A few years ago I heard about an amazing climbing spot close to Valles City in San Luis Potosí and is knowed as the Cueva del Salitre (The Saltpetre Cave), this crag is most knowed because is located at the outskirts of Xilitla town, wich is very very turistic due to an unique surrealistic castle started (and never finished) by Sir Edward James... After an epic 9 hours driving in the heat of the jungle in San Luis Potosí we finally did it and arrive to this monster limestone cave with two main sectors. The first one, even is the massive one is not bolted, I think because the rock quality isn't that good but also has lots of parrot's nests (so ok guys don't disturb the nature).. The second one is on the far right and is the owner of all the climbs.
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| Our first look to the cave. Photo by Daniel Fitz |
Xilitla is located inside the region of "La Huasteca" wich is at San Luis Potosí state, Mexico. Known by it's mountains and springs, creating amazing landscapes... because is a little industrialized region it has helped to conserve the
nahuatl and
teenek cultures and their traditional lifestyle. The main atraction of the location is an eccentric castle (The Eden Castle) which belonged to Sir Edward James, an englishman linked to the surrealistic movement since the earlies 30's who emigrates to Mexico in 1944...
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| Sir Edward James |
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| Surreal Gardens in Xilitla. Photo by Oscar Duran |
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| Concrete bamboo. Photo by Oscar Duran |
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| Sir Edward James Castle |
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| Following the stairs. Photo by Oscar Duran |
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| Stairs to where? |
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| Stairway to heaven! |
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| Larking around in the castle! |
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| Some more concrete bamboo!! |
If you are planning to go there I recomend to you to go at the winter season because the weather conditions wich can be really damn hot and humid at summer (and rainy).
For the staying the best option is to stay in Casa Caracol wich is managed by a Spanish man. Casa Caracol has some cabins for rent for about MX$ 500 (around 40 USD) per night so if you are going in group this is a good option, just don't forget to tell him that you come here to climb so you can have a discount on the amount...
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| Casa Caracol. Photo by Oscar Duran |
Climbing here is "wild" a little bit because is a new crag and basically because is far from main cities and is not often frequented by other climbers, even so this place has some amazing climbing and an incredible potential.
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| Ana amazed by the incredible potential of the cave. Photo by Oscar Duran |
My main goal when I arrived here is to have an amazing climbing time and to try the unrepeated "Pinzadas de Dalí", wich is a route that goes all over the most steep wall of the far right sector. This sport climb was still unrepeated and it was 14a/13d proposal bolted by Luis Carlos García Ayala... because we were only in a three day trip and we wanted to do some "Deep Water Soloing" at Tamul on our last day I wasn't really under preassure because I just tought about to trying the route and maybe come back another time for the sending. My first approach into the climb was just to put up my quick draws, brush the holds and figure out the route. I felt really hard the first part of the route and a very strange boulder problem at the middle part of the roof section (wich was to climb with the feet forwards for a few moves) where I have to spend all my experience resourses in roof climbing and for the grand finale long, reachy moves to burn up your last strenght/endurance traces...
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| Here I am on the rest after the first section, figuring out the moves. Photo Daniel Fitz. |
So I did my first try, spending around an hour and a half setting the quick draws, solving the movements, brushing holds and sweating like a pig. When I finished I was happy to try such an amazing line (I'm grateful with Luis Carlos García Ayala aka Mac for bolting this), it was so unique and the rope drew a fantastic route, I was keen to do it but with any pressure so after a two hours rest (nap included) I was again at the bottom of the route... the objective of that attemp was to do the first boulder wich I did it, so after that I managed to reach the first rest of two and when I was there I tought: What the hell, I'll kill the second boulder!! So, then I tried, tried hard and succeeded!! After that I arrived to a very good rest with a knee bar between tufas, at that time I was very nervous, I've passed the two main boulders and above me was the endurance section. I knew I can do it but it will be hard so it was worth to fight for it so I rested "a muerte" and went for it, went for the anchors. I knew that I already climbed 2/3 of the climb so I was not going to give up now. I took my time to get back my mind in calm and at that point I started to climb, I had to skip one of the draws because the drag and finally reach the anchors, yeaaaaaaahhh!!! At the end I think this is an amazing line, maybe 8a+ (13c) and is a must climb if you go there...
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| This is me at the second rest of the route. Photo by Daniel Fitz. |
After my sending everything was ok, I was so happy and so calm, it was one of that sendings that you just don't expect... that night we have dinner into a nice restaurant, I guess is one of the benefits of being in a turistic spot :)
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| A nice dinner was the best price for the sending ;) |
The next day I climbed Lestat 7b+ onsight, Trafalgar 7b+ on segond go and Calcifer 7a+ onsight. This day we finished early to go to the Edward James castle and lark around!!
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| Buildering? Haha. Photo by Oscar Duran |
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| Here is Fitz also doing some bouldering (thanks for the belays, pal). Photo by Janet Viveros |
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| The climbing Saints of Xilitla praying to the gods of climbing. Photo and edition by Daniel Fitz |
And here is a little topo of the crag wich Giussepe Torre did it: September 2012 (update is missing).
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| Cueva del Salitre topo by escalaenlahuasteca.com |
1.- Entrada al jardín 11a/b (mauricio f. g.)
2.- Paseo familiar 11b (christian ehlert)
3.- La bruja del salitre 11b (mac)
4.- Litchido 12b (christian e)
5.- Lestat 12b (christian e) *I think this could be 12c...
6.- Calcifer 12a (christian e)
7.- Trafalgar 12c (Christian e)
8.- Howl´s 13b (christian ehlert)
9.- Pinzadas de dalí (Bolter proposal 13d/14a? - First repetition proposal 13c -Me-) We will need more repetitions to consolidate the grade (Mac).
In our third day we went for some paddling and our goal was to explore for some Deep Water Soloing so we headed to Tamul (wich is the tallest waterfall of San Luis Potosi). I will say that Tamul is AMAZING, turquoise deep waters and nice weather.
In our way we found some nice cliffs to do some DWS but the main atraction was to climb at one cave immersed somewhere at the paradise lost.
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| Some Cliffs at Tamul. Photo by Fitz |
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| Happy? Great friends, Daniel and Janet. |
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| This is me doing some DWS in some cave at Tamul. Photo by Janet Viveros |
Definetly San Luis Potosí is a great state with lots of potential for climbing, I can tell you, I'll be back for some more quality climbing, I guarantee, until then have fun and venga, a muerte!!
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| Butterfly resting at Sir Edward James Castle. Photo by Daniel Fitz |
