Bret, Tiffany, and I left for El Potrero Chico on December 31st late in the evening around 8pm. After stopping for gas, water, and some food we didn't hit the border at Laredo, Texas until just before the new year. I guess it was kind of lucky since we got to drive through Nuevo Laredo as half the town shot up fireworks. VERY nice timing.
It's about a 6 hour drive from San Antonio to the climbing area and I wouldn't recommend taking the international bridge through town since it's pretty convoluted to get to the immigration office. The personnel at this particular Mexican immigration office were REALLY rude too. It's usually not like that. Maybe the Columbia Bridge just out of town would be better. We drove till 3 am and slept at a PEMEX gas station in the vehicles.
The climbing is great and the park is beautiful. There are plenty of places to camp within walking distance to the routes. We stayed at Posada El Potrero Chico for $55.00 pesos a night ($5.00 USD). They've got hot showers and a restaurant. The showers are filthy but the food is reasonably priced and very good. Portions are big too. If you want to sleep don't camp near the restaurant.
The routes run from 5.6 to 5.12? and go from single pitch to 12 or so pitches. There are much longer climbs. Our friends we were meeting with had a guide book that is locally available. Over the Christmas and New Year season it's packed with people. Many got up before dawn to get the routes they wanted to climb. We've seen 4 teams on the same popular climbs at once. They say it's much better at other times of the year and there are a lot of routes.
The drive home sucks. Sunday is the big day to head home across the border for everyone vacationing by car in Mexico. Bret and Tif left Saturday around 5 pm and started waiting in line on the toll road before Nuevo Laredo. Damn. They managed to cross the Columbia Bridge border Sunday at 6pm or so. All said and done, 21.5 hours waiting in line. They said the bridges in Nuevo Laredo were supposed to be worse.
That's the worst I've ever seen for the crossing. I wouldn't have believed it but we were in contact via email and phone much of the time. The other half of our group left Sunday around 9am, detoured 1.5 hours to the Falcon View Bridge, crossed and beat them across the border by about 2 hours. The others kept driving. I stayed in town and waited for Bret and Tif and then continued to San Antonio, Texas. So.... there's your hint. PLAN for the trip back if you are on wheels.
Regards,
Benedict Kim
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