La Cueva del Oso

	Sunset in La Cueva del Oso

I never thought I would have this problem, too many tufas to choose from. I don't know what route I want to bolt next because the wall is loaded with beautiful tufas and stalactites. My dream has finally come true. I've been waiting to find a wall near Monterrey that is loaded with tufas and stalactites. La Cuava del Oso has surpassed anything I had hoped to find. With the main cave wall overhangs 70 feet and is about 120 long, it is more then I ever dreamed of bolting. This is because I don't think there are too many locations like this in the world, at least not reached in a 30 minute hike from a road.

	Joel lowering off La Gripa 12c mid-route

It all happened with perfect timing. Norma my girlfriend of three and half years and I had just returned from a trip to China and Thailand. The night we returned the newest climbing flick was playing in Monterrey. Rodrigo whom I had climbed with before in El Salto told me about this new cave that they were going to explore that weekend. They had one photo on the internet and it looked amazing. I was psyched, but the Chinese cold I had was taking a hold of me and I had a really bad fever and could barely move the night before the cave exploration. In the morning feeling slightly better Norma and I managed to meet everyone to caravan to the cave.

	Norma crushing a 5.10 in La Cueva del Oso

With not much of a trail and a lingering fever the hike was brutal. The last section to the cave was a full bushwhack with 40 pounds of gear and a fever. We arrived. The main cave area. I was like a kid in a candy store. It's really OK to bolt where ever I want? I picked the biggest looking stalactites and started up the Bosch. The route La Gripa is the finished product. That day I bolted the first half and put an anchor in because it was such a steep fun 11d we thought many people will be happy to be able to climb to there. The rest of the route is around 12c. The trail to the climbs has improved tremendously this month and now is a quick 30 minute hike.

	Joel on Chamaco Pendejo 11d. Photo taken by Jonathon Gibbler Credit: Jonathon Gibbler

The month of April seems to be disappearing into La Cuava del Oso. We get back from bolting and climbing take a little rest and it's back to Montemorelos where the cave is. Chalo the local store owner surely thinks we are crazy. Every night we come down from the cave to charge our batteries and drink Tecate. The locals think we are crazy for being in the cave without guns for protection from the animals, let alone if they saw the crazy bat hanging style climbing we are doing out the cave.

	Dani on the first half of La Gripa 11d

Right now there are 11 finished bolted routes from 5.10- to 5.12c. A few are still projects and haven't been climbed yet. There are many more routes to bolt and a whole other cave to bolt that has a shorter approach. The problem is too many tufas too little time. The humid climate in Montemorelos and the giant tufas definitely gives the place a Thailand like feel, but Tonsia doesn't have any routes this steep and this long! It's not too humid in the cave either, only in comparison to the surrounding areas. There are lots of trees which shade you on the hike up and the area has more of jungle feel to it then the more arid desert climbing destination of El Potrero two hours away. There is also a river to camp at along the road. The best part to me is it all faces north so you can climb all day anytime in the cave. There is the main cave area then a long steep tufa wall ending down by a camping area with another smaller cave.

	Joel on La Gripa

I hope people come to enjoy this area in the future. There is so much potential here. Thanks to Hans, Rodrigo, and Tomas for discovering the cave, and to Chalo for letting us charge our batteries everyday. I hope our work in the cave sparks peoples stoke and they come and bolt more and more routes. I will be working full time soon guiding in Yosemite and won't be able live in the cave drilling holes. I have posted directions to the cave on my website: http://www.elpotrerochicoguides.com/cuevadeloso.html

	The unexplored cave with a shorter but maybe more difficult approach. Looks like a heart eh?

	Me bolting Oso Bueno

Cuevo del Oso (The Bear Cave) A New Climbing Area Near Monterrey

 Oso Cuevo:

A New Climbing Area Near Montemorelos

We are working on a new climbing area one hour from Monterrey just outside of the town of Montemorelos.  So far there is one route in the cave with a 7 bolt 11d, and an extension with 7 more bolts that has not been climbed.

