Already written about in John Steinbeck's book The Log from the Sea of Cortez, Tabor Canyon is just up the road from Puerto Escondido, a scenic and very sheltered natural harbor. Sandra, Jolien and I arranged and negotiated a price for a taxi to get us there from Loreto.
I have hiked this canyon a few times before and that helps to find the route. I remember the two crux points, otherwise it is not so obvious how the route could ever continue in this very steep walled and rock blocked canyon. Very crumbly rocks, so hardly a rock climbers paradise. For instance, seeing a cairn on top of a big boulder patch with no clue how to get there...
The canyon has water year-round and some water pools that are deep enough to swim in (and a refreshing cool down). It has allways been a bit of a tricky route that requires scrambling along, over and through. The route has gotten more difficult to negotiate at the crux points or am I getting older? The most striking change is the 'chimney' that is now gone. It was relatively easy to wriggle oneselves up a hole through big bolders. Now that hole is clogged by debris and two dodgy UV-deteriorated ropes are hanging down. It was not easy to get up this, but we all made it to the higher ground and where the 'swimming pools' begin.
A refreshing swim and lunch and we headed down again. Going down a dangling rope is not so easy when one cannot see/feel any footholds. The first one down (longest legs, me) at least can direct the next one to trust that their foot is only 10 centimeters away from a 'secure' foothold (or wedged log) and go for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment