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Los Naguales

5.13b, Sport, 850 ft (258 m), 10 pitches,  Avg: 4 from 6 votes
FA: Jacob Cook, Drew Marshall, Mar 2022
International > N America > Mexico > Nuevo Leon > La Popa Routes

Description

Wildly steep climbing on tufas, cracks and pockets, the wall overhangs continuously from pitch 3 to the top!

Full shade after 10:30am

p1 10a, 6 bolts
Easy face to a ledge. Walk left to the anchor.

p2 11c, 12 bolts
Stem, jam and face climb a corner to a ledge. Walk left to an anchor.

p3 "Three Streaks" 12d, 13 bolts
Step off the ledge and immediately enter a burly crux through a roof.
Wander up a thin slab across a streaked wall, then pull three more distinct cruxes through the face above.

p4 12c, 9 bolts
Climb a shallow corner to a left-rising traverse.
Tricky face climbing takes you to the base of a tufa

p5 13b, 8 bolts
Do some totally normal rock climbing up an obscenely overhanging tufa.
Get a good rest before launching right through the steep pumpy crux!

p6 "Two Hundred Bats" 11b, 3 bolts
Time to put those Yosemite skills to the test.

p7 12c, 12 bolts
Layback up the corner and navigate around an overhang.
A difficult move leads to another crack out left. Climb this, then traverse rightward beneath a large pillar.

p8 "Christina Nagualera" 12d, 11 bolts
An easy crack flares out into a reachy crux.
Traverse leftward on pockets and tufa pinches.
Don't blow it right at the end...

p9 13a, 12 bolts
Follow the corner and roof system to a hard move below the roof.
Save some gas for the outrageously steep jugs above!

p10 12b, 12 bolts
Cut right to the arete, then follow this to the cumbre!
Keep an eye out for an optional midway anchor out left.

Descent:

Rappel the route with one 70m rope, using a midway anchor on p10 and an alternate anchor left of p7.

Or, walk 750m climber's right along the top to find a shorter and less steep rappel line.

Location

The top of the route is at roughly: 26.157159, -100.777568

El Gavilan tops out about 50m climbers' right

From the base, begin 50m right of a distinctive orange pillar, behind a boulder.

Protection

13 quickdraws, 70m rope

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Thank god jug on Pitch 5 - Photo Andrew Keating
[Hide Photo] Thank god jug on Pitch 5 - Photo Andrew Keating
Steep tufa climbing on Pitch 5 - Photo Andrew Keating
[Hide Photo] Steep tufa climbing on Pitch 5 - Photo Andrew Keating
Drew on pitch 9 - Photo Andrew Keating
[Hide Photo] Drew on pitch 9 - Photo Andrew Keating
Steep pockets on pitch 9 just below The Runout - Photo Andrew Keating
[Hide Photo] Steep pockets on pitch 9 just below The Runout - Photo Andrew Keating
Pitch 5 - Photo Andrew Keating
[Hide Photo] Pitch 5 - Photo Andrew Keating
Los Naguales
[Hide Photo] Los Naguales
Steep tufa climbing on Pitch 5 - Photo Andrew Keating
[Hide Photo] Steep tufa climbing on Pitch 5 - Photo Andrew Keating
Steep pockets at the top of pitch 9 - photo Andrew Keating
[Hide Photo] Steep pockets at the top of pitch 9 - photo Andrew Keating

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Dalan Faulkner
Tx
  5.13b
[Hide Comment] As good as climbing gets? Seriously maybe. Every pitch is unique and challenging in its own way, more diverse in the movements you'll do on El Gavilan and thats a great route! Infinite props to Drew and Jacob for pioneering a classic for generations to enjoy! Apr 11, 2022
Oliver Schmidt
  5.13b
[Hide Comment] For me this is the best route on La Popa!
It's the most diverse and overall the movement is just fun. Grades in the current route description felt right to me.
Even though the rock is pretty bad on the lower pitches the first ascensionist seem to have done an amazing job cleaning it. Thank you for this great addition! Mar 9, 2024