Bolting the extension of La Gripa

There are lots of other potential routes here.  Including steep juggy 5.10 routes which is something the climbing in the Monterrey area is lacking many of.  I think this will be a popular destination when it is finished as it is North facing and the hike to the crag is not too hot so you are in the shade of the forest on the way up.  The forested location also makes it a great location, and there is a beautiful river by the road to enjoy after climbing.

Beto Norma's Dad with Machete in hand

 I have gone to the cave twice now, and I am excited to get back as soon as possible.  There are so many beautiful unique looking route possibilities, it is exciting to be bolting there.

Me Norma, and Norma's Parents in the Cave

The unexplored cave that is closer but potentially harder to get to

Bolting the first half of La Gripa

Dani Climbing first half of La Gripa

How to Find the road.  The Rt hand turn off the highway has a sign for  La Boca also

The trail to the cave more or less

How to find the trail

Rock Climbing in China: Getu He 格凸河 and Yangshou 阳朔县, China

 Climbing In Yangshou and Getu China

Norma and I have just returned from a climbing trip in Asia.  We traveled to China in search of cooler temperatures after a sweaty two weeks on the beaches of Thailand.  We did in fact find cooler temperatures, and basically ideal climbing conditions.  We were nervous to commit to China as many travelers told us we were making a mistake going to China.  Fighting other people's advice seemed to be a theme on our trip as we got deeper into the heart of China, better climbing conditions, and little to no other climbers around.  That was climbing Getu He in mid March. 

Our plan was relatively last second because of my doubts that the temperatures would be good enough to climb in China.  This is part of my motivation for this blog is to put a little more travel and weather information about climbing in southern China out on the web, as well as to hopefully inspire people to make a journey to this beautiful part of the world.  What I consider to be perfect conditions for climbing were found in China in early March.  Though many morning ins Yangshou were rather cold after a half hour ride on a double bike through the city and then the fields is a perfect warm up to start some climbing in high friction conditions.  There were a couple days of rain for sure in early March.  None of these affected our climbing as it was when we arrived and the stopped for the afternoon and there is lots of climbing in overhanging areas that stay dry.

Getu was my original motivation for climbing in China.  The place looked inspiring in the pictures I had seen.  Also it is in a very poor rurarl area without much tourism.  This means the people are incredibly warm and welcoming which can be nice after being in Thailand where thousands of climbers migrate through and there is a general sense of tourist burnout among the Thai people working in the tourist industry.  It is for this reason I hope future climbers act responsibly and treat the local people in Getu with respect.  Getu being the second rural climbing area I have visited post Petzl Roctrip, I have noticed the locals are stoked about climbers!  I thank Petzl for creating these relationships.

After a  little over a week in the touristy city of Yanshou we departed on a bus towards Getu.  This journey took us about 24 hours of travel.  Unfortunately there is no longer a train between the two major cities near Getu and Yangshou. The two major cities are Gulin to Guiyang. I could give the details of the series of trains and buses we took but the best beta on how to get from Yangshou to Getu would be to go to the Climbers Inn and talk with Lily.  Lily runs the Climbers Inn and speaks perfect English.  She is a warm and welcoming person who is excited about climbing, and willing to help with the details of the journey to Getu.  She can even help purchase train tickets in advance in Yangshou.  Her email is climbers-in@hotmail.com and her website is www.climbers-inn.com

After our 24 hour journey to Getu we arrived at our hotel with free wifi, and ventured out to do some climbing near the river about 10 minutes from our hotel.  The climbing was great as we climbed right next to the river which disappears into the depths of the cave we are climbing in.  Much of the climbing in the Great Arch was a little moist with water seeping through that time of year.  The climbing in all the other areas was dry and amazing.  We tried to tour around Getu in our few days we had there to sample most of the crags.  As we had been warned so much about the bad conditions of Getu in early March we had low expectations and not much time left.  Our expectations were surrpassed as we arrived and met to German climbers who said they also came from Yangshou and found the weather a little warmer and had been climbing all week.

