La Huasteca, Pico Tatewari, Pau

Mexico, Nuevo León
Author: Oriol Anglada. Climb Year: 2015. Publication Year: 2016.

A couple of years ago, my wife, Marisol Monterrubio, and I opened a new route on the south face of Pico Tatwari. We climbed the route ground-up, in seven days total, with fixed ropes until the top of pitch 10 and then a portaledge camp for the upper pitches. On this first ascent, we free climbed and aided with hooks, but the route was totally bolted for sport climbing.

I returned with Marisol in late December 2015 to try and free the route. We both managed to free to the top of pitch 10, the 5.13b crux, in around four days, before rain arrived. We returned three days later and free climbed most of the route, and also inspected a different line for the final (14th)pitch, which originally was dangerous. After this, we only had two days to redpoint the two remaining hard pitches (5.13a and 5.12d) and climb the last pitch.

On the first day we free climbed the final pitch at 5.11c, finishing in the dark due to bolting time. We bivouacked on the summit. It was really cold, with thick fog and drizzle all night. We managed to make a fire with wet wood. Our intention was to free the final two hard pitches (pitches 12 and 13) of our 14-pitch route the next day; however, when we woke it was still drizzling and too cold for the hands. We were tired, wet, and decided to just say fuck it. It was good enough.

Pau (520m, 5.13b A0) is spectacular, with smooth, technical, crimpy face climbing on perfect limestone. It’s hard, clean, long, magic, and safe—a dream for many sport climbers. We equipped the route with 3/8” bolts. The route has mandatory 5.11d climbing, and it could likely be climbed in 10–12 hours by a strong team. [Editor’s note: This route climbs the center of Pico Tatwari and is located just left of Fiducia al Sentiero. It is the couple’s second new route on Pico Tatewari. See AAJ 2010 for a photo showing other lines on this wall.]

– Oriol Anglada, Spain



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