Urban Climbing

Highlights of climbing in Mexico City:

1. Discovering two great outdoor climbing areas within the city (los Dinamos and el Cantil), both just a short drive from our apartment.
2. Climbing without a guidebook or route ratings (my climbing friends won't believe I was capable of this as my insistance upon reading the guide and intently studying the route maps before climbing verged on obsession in DC), and discovering when we got home that we had supposedly been leading 5.10s the entire time.
3. Discovering the rating system really means nothing in Mexico and it's better not to read the guides or route ratings.
4. Taking a 20 foot whipper inches from the top anchors of my first climb. Catching my breath and topping out on the next try.
5. Savoring cold beer and bean and cheese sopes at the little restaurant at the base of los Dinamos. mmm...sopes
6. Randomly finding el Cantil with no directions, no map, but lots of luck and Alberto's keen nose for the smell of rock.
7. Climbing to blaring Cafe Tacuba tunes from someone's portable CD player at el Cantil.
8. Listening to the wind in the trees and watching a lizard sun itself at los Dinamos.
9. Top-roping a climb I'd led and thinking, "wow, this is really hard! did I lead this?"
10. Slurping down a big slab of fresh juicy pineapple from the fruit vendor on the busy street right outside el Cantil.
11. Seeing the expanse of the city from the top of the rock at el Cantil...pure urban climbing. Seeing a swath of green trees and open sky from the top of los Dinamos...pure urban escape.
12. Achey fingers, scraped up hands, and exhausted limbs.