Women’s Rock Climbing in Aculco de Espinoza
Top three reasons to rock climb in Aculco de Espinoza
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Conquer La Peña de Bernal, one of the tallest monoliths in the world
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Find climbing confidence on Aculco de Espinoza’s basalt cracks
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Get lost in Bernal’s great cuisine, lively music, and cozy artisanal shops
As one of the 13 Wonders of Mexico, the 1,400-foot-tall La Peña de Bernal completely dominates the Querétaro skyline. Apart from its imposing stature, this Jurassic-era porphyritic monument is known for one more thing – the excellent climbs. The Aculco de Espinoza climbing area, reminiscent of Paradise Forks in Arizona, is often dubbed “the Indian Creek of Mexico.” Its 100+ 5.7 to 5.12a climbs truly live up to this nickname. The 30-80-foot crack climbs between monumental basalt columns are, without a doubt, a terrifying experience. However, once you conquer them, you’ll feel a rush of inner power you’ve never felt before. Show your tenacity and determination to the world and become a more confident woman on the cliffs of Aculco de Espinoza.
SeasonDecember |
Nearest cityQueretaro City is half an hour away from Aculco de Espinoza |
Duration3 days |
Skill levelBeginner |
Book this adventure
Itinerary
Day 0: Welcome to Mexico!
Land in Querétaro a day before the climbing starts. Your guides will pick you up at the airport and take you to Bernal where you’ll spend the remainder of the day absorbing the beautiful weather and poking around all the artisanal shops in town. Food, music, culture, and shopping await!
Day 1: Fine-tune your technique
On the first day, the focus will be placed on the technique differences between traditional and sport climbing. Fine-tune the skills required to proficiently sport climb outdoors, such as on-sighting tactics, efficient climbing, and fluid movement. Learn to overcome the mindset of thinking about falling instead of climbing, why falling is never failing, building the best anchor-point on bolts and stripping the anchor safely and efficiently.
Day 2: Crack climbing and keeping everyone safe at the cliffs
Head to La Conception—Central Mexico’s most popular crack climbing destination—for an instructive clinic. Your guides will focus on teaching you about the equipment necessary to stage solid redundant anchors on natural features found at the top of a cliff. Gain the knowledge and understanding to feel comfortable building top-rope anchors at the top of any accessible cliff with natural anchor points, and the confidence to discuss these systems with climbing partners in the future. Get comfortable with the use of different belay devices and familiar with several methods to keep belayers of differing weights secure while you ascend and descend.
Day 3: Fight the pump; climbing smart on steep terrain
Day 3 will be held at the walls of Las Peñas de Dexcani, located in a private woodland preserve. Fortify the skills you’ve acquired by using the knowledge gained over the past two days of the retreat. This day’s goals are to make you feel comfortable and succeed in a new environment that forces differing techniques, as well as energy conservation. Spend the whole day climbing and learning with your group while making sure that all the necessary building blocks of success have been retained for this day and moving into the future.