Friday, December 6, 2013

Cumbia Cave: Land of Giant Tufas



Lots of tufas!
Lots of tufas!



The Cumbia Cave is down a bumpy road in Nuevo León, Mexico. It is located in an area called Las Adjuntas, which is where two rivers converge in a beautiful lush canyon famous for it's canyoneering adventure called Matacanes. The Cumbia Cave is on the way to the already popular area El Salto also known for it's amazing tufa climbing.



Rodrigo on some big stalactites on Cascabel 11a
Rodrigo on some big stalactites on Cascabel 11a



Nuevo León is loaded with climbing potential. With only a few local climbers bolting and a smaller number of US climbers then pre-drug war days it is overwhelming how much development of amazing climbing there is to be done here now. Another area which has huge potential is called El Diente which is ten minutes down a road from the city of Monterrey. It has everything for a great sport climbing area four stalactite caves, a 1,000 foot El Diente (the tooth), and an amazing two pitch tufa wall two minutes off the road pictured below. It is all on National Park land but unfortunately a mining company now owns the access road to this amazing gem.


A small piece of the amazing tufa wall that is currently off limits de...
A small piece of the amazing tufa wall that is currently off limits despite being in a National Park.



We found the Cumbia Cave while driving to another cave full of amazing tufas in the Chipitin waterfall. We decided the drive and hike was a bit to much for that cave though I think somebody could bolt a long adventure route there and it would be amazing. We started bolting the Cumbia Cave last spring and there are currently 15 routes from 11a to 13a.



Me on Celso Pina 12c jug fest
Me on Celso Pina 12c jug fest




With the abundance of holds and tufas at the Cumbia Cave we will likely be bolting many more routes. Just looking around a little last weekend I spotted another cave across the canyon. We also bolted an area called the La Cueva del Oso two years ago it is a little more remote and has the white dust of north facing limestone caves.


Fernanda on La Gripa 12c in La Cueva del Oso
Fernanda on La Gripa 12c in La Cueva del Oso




If anyone is interested in climbing or bolting in the Cumbia Cave this winter feel free to contact me for beta on getting there. There is some beta here:
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/cueva-de-cumbia/108010004

Beta for La Cueva del Oso here:
http://www.elpotrerochicoguides.com/#!cuevadeloso/c1wet



Joel transformed into a Tufa on Vasco Viejo 11d
Joel transformed into a Tufa on Vasco Viejo 11d






Rodrigo on the FA of Vasco Viejo 11d
Rodrigo on the FA of Vasco Viejo 11d



Donkeys!


A Las Adjunatas donkey. Don't leave your food out while camping these guys are worse then Yosemite bears.
Credit: KRS-Grun


The river at the camping for the Cumbia Cave.


Steam rising on the river in Las Adjuntas in the morning.
Steam rising on the river in Las Adjuntas in the morning.

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