Type: Sport, 1100 ft (333 m), 11 pitches, Grade IV
GPS: 25.52888, -100.40033
FA: Alex Catlin and Jay Foley Nov 2019
Page Views: 751 total · 11/month
Shared By: michalm on Mar 4, 2020
Admins: Rudy Peckham, Ricardo Orozco, Mauricio Herrera Cuadra

You & This Route


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Description Suggest change

Karma Bonfire takes the easiest line up the left margin of a very impressive orange wall.  There are many reasons to climb this route if you have access to a vehicle in this part of Mexico and want to climb in a beautiful, secluded area away from any crowds:
The route is well equipped, often with extra bolts at belays (albeit with plated steel hardware).
The raps are well-positioned with easy rope pulls.
The commitment is low as the route can be rapped with a single 70m rope.
There is much excellent climbing and fun, technical, and sustained movement on this route.
However, the rock quality is questionable at times, the rock dusty and still consolidating and many important holds appear to be fractured all the way around. Hopefully things will clean up with more traffic!
It also appears that the FA party ticked many of the handholds and some of the footholds on the harder pitches.

A few of the original pitch grades were comically inaccurate. I have attempted to provide you with a more accurate picture of what to expect:

Here is a rundown of the pitches:
P1 10-/10 Frequently dirty ledge mantels with some unremarkable climbing. Link into 2 with a 70
P2 10-/10 Sustained, funky climbing on hollow, dirty flakes. A few bolts are in strange places but the rope runs straight.
P3 11/11+ Easy crack climbing followed by steeper, diagonal Rifle-esque climbing on blocky features
P4 12 Easier climbing up a corner system to a ledge followed by sustained, thin climbing and a steep, pumpy rightward traverse to the anchor. There is a better belay stance up and left.
P5 12- Excellent pitch! A rightward traverse (step low then stay high) followed by bizarre, technical and sustained moves all the way to the anchor. Poor stance belay.
P6 12+ The crux. Bouldery moves off the belay for several bolts ease off on better holds, and then sustained climbing into a V5/V6ish crux. Pumpy, cryptic, sustained, and exposed.
P7 11+ Surprisingly pumpy climbing on sometimes questionable, fairly steep rock around a crack system and over hollow blocks to the deluxe bivy ledge.
P8 12 Originally graded 11c, this sandbag of a pitch starts off with some steep moves, eases off, the then ramps up in difficulty in the upper section through a blank corner, followed by relentlessly steep and difficult climbing that gets a little desperate before the anchors. Get ready to pull out every trick you know to onsight this pitch!
P9 11+ Another sandbag at "11b". Technical corner climbing followed by a pull around a roof above the belay. Continue up slab followed by technical edging and a V3 crux over a stout bulge to the anchor.
P10 10- Easy climbing up low angle, sharp, runneled rock over a few steps and bulges. Link into 11 unless you are short of stature.
P11 10+/11-  Hard reach onto and over a steep wall. Best to pitch it out if you are short. There is a chain on the protection bolt to aid in clipping for shorter people. Enjoy the views from the summit.

Rap the route. Use the semi-hanging anchor at the top of P4. Use directionals on the diagonal raps.

Location Suggest change

The leftmost bolt line in the canyon, diagonaling up and right after the first few pitches along the margin of the overhung organge wall.

Protection Suggest change

20 draws and 70m rope

Photos

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