Avg: 4 from 2
votes
Another mega sport line up the Popa!
Excellent and varied climbing with an absurdly steep crux pitch
Approach from the top by descending the dedicated rap line, or this route. a 70m rope will get you down but it's a tricky rappel because of the steep angle.
p1 12a (p1-2 "los Burros Sin Nombres")
Face climb up edges right of a chossy pillar, then traverse right to a stance
p2 12c
Tricky vertical face climbing to a big ledge
p3 12d "One Bat"
Choose your own adventure up one of two bolt lines, leading to a wild and pumpy undercling traverse. Finish at a fixed belay seat
p4 12b "Las Momias de Monterrey"
Follow a crack and face into a steep and tenuous chimney, with a wild exit out right.
Belay on top of a block or continue to a hanging belay
p5 12c "Tex Mex Flake"
Mega steep burly laybacking at its finest
p6 13c "Niño Fidencio"
Named for a local folk saint with legendary healing powers. Enduro laybacking up a fine steep corner. This is what you came for!
p7 12b "Lenny Kravisitante"
A pleasant face climb and traverse to finish off your mega day.
Enjoy the sunset from the summit
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Burly climbing leads up to the crux which is more technical than pumpy in my opinion (found a no-hand-rest in the middle). I also ended up using a crack glove on that pitch. In the context of Mexico (soft) Grades felt pretty much spot on to me.
We rapped the route to get to the base which is okay with directionals. There is an alternative anchor to avoid the traverse of the "One Bat'" pitch so you can just rap straight down from the fixed belay seat. It completely avoids walking through the cactus at the base (the walk from the shorter rap line to the base of this route would take about 20 min).
This route gets shade considerably later than El Gavilan. In late February the first pitch came into the shade at about 12:00.
Get on this route, it's worth it! Mar 9, 2024