for more tips: El Potrero Chico – Mexico I – Eliseu Frechou.
Summary: a climb trip that’s good, beautiful, and cheap!
Happy climbing!
This post is also available in: Português (Portuguese (Brazil)) Español (Spanish)
