Build My Own FeedBD athletes Sonnie Trotter and Alex Honnold make one-day ascent of 28-pitch 5.13a in Mexico
Black Diamond athletes Sonnie Trotter and Alex Honnold can climb 5.13. That wasn’t going to be the issue. Climb a 28-pitch 5.13 in Mexico in a day? Now that was going to be a challenge, even for those two crankers. As with any good adventure, however, the true challenges didn’t present themselves until the trip began—just finding the wall turned out to be an epic, friable holds botched their onsight bid and the sketch-op they found at the base would’ve sent most people sprinting back across the border.
But the duo stuck with it and came back with a fantastic tale, which we’ve chosen to highlight in our Fall 2010 Rock Climbing brochure. Why? Because after more than 25 years of making the world’s finest climbing equipment, we still get stoked on the stories of climbers using our harnesses, carabiners, quickdraws, packs and other gear to quest off on adventures and challenges—like Alex and Sonnie’s Mexi mission—that would crush other climbing companies’ gear. It’s a point of pride for us that they have chosen our equipment, and one that continues to drive us to innovate, design and improve everything you need for a wild ride in the vertical, be it a four-move boulder problem, a four-pitch trad line or a four-day big wall.
Below is Sonnie’s essay about the climb, as well as photos from Andrew Burr (who was along to do the driving and documenting). In the coming days we will also have a four-part video of Sonnie and Alex’s adventure that is sure to inspire—and entertain—so be sure to keep checking back into the Journal for more.
To order a copy of our Fall 2010 Rock Climbing brochure, email our customer service crew at bdmo@bdel.com and they’ll ship you out a fresh one.
To watch Sonnie and Alex's video dispatches from Mexico, click the links below:
High Times In Mexico
By Sonnie Trotter
At 3:30 a.m., deep in the chaotic canyons of Mexico’s Basaseachi National Park, the three of us hunched and crept across the rocky hillside under the glow of a full moon. Every step had to be precise, every breath utterly silent. A campfire burned less than 50 meters below us where a group of “plantation caretakers” guarded their covert grow-op of two freshly fertilized fields at the base of the wall.
It wasn’t more than a week ago that I was sitting in front of my laptop in Squamish, British Columbia, trading emails with my two current compadres, Alex Honnold and Andrew Burr, about whether we would/could/should venture to go climbing here, a lawless land in the heart of Mexico’s drug trade. For all reasonable and practical purposes, we shouldn’t have gone; we shouldn’t be here right now, silently crawling through the jungle. I looked up to my left and saw the bulky face of El Gigante glaring down at me, all 2700 feet of it, and the thought of turning around and going home seemed empty and incomplete.
This would be our second shot at Logical Progression, a 28-pitch 5.13a that’s considered to be the longest sport climb in the world. Our first attempt was hampered by a combination of technical climbing on complex volcanic tuff and a few broken holds, forcing us to bivy on “Critter Ledge” atop pitch 18 before finishing the following day. Alex and I had originally envisioned free climbing the entire wall in a single day, and after nearly 30 hours of driving from Las Vegas, anything less would be unacceptable. With closed mouths and heightened senses, we scampered on in the darkness.
Upon reaching the base of the wall, we used our headlamps only to get our bearings. As I chalked up and tightened my shoes, Alex whispered over my shoulder, “Dude, when you get to the anchor don’t yell down… just pull the rope up. I’ll wait 30 seconds before climbing… with any luck we can get a few pitches off the deck before they notice us.” Burr was our support team and photographer (it was as much his energy and motivation as it was our own that allowed us to succeed) and from here he would take our shoes, packs, and extra clothes and march them to the top of the wall to meet us, hopefully within the ballpark of our estimated time of 18 hours. But this also meant that Burr had to walk back… by himself… in the dark…. above the guards and their drug fields.
I gave the highest of high fives to Burr before he escaped into the black night, and then turned to face the rock, took a fresh breath of early morning air and stepped off the ground…
Sonnie Trotter and Alex Honnold reached the summit of El Gigante in 15 hours, with both climbers redpointing every pitch, making the first continuous free ascent, and the first in-a-day ascent of Logical Progression (V 5.13a).
United States / English 
22 Dec 2010, 10:26AM
National Parks and forests in the US face similar problems with drug dealing/trafficking. Not to make an excuse for México's government, but growing a bit of mota at the base of a canyon (regardless of whether this is in an NP or not) is one of the least worries the government is facing now. Basaseachi is absolutely amazing, and absolutely worth the "travel risk." I think that Americans overrate "safety." México IS NOT the dangerous trap that the media (including NPR, sadly) want y'all to think. And, it won't make it out of the hole unless tourism kicks up, especially in rural areas. People NEED alternatives, and tourism is one of them. So go, visit, and get your eyes and hands filled with the incredible beauty of the hidden canyons of Chihuahua. Take a risk.
17 Oct 2010, 5:57PM
Geez, mexico is a dangerous place. Part of me tells me that one of these days some poor outdoorsman is going to wind up beheaded deep in a mine shaft somewhere. Then the rocks call me to them and I can't ignore the voice.
22 Sep 2010, 11:34PM
Unfortunately legalizing drugs (which we should do) won't put an immediate end to the violence--it will create a spike in other forms of crime, such as kidnappings, as the cartels seek other sources of income. In the long run it will change things but it will be rough for a while.
That being said, most of Mexico is still safe and in fact the Mexican economy is recovering faster than ours, so come on down, the climbing is fabulous.
25 Aug 2010, 11:16PM
nice i love it!!!!!!!!1
16 Aug 2010, 3:12PM
Nice video, nice place! It's inspiring for us living in Chihuahua to see this videos. There are many places around here to go climbing, and this just makes us feel to go and try it.
Good work and cheers!
13 Aug 2010, 1:27PM
Well done!!!!!
Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
............and you found the fast access path.
Ohhhhh it is so nice there. Now, nearly ten years passed by since the first ascent. Is the route free of lichen now?
15 hours? What cloud be more satisfing? Such a good job you did!
PeterB
10 Aug 2010, 7:46PM
"Every step had to be precise, every breath utterly silent. A campfire burned less than 50 meters below us where a group of “plantation caretakers” guarded their covert grow-op of two freshly fertilized fields at the base of the wall."
It took only a few sentences to shatter my heart. I'm from Mexico, and I have climbed for about 8 years, I live now with my wife in California and the current state of affairs in Mexico is sad news for me. There are many great climbers and mountaineers in Mexico one name comes to mind Carlos Carsolio. But all we hear about in the news is: drugs, violence, corruption.
Don't forget that if any of this happens is because of the demand for drugs in the U.S.
Either you repudiate and fight the use of drugs in the american society or you should ask your legislators to legalize this drugs so there is an ending to the crime an violence in Mexico.
Next time you smoke some pot, ask yourself if your pot is fair trade, organic or how much human blood was spilled to get this drugs across the border? What kind of trace do you leave behind when you use those drugs?
And as mentioned above, the growth of drugs and the permanent damage of wild nature also takes place here in the US.
6 Aug 2010, 1:16AM
Funny to come across this as I just bought plane tickets to a nearby town and plan to go to this same canyon this January to do a new route.
I've always been a bit scared to go to Mexico.......anywhere...for anything. And then I read this. Hmm...what to do.
4 Aug 2010, 10:26AM
muchas felicidades, conozco el muro y es algo impresionante
4 Aug 2010, 9:03AM
Awesome climbing. Inspiring. Thanks guys. Stay safe out there to keep us inspired for years to come.
@heidi - Keep in mind that this regularly occurs on the west coast all the time. The PAC NW had grow sites in many National Forests. You learned to watch for signs of irrigation etc when hiking in remote areas. Not common but certainly occurring.
4 Aug 2010, 6:34AM
Hah! Go get it, boys. Wow, Andrew, the photos so far are absolutely stunning.
3 Aug 2010, 8:38PM
Que maravilla!!!...congratz guys!!
3 Aug 2010, 7:29PM
ESO ES UNA MARAVILLA DE LA NATURALEZA PARA DELEITE DE LOS HOMBRES! FELICIDADES A LOS QUE LAS PUEDEN DISFRUTAR DE ESA MANERA !!!!
3 Aug 2010, 6:17PM
i didn´t know yet the place but i know about. is near a water fall call basaseachi and is amazing, some friend make rapel there an climbing i live like a 10 hours of this place (Juarez City), but is a wonderfull place. nice climbing and nice report!!
3 Aug 2010, 5:28PM
Sweet!........
3 Aug 2010, 4:02PM
That's an awesome story! Great photos of a great accomplishment!
28 Jul 2010, 8:44AM
IMPRESIONANTE!!!...MUCHAS FELICIDADES!!
28 Jul 2010, 7:47AM
Amazing...
28 Jul 2010, 7:14AM
so the heart of mexico's drug trade takes place in the middle of a national park? that's almost as bold as this climb seems to have been...does the mexican gov't just look the other way? inspiring job on the climbing, fellas, and to burr for making that walk back alone - scary!~.^
28 Jul 2010, 12:12AM
Woww nice.
It`s a real Dreamteam I guess, hope it`s more to come
27 Jul 2010, 12:10PM
Awesome!!