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Potrero Chico news...

Original Post
Ed Wright · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2006 · Points: 285

We're enjoying a great season in the Potrero. Catch up on the news, photos, rogues gallery etc. here

Rob Lilley · · Greensboro, NC · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 85

Awesome, good to see some photos of my climbing partner from the UK crop up among your shots!

Patrick Mcfadden · · Portland, OR · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 0

Anyone know what to bring to Potrero Chico as far as a slimmed down trad rack. I want to bring some chocks and nuts maybe a few cams. Looking for a good average size for pro. I dont have a guide book yet and MP doesnt have beta on trad gear.

Also I'm looking for climbing partners for Feb 9th to the 20th.

Happy trails Paddy

Kevin Mckenzie · · Washington, ME · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 21

No need for the trad rack man. Unless you are planning on doing something really specific. I've had mine down here for the last two and a half months and only used it once yesterday. Feel free to shoot me an email with your specific goals and I can hopefully get you some beta about what trad gear to bring. Kevin@nicastro.us

To answer your other question. I would love to climb with you. By the time you make your way down to the coffee shop to meet up with me, you will probably have plans to climb with three other people (aka, it's super easy to find climbing partners here).

Steve Levin · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 952

Bring leather gloves for the multi-pitch rappels.

Richard Fernandez · · Flagstaff, AZ · Joined Nov 2008 · Points: 859

I miss that place! Soooooooooooo many awesome climbs. Go to the Plumb Wall, Paparazzi Arete' BEST 5.11 there!

wankel7 · · Indiana · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 10

Is there much multi pitch 5.9 and less?

Patrick Mcfadden · · Portland, OR · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 0

Right on, exactly what I am looking for! Easy multi pitch. Looking to toprope some easy 11's. And bolted crack routes to practice gear placement. Im really getting into trad and have never taken a fall on a piece of gear so this sounds like a perfect opportunity to gain some confidence plus not to into runouts. Who am I kidding, I know how it goes, will prob never use trad gear. Haha!

Allen Corneau · · Houston, TX · Joined May 2008 · Points: 80

Bad news for the Hidalgo/Potrero community...

"Nuevo Leon state police stand guard on a dirt road leading to a ranch near the town of Mina, northern Mexico, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. At least eight bodies were found in a well near this ranch on Sunday near the site where 20 people went missing late last week, including members of a Colombian-style band, according to a state forensic official. Officials could not confirm whether the bodies belonged to 16 members of the band Kombo Kolombia and their crew, who were reported missing late last week after playing a private show in a bar in the neighboring town of Hidalgo north of Monterrey. "

utsandiego.com/news/2013/ja…

This was from a friend that just moved down there:

"Some crazy shit went down here the other night across from posada and next to homeros when 20 people went missing from this ranch party and then this weekend were all found dead in a well 39 km away. It was pretty crazy the state police and federales swarmed hidalgo and potrero and then the military rolled in really deep for like 3 days."

todd w · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2008 · Points: 0

Yeah. Never going.

Camden · · Yosemite Valley · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 36

I may or may not have gone to a party there with a group of climbers while I was visiting Potrero a few weeks ago. The owner/locals were welcoming (mostly) but this certainty makes me rethink that decision. I would definitely go back to Hidalgo but I will probably avoid raging parties held by potential cartel affiliates. Just to be safe.

Edit: Based on footage from news stories, I don't think this happened at the same place I went (not the building directly across from Posada down a driveway.) Sounds very close by though, I'll have to keep an eye out for it next time.

Cor · · Sandbagging since 1989 · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 1,445
Stephen Ackley · · Flagstaff, AZ · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 642

That news is terrible. Maybe a month ago when I was there, friends and I went on a beer run to Chon's during the afternoon on a rainy day. A half dozen cop cars, marked and un-marked plus a forensic truck rolled down to Homero's. It was weird at the time and even more so now given the news. I still plan to go back next year but shit. You gotta be careful down there.

Curtis Tripp · · Seattle, WA · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 732

That is awful news...way too common in Mexico these days.

Kind of eerie looking back on Magic Ed's last blog post on Jan. 17th:
"it is good to see climbers are realizing that the media and State Dept. reports are overblown and everything here is tranquilo."

richard magill · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 2,400

here is the R&I write up:

R&I portrero chico bodies

Totally terrible - I love the place, hope I can return sometime in my lifetime when this narco war ends (if it ever does).

todd w · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2008 · Points: 0
richard magill wrote:hope I can return sometime in my lifetime when this narco war ends (if it ever does).
Tru dat.
Scott M. McNamara · · Presidio San Augustine Del… · Joined Aug 2006 · Points: 55
Manny Rangel · · PAYSON · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 4,788

Thanks for the accurate info Scott. The R&I write up falsely states the bodies were found in Homeros well.

They were kidnapped at Quinta La Carreta and killed 30 miles north; motive unknown at this time.

Sad news altogether. Condolences to the familys. Homeros doesn't need a nasty rumor too.

camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240
manuel rangel wrote:Thanks for the accurate info Scott. The R&I write up falsely states the bodies were found in Homeros well. They were kidnapped at Quinta La Carreta and killed 30 miles north; motive unknown at this time. Sad news altogether. Condolences to the familys. Homeros doesn't need a nasty rumor too.
Damn, this is terrible. Manuel, do you know where Quinta La Carreta is? Is it in town, or up near the mouth of the canyon?
Stephen Ackley · · Flagstaff, AZ · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 642

As the facts come in it seems this terrible news has less and less to do with climbers and climbing in EPC.

After climbing down there for a couple weeks this year and seeing a little bit of Hidalgo, I'm fairly certain the place where the band was kidnapped wasn't very close to the park at all.

Its terrible drug violence is keeping people from enjoying the awesome experience that is climbing in El Potrero. I never felt unsafe down there. If you use common sense and have a little luck its perfectly safe.

Wear a helmet.
Don't buy drugs down there.
Don''t associate with people that sell drugs down there.

RockyMtnTed · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 0

Interesting to see how MagicEd is going to put his usual spin on this one...

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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