First free ascent of "Guerreras" achieved in La Gloria, Mexico.
- El Salto Team
- Feb 19
- 3 min read
El Salto is an iconic climbing destination in Mexico, internationally recognized for its exceptional-quality limestone. However, about 40 minutes from El Salto, in San José de las Boquillas, lies La Gloria, an imposing peak that dominates the Sierra Madre Oriental valley. This area has been developed with two unique multi-pitch routes: Rezando (5.11c)and Guerreras (5.12c), the latter of which has just received its first free ascent.
Historia y Desarrollo de la Ruta Guerreras
The first route in La Gloria, Rezando (5.11c), was bolted in 2020 by Zach Clanton and Dave Henkel. This 13-pitch multi-pitch route was freed in 2021 by Clanton and Michael Perry. Later, Zach discovered a more challenging line, and in 2021, along with Tony Pavlantos, they bolted Guerreras, a technical 13-pitch route featuring bouldery climbing that blends technique and endurance.
Fittingly to the name of the route, it wasn't until 2025 that two female climbers, Karly Rager and Mango Ordoñez, achieved its first free ascent. Rager, a U.S. climber and climbing coach, and Mango, a local El Salto climber and owner of Café Hanuman, successfully freed the route, describing it as an adventurous multi-pitch with El Salto’s signature physical climbing, including tufas and unique limestone formations.
Guerreras Route Description
Guerreras leads to the summit of La Gloria after 13 pitches. Its hardest grade is 5.12c, distributed as follows:
P1 (5.12b): Technical pitch with a challenging traverse boulder.
P2 (5.11-): Short pitch with peculiar moves.
P3 (5.12a): Demanding and super fun boulder problem.
P4 (5.6): Best to link with pitch 5.
P5 (5.11): "Spicy" downclimb.
P6 (5.10d): Sidepull moves, great climbing.
P7 (5.11-): Corner pitch that turns into a chimney.
P8 (5.11d): Tech nasty.
P9 (5.5): Traverse to a bivy ledge.
P10 (5.11-): Leads to the upper wall.
P11 (5.12c): Crux pitch with incredible exposure.
P12 (5.12b): Less steep than pitch 11 but with a similar style.
P13 (5.5): Final section before reaching the summit.
However, everyone who has been to La Gloria mentions that one factor that drastically increases the difficulty of these routes is the approach. It involves several hours of hiking on poorly marked trails under the sun, making it a very technical and demanding access. For this reason, it is recommended to divide La Gloria's multi-pitch climbs into three days:
Day 1: Hike to the base of the wall.
Day 2: Climb the route and descend.
Day 3: Hike back.
It’s important to note that both Guerreras and Rezando have bivy ledges halfway up the route where two people can sleep.
How to Get to La Gloria
From El Salto, you need to drive toward San José de las Boquillas. Once in the area, access to the wall requires a 30-minute hike along a trail that crosses dry riverbeds, cliffs, and slabs until you reach the base of the route. A palm tree marks the arrival point.
Descent
The descent is done by rappelling down the neighboring route Rezando. (For more information, refer to the El Salto Climbing Guide. It is highly recommended to be well-prepared for this section, as exposure and conditions can make it a technical experience.
A New Challenge in El Salto and La Gloria
The free ascent of Guerreras shows that there are still countless new walls to be developed in the country. It is essential to always respect governmental regulations and ensure that development does not negatively impact the ecosystem of Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey. That said, this first ascent of Rezando firmly establishes La Gloria as an international-level multi-pitch destination.
Thanks to the information provided by Karly Rager and Mango Ordoñez, climbers now have a detailed topo to attempt this challenging ascent.
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