During our last Getu crag sampler day we ventured up to the CMDI wall to do some multi-pitch and climbed the really fun 5.10 Blue Spirit route.  The views of the flowering fields below, and the winding canyons was amazing from the route.  From here we continued down the climb some great steep single pitch routes.  We ended up visiting five crags that day just to get a feel of the area and stoke the fire to come back.

Now I am back in Mexico over a week later after leaving Getu.  The journey took extra long due to our budget methods of traveling on buses and smokey Chinese trains.  I look forward to my next journey to China to climb.  I don't know when it will be I know one day I will go back and see Whan the park ranger at the entrance who let us borrow his guide book, and whose wife fed us every meal.  If you are interested in a guided trip in Getu and Yangshou contact me at: markgrundon@yahoo.com.

Lawtons Route, El Salto Canyon

This January I bolted a new route in El Salto Canyon.  My original goal was for an easier multi-pitch in the canyon.  I had seen a large corner system with lots of tufas that was not too steep.  This is at least in comparison to the cave area which is just up the hill from this route.  It turns out the climbing is in the semi-moderate range, at least for El Salto where the easiest routes are pretty much 5.11.

I wanted to dedicate the route to my friend Adam Lawton who had recently passed away in an avalanche.  Adam was an inspiration to me.  He was an incredible person and I cherish the time I got to spend with him while briefly living Salt Lake.  He connected me to the backcountry skiing scene there and showed the incredible powder skiing SLC has to offer.  His incredibly positive outlook on life and passion for teaching, skiing, climbing, and friends will be missed.  The route is named Lawton's route to celebrate my friend.

I bolted the route with the help of Enrique Soto, Karla Moya, and Norma Torres.  We had a slow start as our drill was a hammer drill but not a SDS hammer drill, which drills maybe 10 times more slow.  The route is 4 pitches.  The first is maybe 5.11+, the second pitch 5.12- and then 5.11+, and 5.11.  These are guess's at the grades I welcome any feedback.

 The route is located in El Salto Canyon.  It is about 2 hours from El Potrero Chico.  To find the route go to the cave area and hike downhill about 4 minutes.  Visit www.elpotrerochicoguides.com to schedule a climbing trip in El Salto or Potrero.

This photo shows more or less where the route goes.  The X's are the anchors.

Karla on the sick tufa on the second pitch

Norma getting ready for a cold belay on top of the second pitch

Hidalgo Kids Climbing and Canyon Clean Up

On January 15th there was another clean up in El Potrero Chico.  There were about 40 local students cleaning up the canyon and afterwards climbing.  Thanks to Alicia for organizing this event every year. 

Driving to Potrero through Baja

We decided to drive to Potrero through Baja and take the ferry over to Mazatlan.  This was a great choice.  Driving through Texas is never very fun, and even the US side of the border feels a little sketchy taking interstate 10 which follows the US Mexican border for a long way.  But besides just being a nicer drive this was a trip I had always wanted to make, and there is incredible surfing the way down.

Here I finally get to relax in Mexico with a coco by the beach after the craziness of Tijuana.

 We visited Orlando in Ensenada.  I had some of the best uncrowded surfing ever while here.  I want to come back for a surfing climbing combination trip, as Orlando told us there is some good climbing near by and Ensenada is the closest large town to El Trono Blanco.

 Here is a beautiful sunset seen from Orlando's house

 Norma me and Orlando

 Trying to surf at Punta San Carlos, but there was no swell yet so we head south.

 But we did get to see the biggest cactus's ever!

 Arriving in Monterrey and gathering "stuff" for our house.

 The portaledge made a great temporary. Guest bed and couch.

 Norma's family visiting the Hidalgo house.