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valygrl
Nov 26, 2006, 7:44 PM
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Anyone know if it's chill to travel to EPC right now? Better with or without a car?
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alpine_chris
Nov 26, 2006, 8:56 PM
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Mexico's political situation? Well, it is a democracy and they know how to count votes. Furthermore, they are quite peaceful. The military stays within Mexico itself.
Sorry for this answer. I am many times impressed (or shocked), how much some US-Americans know what is going on in the "rest of the world"...
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maracas
Nov 26, 2006, 10:01 PM
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If you are a drug dealer don't visit the north. If you like to get invloved on other people's problems don't visit the south.
Otherwise it is OK.
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valygrl
Nov 26, 2006, 10:17 PM
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Thanks Maracas.
Anyone else been there recently, or have any info? All I can find out on the internet is that there has been violence in Oaxaca and Mexcio City, can't find anything from Nuevo Leon.
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maracas
Nov 26, 2006, 10:31 PM
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You cant find anything cause there isn't anything.
Lookup the old posts about driving to Potrero. If safety is your concern while travelling there is one with a few coments on the Laredo border.
Everything else is the same, driving to Potrero is no problem. Mexican government requires that you have insurance and that you leave a deposit (to make sure your cr makes it back). Usualy in the form of a credit card voucher. A lot of people drive to Potrero from as far as Canada even. I have not done this part of the paperwork as I am from Mexico.
Don't worry it is no problem.
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valygrl
Nov 26, 2006, 10:40 PM
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"You cant find anything cause there isn't anything. "
That's what I was hoping that meant.
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atg200
Nov 26, 2006, 11:42 PM
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you are an ass alpine_chris. i am continually amazed at how some insular swiss don't know about what is happening in the rest of the world, like the riots happening in oaxaca right now. after being stuck in the middle of a presidential overthrow and rioting in ecuador a few years back, i can understand wanting to avoid that sort of thing.
portrero is good to go.
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suchagame
Nov 27, 2006, 2:46 AM
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Alpine_chris....what the HELL makes you think they know how to count votes in Mexico??!!
well...maybe knowing how and doing it properly are two different things...
On december first, Calderon is gonna take power, and many many Mexicans believe there was huge vote fraud...just as under the PRI for years and years and years.
I agree with your sentiments about folks from the US (as i am myself) BUT
1.- don't be an asshole.
2.- inform yourself before you go chastizing others.
read the news on december 2nd, and you'll learn about all the protests that are gonna happen in my neck of the woods (Distrito Federal, Estado de Mexico) on Dec 1st when the new president comes.
Take home message for you-
Don't be a dick dude.
and if you prefer german, Sie kein arschloch. (and yes, i know perhaps you rock french or italian up there in the alps...the german was just a guess.
anyway, aside from my unpromted chastizing, i hope all is well, and enjoy the mountains. :) peace.
henry
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musicman1586
Nov 27, 2006, 3:01 AM
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Alot of people in Austin are fairly active in the development of EPC and they make numerous trips down there each year, never heard of any problems at all.
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squierbypetzl
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Nov 27, 2006, 3:57 AM
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suchagame wrote: Alpine_chris....what the HELL makes you think they know how to count votes in Mexico??!! well...maybe knowing how and doing it properly are two different things... On december first, Calderon is gonna take power, and many many Mexicans believe there was huge vote fraud...just as under the PRI for years and years and years. I agree with your sentiments about folks from the US (as i am myself) BUT 1.- don't be an asshole. 2.- inform yourself before you go chastizing others. read the news on december 2nd, and you'll learn about all the protests that are gonna happen in my neck of the woods (Distrito Federal, Estado de Mexico) on Dec 1st when the new president comes.
HAhahahaha!!!!!
Bwaaahahahaahhahaaa!!!!
edit: go to potrero, don´t worry about internal "politics". . . just use common sense and you´ll be dandy
(This post was edited by squierbypetzl on Nov 27, 2006, 3:59 AM)
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maracas
Nov 27, 2006, 9:23 AM
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Good thing this is a climbing site. So much too be said about the topic.
But, suffice to say that not everyone from/in Mexico agrees with what suchagame just posted.
But, for valygirl, this area (Nuevo Leon state) is OK, as it has been for ages.
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sonso45
Nov 27, 2006, 2:14 PM
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I was in chihuahua earlier this month and we were stopped at a couple checkpoints by the army and assorted police, as was everyone else and I was treated fairly. Of course we had nothing to hide so we just let em look around and then went on our way. Everybody was friendly, as I would expect in the rest of the country.
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8flood8
Nov 27, 2006, 2:38 PM
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we just drove back. arrived at 1230 CST.
we waited for 1.5 hours at the columbia border crossing. i can only imagine how long we would have had to wait at the laredo crossing.
the worst thing that happened to us on the trip was that some of the streetside window cleaners made the drivers seat window dirty in their attempts to get a grubby ass peso off of us - while we were trying to turn left to monterrey.
the next worst thing that happened was that a brain sized rock blasted off of the occipital/temporal junction of my helmet. SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME. It hit me with enough force to completely knock my head out of the way of the path of the rock, my back was to the wall and after it hit with a high pitched !!!!PING!!!! i could smell burning flint. My adrenaline was pumping then!!
so yes, it is safe to go to EPC, but don't forget your brainbucket!
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camhead
Nov 27, 2006, 2:58 PM
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8flood8 wrote: the next worst thing that happened was that a brain sized rock blasted off of the occipital/temporal junction of my helmet. SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME. It hit me with enough force to completely knock my head out of the way of the path of the rock, my back was to the wall and after it hit with a high pitched !!!!PING!!!! i could smell burning flint. My adrenaline was pumping then!! so yes, it is safe to go to EPC, but don't forget your brainbucket!
whoa, dude, what route were you on? glad you're okay.
