First Trip Date: January 12, 2024
Second Trip Date: February 23, 2025

2024 & 2025 MEXICO ADVENTURE VACATIONS

Buzz Rock Sport-Climb

Five-Pitch Harmony Route (Class 5.9)

Trip Report Summary

Region: Mexico

Sub-Region: Sierra Madre Oriental (“Eastern Mother Range”)

Sub-Sub-Region: Sierra San Miguel aka Sierra del Fraile (“Friars Range”)

Locale: Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon

Area: Potrero Chico Recreational Park

Starting Point for Approach: Buzz Rock Trailhead off Old Potrero Chico Road (Elev. 2200 feet / 670 meters)

Feature: Buzz Rock (Base Elev. 2700 feet / 820 meters)

Route: Five-Pitch Harmony (five pitches of sport climbing)

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2024 Trip Report

During a short rock-climbing trip to Potrero Chico Recreational Park (“PoCho”) in northeastern Mexico, Eileen and Brooke and I spent a day at Buzz Rock. Our objective was Five-Pitch Harmony, a multi-pitch sport route that Brooke had been eyeballing. An interesting aspect of this route is that the five pitches increase from Class 5.5 to 5.9 in a nearly regular progression. More importantly, it is also reported to be generously bolted, which is something we all would appreciate. 

The Approach

Starting at our little abode just outside the park on a sunny Friday morning, we walked up Old Potrero Chico Road, turned right on a gravel road, crossed a gravelly drainage wash, and hiked up a trail toward Buzz Rock. From below, Five-Pitch Harmony can be seen as a long, squiggly, white stripe extending up the right side of the main rock face.

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Upon arriving at the base of the route, we were surprised to find four of our PoCho acquaintances—Bob, Beth, Blake, and Toni—roping up for the same climb.  What in blazes? I had casually mentioned our plan to them during last night’s dinner, and now we caught them poaching our route!  All was forgiven, though, when Toni graciously offered to buy us each a margarita after the climb. Damn…she sensed our greatest weakness and went right in for the kill shot! 

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The Climb

Bob and Beth led off first, opting for the 5.7 variation pitch rather than the standard 5.6 starting pitch. They were immediately followed by Blake and Toni on a separate rope. Brooke, Eileen, and I went behind them on two ropes, with Brooke and me swinging leads.  

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As advertised, the limestone rock quality was very good and the bolting was indeed very generous.  We all enjoyed the climbing immensely, as well as our conversations at the belay stations when two rope teams would converge. 

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Our climb had begun in the heat of full sunshine, but it was shady and chilly by the time we all topped out.  Those of us who had packed up a jacket (ahem…Toni) were feeling pretty smart; the rest of us took it as a lesson regarding how quickly the weather here can change. (Case in point: the local temperature dropped below freezing just a few days later!)

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The Descent

In order to expedite the descent, we all agreed to consolidate our seven people and four ropes into one big rappel team.  This worked very efficiently after getting a few kinks ironed out. There were also some comically chaotic moments, such as when four of us found ourselves sharing a tiny ledge and a single anchor station with an ascending climber. Fortunately, everyone maintained a good sense of humor, such that we got lots of laughs from the messy situation. 

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Upon completing our fifth and final rappel in the chill of late afternoon, we all donned warm clothing and then hurried down to La Posada for dinner and margaritas. Five-Pitch Harmony had proven to be everything we’d hoped for in a multi-pitch sport climb, but it was really the seven-part camaraderie that turned it into an extra fun day!

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2025 Trip Report

During a week in Monterrey, Eileen, Brooke, James, and I drove up to PoCho on a warm Sunday morning to climb Five-Pitch Harmony at Buzz Rock. This was a first-time climb for James but a repeat for the rest of us. We parked at a large parking lot just outside of the entrance gate and hiked down to a broad, gravelly drainage wash, then up a right-slanting access road.

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The access road leads to a colorful house that visually sits below Buzz Rock. This road has a gate that is sometimes open and sometimes closed. If the gate is open, walk through it and then immediately angle up to the left on an obvious trail. If the gate is closed, turn left and hike up a steep trail for a short ascent, then turn right on a short connector trail that leads over to the previously mentioned trail.

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Continue along the well-graded trail as it makes a rising traverse toward Buzz Rock. Along the way, you will pass several junctions with trails leading to other crags. Most of these junctions have directional signs but the approach can be a bit confusing in places. The correct trail crosses underneath Buzz Rock and then angles back to the left.

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We climbed Five-Pitch Harmony as two separate teams, with Eileen and me on one rope, Brooke and James on a second rope. The entire climb was every bit as enjoyable and satisfying as it was last year! Eileen and I finished the route in early afternoon and then scrambled up to the summit of Buzz Rock for a better view of the surroundings.

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For our descent, we made two double-rope rappels using both of our 70-meter ropes. The first rappel got us down the upper three pitches, and the second rappel got us down the lower two pitches of an adjacent route called Sphincter Squeeze, which sees less traffic than Five-Pitch Harmony.

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Because the route has become so popular, you should expect lots of up and down traffic during high season. Thankfully, there are now separate rappel anchors and belay anchors at each station. Nonetheless, it is difficult to avoid some degree of rope congestion.

Photo Gallery

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