The Potrero

This winter I embarked on a trip to El Potrero Chico, outside of Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. I was gone from December 11^th 2009 to January 10^th 2010, for a total of 29 days. Along with me on the trip was my climbing partner Drew Lineham. We headed to Mexico for the warm sun and 600+ sport routes up to 23 pitches long within a ten-minute walk from the campsite. To get there we took the bus from Pembroke to Burlington VT, flew to San Antonio TX, and then bussed to Monterrey NL. I visited Monterrey one day besides traveling through to see a bit of culture. The highlights for me were arriving in Mexico, climbing Snot Girls 5.10d 7 pitches, and climbing Satori 5.10c 7 pitches. For the duration of the trip Drew and I camped at La Posada campground. It had a group kitchen and a restaurant. We were partaking in sport-based tourism as well as cultural tourism. This is because we were rock climbing and having a great time as well as being in a new and interesting culture. The purpose of our travel was to step into the unknown and gain valuable rock climbing experience. All of the younger people at Posadas, Abe Traven, and the Chon’s crew made a positive impact on my experiences and me. Yes I would go back. I would drive down next time so I can easily move to other areas within Mexico. The vehicle would also allow me to self-sustained with full camp gear.

Satori from Thomas Harding on Vimeo.