Oh, and one more thing that may not be on older EPC beta-boards, which I think is appropriate to post here:
YOU NEED A PASSPORT IF YOU FLY TO MEXICO AFTER JANUARY 23! They used to only require a birth certificate and driver's license, but NO LONGER. I am not sure what the requirements are for people driving, though.
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valygrl
Nov 27, 2006, 3:15 PM
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Yeah, last time I was there, my partner got hit by a rock we dislodged pulling our rap rope. Her helmet saved her life. Yuck.
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fitzontherocks
Nov 27, 2006, 4:25 PM
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Muchos gracias, Maracas, para la informacion.
What's the best airport to fly into from the states for EPC? Monterrey?
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craftedpacket
Nov 27, 2006, 4:31 PM
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I just got back from epc yesterday. We flew into and out of Monterrey so I dont know about the driving conditions. There was a large group from austin that had driving in with no problems, and do so quite often. There were also people from other areas of the states and canada that drove in without any problem.
From what I hear the best thing is to have your paperwork and vehicle registration/insurance stuff taken care of before you get to the border. This will take off an hour or two of your border crossing experience. As for the people of Hildago I dont think you could ask for more. Everyone is very friendly and helpful even if you dont speak much spanish. There was a lot of rock fall during our trip and even one death (soloing accident). So bring a helmet and be careful. Even when someone is not climbing above you there can be (and did a few times around us) rock fall.
Its an amazing place.
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qk66
Nov 27, 2006, 4:44 PM
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Don´t worry about going to El Potrero, it´s a town far far away from any political distress. The only thing you will find is a lot of good people who like climbers and a beautiful place toclimb.
Oaxca is 2500 or more kilometers away and the problems and Mexico city is 1000 km away, so dont worry about it and go climb.
I know what I am talking about because I am a Mexican climber, so dont listen to the alarmist news nor the unsecurity problems, and only come to spent a lot of days of fine weather and good climbing.
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8flood8
Nov 27, 2006, 5:05 PM
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camhead wrote: 8flood8 wrote: the next worst thing that happened was that a brain sized rock blasted off of the occipital/temporal junction of my helmet. SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME. It hit me with enough force to completely knock my head out of the way of the path of the rock, my back was to the wall and after it hit with a high pitched !!!!PING!!!! i could smell burning flint. My adrenaline was pumping then!! so yes, it is safe to go to EPC, but don't forget your brainbucket! whoa, dude, what route were you on? glad you're okay. Oh, and one more thing that may not be on older EPC beta-boards, which I think is appropriate to post here: YOU NEED A PASSPORT IF YOU FLY TO MEXICO AFTER JANUARY 23! They used to only require a birth certificate and driver's license, but NO LONGER. I am not sure what the requirements are for people driving, though.
Cam,
We were standing on the base of the first pitch of Tortilla Flat on the TNT wall. I had just led it and we we had pulled the rope for the next leader to go up. We were actually just chatting and none of us heard the rock tumbling or skittering. It must have fallen from WAY high up, its only warning was the !!PING!! off of the back corner of my head. We were all stunned, but it only took me the split second to realize that the rock that fell down below me was actually what had shoved my head forcefully out of the way. hehe I'm going to retire my helmet after that one, it hit me HARD.
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redpoint73
Nov 27, 2006, 5:41 PM
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Been to Mexico 3 times, and would not hesitate to do so again. Oaxaca is far, far away from Potrero. It would be the same as visiting Seattle and wondering if a riot in Sand Diego was something to worry about.
Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world, and has violence just like any other big city. Again, far away from the rural climbing paradise of Potrero.
The town of Hidalgo is small and rural, and the people are warm and friendly. Monterrey is the best place to fly into (about an hour cab ride to Potrero), and it is on the outskirts, so you don't even go through the city of Monterrey at all.
I have spoken to a bunch of people that have driven to Mexico, and it was no problem at all. Have a good car and travel smart. Having a car breakdown in middle of the desert is dangerous in any country.
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suchagame
Nov 27, 2006, 11:11 PM
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yo to throw a quick apology to this thread-
personally i didn't mean to be alarmist, nor to insinuate anything at all about Potrero. I was mostly just replying to some specific posts about the political situation in mexico in general, and of course its only my (foreign) opinion. (...and not that relevant to climbing, so i'll leave my rantings to another thread should i become so inspired...)
so sorry if i put anyone off or sounded alarmist.
on another note....lol....
lets climb! y'all have fun in potrero or where ever you grab rock.
peace,
-h
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squierbypetzl
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Dec 6, 2006, 5:58 AM
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maracas wrote: If you are a drug dealer don't visit the north. If you like to get invloved on other people's problems don't visit the south. Otherwise it is OK.
I´ve laughed so much at this, it´s so spot on it´s genius. Thanks for that.
December 5th and things are gravy.. . I won´t name names, but "tomenla!!". 
And to the dude chastising alpine_chris, you´re a dick.
That is all.
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rmsusa
Dec 8, 2006, 11:42 PM
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Yep. Despite fistfights in the cámara de diputados, the transfer of power was peaceful and constitutional. AMLO is rapidly committing political suicide and Calderón seems to want to apply the mano dura to the APPO (good for him). Mexico will be just fine this sexenio.
Now if you guys down in VZ could just do something about Hugo (six more years!) to make him improve infrastructure instead of subsidizing Argentine milk producers....
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price1869
Dec 8, 2006, 11:58 PM
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Always hide your coke in your chalk.
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