After Las Vinas, fjording a river to get to La Escuela climbing area outside Lima sounded like a cakewalk. It didn’t hurt that to get to the river we walked through a rainforest micro-climate home to an avocado and cherimoya farm.
“Lunch?” I asked one of my climbing friends. No, he replied. Because it’s a farm they leave all the fruit for the workers to pick. But he did take a picture of me holding one of the many avocados. I’d never seen one growing on a tree before:
Then we got to the river.
The river is high right now because of the melting ice in the mountains inland. So we took off our shoes and walked the slippery rocks to get across. My friend said he fell in the last time he came (wet harness, wet shoes, wet clothes), but this time he got across alright, throwing his shoes across first, and then being a true caraballero and helping me across.
5 minutes later our feet were dry and at the base of one of the climbing areas. It’s called La Escuela (the school) because a lot of climbing schools and tour groups come out here.
The climbing ranges from easy to definitely not easy, but there are high traffic routes, which means they’re maintained well and pretty safe. Still, wearing a helmet to avoid falling rock is a good idea.
This is Matias (owner of PIRQA rockclimbing gym in Lima) on a super long climb. Must have been 30-35 metres. He then belayed his partner from the top. One heck of a view. I think the route is around a 5.10- or 5.10 (6a? 6a+? 6b? I’m still not good at the French grading system).
I lead this climb on the right with the rope that drapes from right to left. It’s an old route and Carlos warned me it’s more psychological than technical, but I didn’t really notice the run-out. I ate a very calming banana that morning from a local market. Must have kept my head game in check. It’s not as slabby as it looks, this climb. There are small but good cracks. There’s a mini slab section near the top but it’s not nearly as bad as some things I’ve climbed in Squamish, BC, where I swore off leading scary outdoor slab for life.
The coolest climb of the day was a 7a (5.11+ 5.12-, I think) that I did on top-rope. There’s a crux with a giant mantle down with your left hand, and a high left foot off to the side. I didn’t think it would work, and tried everything I could think of to avoid doing it (right foot at shoulder level, huge layback), but eventually the mantle was the only option. Then it was a right hand lock-off from the highest point of the left hand mantle, up to a left hand sideways ledge. Match feet and stand up to a better right hand hold. The rest was alright, but that crux was killer. Everything was balance-y, and I really enjoyed the flow of the beginning and the gentle ending.
Carlos and Matias were working the 7b (5.12) on the right though. Super balance-y crux move with your right food frictioning against a side wall and your left opposing it on the other side. Then inch your way up to a left hand crimper and somehow shift or jump over to a tiny ledge to the right.
We look awfully happy at the end of the day, don’t we?
Some day I’ll climb like these Peruvians. 7b!
Unfortunately there was a car accident on the one highway leading back into Lima. We tried driving through a housing complex area. No luck then back around another blocked off town. Nope. So instead of waiting two hours for the crashed car to get moved out of the way (hard to get a tow up there), we decided to stop for dinner. And ice cream. And espresso. Home by 9. Nobody can escape traffic here.
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