Magic Ed and his Mexican Blog

Magic Ed's Project Pillar

As if I haven't spent enough time daydreaming about our recent trip to the Potrero, Magic Ed just posted a report from our climb on one of his unfinished projects.  

He was nice enough to offer me the FA (probably .10d/.11a) of a brilliant pitch high up on a narrow pillar of limestone 6-700 ft above the canyon floor.  He's tentatively calling it the Grand Pillar, but there's a still a pitch to be done to the top.  Check it out.     

El Potrero Chico PSA

Jaime Bohle on the exposed 5th pitch of Snot Girlz, 5.10d, 7 pitches

Hanging out at the base of a limestone crag at Potrero Chico, I look down into the gravel wash, what qualifies as a road in this part of Mexico, and see two pickups with soldiers in the back driving upstream.  A few minutes later, having turned around, I look again and see them driving downstream.  And then they are gone – no flying bullets, no blood-filled gutters, no square groupers.  I look up at the rock, see two other people on the wall, and decide with the crowds and all its time to find some peace and quiet.  In 5 minutes, we’re in the wash – in 10 we’re in the Virgin Canyon with dozens of classic routes all to ourselves.  Over the course of two weeks, that’s the only time we see el ejercito (the army) – but we wake up each morning to solitude, sunny weather, and a candy store filled with the sweets of climbers’ dreams. 

Potrero Chico Teaser

Less than 48 hours after returning from my second trip to El Potrero Chico, all I can say is wow!  The first trip was so memorable, I tried to keep my expectations in check, but EPC delivered again.  Here's a teaser - there's more to come.

Jaime Bohle on Death of a Tradman, Mota Wall, El Potrero Chico

 

El Potrero Chico Reprise

Back in March, Kristin and I escaped the dreary weather of the Pacific Northwest in search of Mexican limestone in El Potrero Chico.  We stumbled upon some amazing climbing, but we also met a memorable collection of personalities and characters.  One of the great people we got to know in Mexico, John Kelley, just published an article on his impressions of EPC and the unique community of climbers we found while we were there.  Check it out.  Nice work John!  

El Potero Chico TR

Its been a few weeks since Kristin and I returned from El Potrero Chico, and hardly an hour has gone by that I haven't thought back on this amazing trip. Two-thousand foot walls of limestone, 700 routes, 15-minute approaches, $8 bottles of tequila, $5 camping, and $1 36-ounce beers. The numbers all add up!

From El Potrero Chico