Driving down to EPC

Hello fellow climbers,

My girlfriend and I are considering driving down from Canada into Mexico to go spend a month or two at EPC. I have lots of info on where to stay, what to eat, etc. as a bunch of my friends went there over the holiday, but by air.

I also know about the permits and stuff required to cross into Mexico/drive in Mexico.

I'm more concerned about safety and how sketchy it may be to cross the border. My gf speaks a bit of Spanish but I don't really.

Any beta on how to do that trip safely? 

Don't have anything to add except that I follow Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/potrerochicorockclimbing 

Don't drive at night!

I drove to EPC in 2019.  I crossed the border at Laredo, and used the toll road that takes you from Neuvo Laredo to Monterrey.  This route felt pretty safe.  I made sure to follow the speed limit to avoid having to deal with police while not being able to speak Spanish.  Once you get off the highway, the drivers around EPC do some weird things (for me, as an American driver, at least).  On a two lane road (one lane in each direction) drivers will stay close to the shoulder to create a 3rd lane for passing.  It was typical for the car that is hugging the should to signal left to let the car behind them know it was OK to pass.  Not sure if that made sense, but you'll see when you get there!

As far as the permits/paperwork goes, you'll need to import your car to drive more than 75km (not sure on exact distance but you'll need to import for EPC) from the border.  The process was easy enough even if you don't speak Spanish (I don't).  I needed the title of the vehicle and a picture of the GVWR plate.  The temporary import sticker cost me ~$300, but you get ~$200 back when you return the sticker on the way out of Mexico.  

There may be something different if your car is registered in Canada and there may be something I'm forgetting.  I found a few guides online on how to import, so search for those!  

Whoops I read your post as "don't know about the permits"...  Ignore the permits part of my reply!

Mark Frumkinwrote:

Don't drive at night!

paging my buddy Nick who did this, got lost, got stuck on a dirt road, saw a random truck approaching them... thankfully it was the federales and not cartel (these days, not sure you can tell the difference) and they helped get the car unstuck and back on the correct road.

Mark Frumkinwrote:

Don't drive at night!

This is what I've always heard, along with sticking to the toll roads and avoiding any back roads.

Simon Mailhot-Hébertwrote:

Hello fellow climbers,

My girlfriend and I are considering driving down from Canada into Mexico to go spend a month or two at EPC. I have lots of info on where to stay, what to eat, etc. as a bunch of my friends went there over the holiday, but by air.

I also know about the permits and stuff required to cross into Mexico/drive in Mexico.

I'm more concerned about safety and how sketchy it may be to cross the border. My gf speaks a bit of Spanish but I don't really.

Any beta on how to do that trip safely? 

Do not drive to EPC. Plenty of bad shit is happening to gringo travelers down there, why risk it?

You can’t sense the level of danger until there’s a gun in your face.

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/115127465/driving-to-el-potrero-chico

Americans “taken”.

Tradibanwrote:

Americans “taken”.

Brownsville ain't exactly the gateway to EPC. You're at least 4 hours off course if you ended up in Matamoros.

J Pwrote:

Brownsville ain't exactly the gateway to EPC. You're at least 4 hours off course if you ended up in Matamoros.

Correct. 4 hours away is a “No Kidnapping or Murder” zone.

Tradibanwrote:

Correct. 4 hours away is a “No Kidnapping or Murder” zone.

LOL stay scared, mate. 

We did the drive completely safely there and back without any struggle. It's just stressful in the beginning because of all the border stuff, but the drive was smooth.

Tradiban wrote:

I’ll bet the “Americans” were scared when the machete was pulled out to cut their heads off.

You're a weird dude, Nick.

Simon Mailhot-Hébertwrote:

We did the drive completely safely there and back without any struggle. It's just stressful in the beginning because of all the border stuff, but the drive was smooth.

Yup. Chill easy drive. Watch out for Texan cops though! 

Brent Kellywrote:

You're a weird dude, Nick.

Happy to be “weird” to save lives.

There’s a fair chance you won’t be kidnapped and murdered while navigating your vansion in Mexico.

Godspeed.

"Let’s be real, if you’ve seen the video only 1 was taken… alive"

I think two of the four are now dead. 

Russ Keanewrote:

"Let’s be real, if you’ve seen the video only 1 was taken… alive"

I think two of the four are now dead. 

https://www.cnn.com/americas/live-news/americans-kidnapped-mexico-03-08-23/index.html

Marc801 Cwrote:

https://www.cnn.com/americas/live-news/americans-kidnapped-mexico-03-08-23/index.html

It's funny, I saw a stat saying that with how many Americans go to Matamoros a year, the percentage of them that are actually involved in a violent crime there is significantly less than most major US cities. I'd check into that before getting cold feet. 

I'd be more worried about the police state that is Texas, personally. Come on vacation, leave on probation. 

Marc801 Cwrote:

https://www.cnn.com/americas/live-news/americans-kidnapped-mexico-03-08-23/index.html

Ah, America - where risking your life in a foreign country is still cheaper than paying for health care in-country.

Tradiban: working hard to defend those American values.