El Potrero Chico, MX - Part 1

Last month I pushed my climbing limits to a new level by going on a wonderful adventure to El Potrero Chico just outside San Nicolas Hidalgo, Mexico. It was a semi-spontaneous decision that spurred from a metro ride conversation with two other climbers after attending (and being inspired by) a Sufferfest 2 National Geographic viewing with Alex Honnold and Cedar Wright. (Sidenotes: If you haven't watched either Sufferfest, I highly suggest you go do so! Also, if you ever get a chance to meet and chat with Alex or Cedar, they're super chill and amazing people!)

I'd never been...nor had I really understood the grandiosity and greatness of EPC and multipitch climbing. My only knowledge of the area was from one of my climbing partners who had told me about EPC and how I would probably CRUSH there given the amount of bolted multipitch routes and from a separate group of climbing friends that had plans to go in January. As one of my 2015 "resolutions" is to "have more fun" (though the reaction of many of my friends when I told them of my "resolution" was "You?! You need to have more fun!?"), I decided to jump in on this trip to an unknown international land with girls I barely knew and I had never really climbed with.

We all bought our tickets about 1 month before our departure date (I, in a quasi-drunken state =P), and I definitely went through a roller coaster thought process (similar to Rapunzel leaving her tower for the first time in Tangled):

"OMG we're gonna do it! --> Shoots...are we really gonna do it? Is this a good idea? --> We're gonna do it! YOLO! I'm pressing 'buy'! --> OMG we're crazy. I can't believe I just bought that ticket. I don't even know these girls! --> THIS IS GONNA BE AWESOME! --> This is gonna be terrible! Why did I just buy a ticket to Mexico? I'm going to get kidnapped by drug cartels! What a terrible idea! We're gonna die! --> Dood...I've never even DONE multipitch! HOW do I do it? What if I sh*t myself? We're gonna die!

Those thoughts spurred a few things in my one month prep:

• Physical strength and endurance:
• Train real hard (grade- and endurance-wise) so even if I'm scared and pooping my pants I can still climb. This actually REALLY paid off. We ended up climbing 5 days straight (which I'd never done outside), and I definitely led/climbed with some serious "Elvis leg" for a good portion of our climbing.
• Supplement with cardio (typically running, cycling, or short HIIT workouts) for overall physique (and let's be honest: to shed the Christmas/New Year's weight I gained by indulging in delicious foods all over Southern California [my hometown] for 2 weeks)
• Eat well! I cut out a significant amount of sugar in my diet (once you get to know me I have a HUGE sweet tooth!) and really tried my best to eat healthy in order to prep my body as best as I could for such a trip.
• Milk active rest days. While it was important to get strong for the trip, it was even more important not to injure myself before the trip. Considered an "Energizer bunny" by those who've ever worked/hung out with me, that balance is extremely difficult for me. I was working out 5 or 6 days a week with some of those being double workout days or days I work both my full-time and part-time jobs. Active rest days (which could mean taking a flying trapeze class, casually cycling on a stationary bike while reading work materials for my full-time job, or vegging in front of my TV enjoying Dance Moms [proud guilty pleasure!]) were a Godsend and necessity!
• Technical skills
• Learn rope management and multipitch systems so we don't kill ourselves. I was the noob to multipitch climbing on this trip, and I'm the kind of girl that likes to know her sh*t instead of completely relying on/mooching off others skills/knowledge.
• Practice/remember top belaying so I don't kill my new friends
• Mental prowess
• Practice climbing/catching with said new friends so we don't poop our pants
• Research as much about the area and climbs as I could. This was difficult as none of our friends had personally been to the area, and the guidebooks are NOT sold in the U.S.
• Talk with friends about multipitch to mentally prep me for what in the world I was getting myself into. Aspects I was most nervous about: my reaction to the exposure and height as well as how on earth i was going to pee.
• Research logistical things not particularly related to climbing like:
• Where can I get water?
• Where can I get food? Do I need to pack bars to sustain me on our one week trip?
• Is this area even safe? Will I get snatched up and never return to my friends and family?

All in all, I left for Mexico with as much prep as I could have done, a LOT of nervousness and anxiety of the unknown, but more importantly, an insane amount of excitement for an adventure of a trip. Stay tuned for a trip report coming soon =]