[Climbing] Jan Term Trip Possibility

[Christopher Giles Simrell]

Hey all,

Currently we are working on receiving funding from FiCom to run an climbing trip
over jan term.  As of right now we are still working out all the details with
FiCom so this trip is not yet official by any means.  However, we would like to
get an idea of how many people would be interested in going if we do in fact
receive funding and the trip is a go.  Below I have posted the trip description
we sent to FiCom.  Give it a look and let me know if you would be interested.  
Keep in mind these dates are not official, simply a rough estimate.
Take care,
Chris
cgs06 at hampshire.edu

TRIP DESCRIPTION
El Potrero Chico is a paradise full of world-class multi-pitch sport climbing
ranging in difficulty from 5.7 to 5.13d. Dozens of routes, up to 2000+ feet
high, are available. Potrero Chico includes many intermediate grade (5.10d and
less) routes over a thousand feet long with unique summits.

The main objective of this trip is to travel to a warm climbing area for January
and escape the bitter New England winter. Our plan is to travel by car to El
Portrero Chico, a fantastic rock climbing area in northern Mexico, with one or
more stops at climbing destinations along the way including the Red River
Gorge, KY, and the New River Gorge, WV. In El Portrero we will camp at a
campground called La Posada, which is located just five minutes from the main
climbing areas. During our time in Mexico we will climb 2 days on, one day off
(rest day), and have opportunities to interact and engage with the local
climbing community as well as visit local historical and cultural attractions.

Note: We estimate that fuel costs for this trip will equal roughly $800.
Therefore we are requesting this amount, $800, not the $2387 that would be
required at the $0.51/mile reimbursement rate.

LODGING DESCRIPTION
We will camp en route to El Potrero at established campgrounds. Once there, all
lodging will be at La Posada, which charges $5 per person per night.

For a detailed description of lodging at La Posada please visit:
http://www.elpotrerochico.com.mx/about.htm

The following is an excerpt from a New York Times Article
(http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/travel/20mexico.html)

ROCK CLIMBING: EL POTRERO CHICO
About an hour northwest of Monterrey, a craggy limestone outcrop named El
Potrero Chico has been quietly attracting rock climbers from around the world.
What makes the area unusual is the sheer variety of the 600-plus bolted routes
— in which permanent artificial anchors are embedded in the rock — all within
easy access of a campground and lodge at the base of the rock.
The icing on the cake? You won’t have to share. The crowd typically tops out at
50 or 60 people, mostly a mix of Americans and Canadians and some Europeans; on
many days, you’ll probably encounter just a handful of other climbers.
Since the climbing scene in Mexico has yet to take off, most of the climbs have
been developed by Americans in the last decade, and routes are usually
christened with quirky Spanish or English names (Estrellita, Treasure of Sierra
Madre, Yankee Clipper). The bolting of routes directly into the rock makes the
rugged terrain more accessible to a wider spectrum of climbers; an average Joe
can easily try a beginner climb next to an awesome Jane working on a longer,
more complicated route. Limestone uplift makes for a combination of crags,
spires and ridges. The terrain and loose rock conditions are the kind of thing
you’d find in the backcountry (think the Wind River range in Wyoming), but
here, it’s all fixed-bolt sport climbing instead of traditional climbing, in
which climbers place their own gear to protect against falls.
Long, moderate sport routes make El Potrero Chico a friendly place for climbers
to work on their skills. Posada El Potrero Chico is a family-run campsite and
lodge owned by a local resident named Luís Lozano. It serves the sporting crowd
with Wi-Fi, new casitas and a small gear shop.
El Potrero Chico is just west of the small town of Hidalgo, where the living is
simple, with street markets and hearty food typical of northern Mexico —
nopalitos, carne asada, gorditas. To encourage climbing and environmental
efforts in the community, the climbing school runs cleanup days in which local
children help with the maintenance of routes by collecting trash.
“It’s a quiet and safe town with all of the services,” said Mr. Lozano, who grew
up in Hidalgo. “People return year after year, and some of the climbers have
already moved here.”