About EPICS

El Potrero International Climbing School / About EPICS

 

Prices

Guided Ascents Page

Rock Climbing Courses

Sign Up Now

About El Potrero International Climbing School

Scroll down to meet our instructors

What is El Potrero Chico? In Spanish El Potrero Chico means “the little corral”.  To us it means the perfect place for your Fall Winter or Spring vacation. We want to help you to optimize your valuable vacation time. We offer hassle and epic free vacations in a friendly atmosphere at affordable prices. From big wall skills to bouldering techniques Our climbing school offers a class room, and a teacher for every rock climbing discipline. El Potrero International Climbing School was born from the need for basic and advanced climbing instruction in El Potrero Chico. Now we continue to teach the most modern safety skills and cutting edge: multi-pitch, self rescue, big wall, speed climbing, and single pitch sport climbing techniques. All of our safety and teaching practices adhere to American Mountain Guide Association standards.

We are the most professional group of instructors and guides in Mexico. Our teachers have flexible teaching styles and indispensable local knowledge. We are the only guide service recommended by La Posada. We guide all over the world from Maine to California to Thailand.Mission Statement
The guides at EPCIS offer a level of safety equal to or above the international standard set by the IFMGA and AMGA while giving the greatest level of instruction possible. We want to be the most professional group of instructors and guides in Mexico. Our teachers are encouraged to have a flexible teaching style because we understand that everyone has their own way of learning to rock climb. Whether you are a 5.12 climber or a complete beginner we are sure that we can help to improve your climbing.

 Our office in Mexico is located at Posada el Potrero Chico in Hidalgo Nuevo Leon. It is open six days a week, closed on Sunday. Our office in the United States of America is located in Asheville, NC and is open for phone calls from 9am till 5pm EST

About our Guides and Rock Climbing Intructors

Our Climbing Guides & Instructors  Our guides are a talented group of climbers who love to climb. They live, breathe, and eat rock climbing. They are all experts in many climbing disciplines such as: big wall, alpine, sport, or traditional. They are also gifted teachers and expert guides with years of experience as AMGA guides. All of our guides are well-trained in climbing safety and self-rescue, and all have Wilderness First Responder or EMT medical training. Once AMGA certified the training required to be an EPCCS guide or instructor is extensive and includes: route knowledge, local logistics, local emergence response. El Potrero Chico attracts a very intrepid bunch who always have lots of fun stories to tell. They are very friendly and inviting in order to help you further enjoy you guided days on and off the mountain.

 

 

 

Beckett Honicker: Guide and co-owner of EPICS, Beckett has been a rock climbing Instructor in the White Mountains of New Hampshire for five years. When he is not cranking on granite, limestone, sandstone, gneiss, or schistose he enjoys reading about geology, juggling. cycling, and running. His best day of climbing is enjoying silence and focus while working a hard pitch thousands of feet off the ground .Beckett’s goal and passion in life is teaching. He has been teaching for five years.  He is a certified Rock Instructor with the American Mountain Guide Association.
 

Mark Grundon:Mark has been guiding from Alaska to Colorado for the last eight years. He also currently guides trips to Pico de Orizaba near Mexico City. He recently retired from ski patrol after seven winters to follow his deeper passion: climbing. Mark is a strong believer in “living the dream”, and following your passions whatever they may be.  Mark enjoys sharing a rope with everyone from Yosemite rock stars to first time climbers. Mark has his EMT, a Leave No Trace trainer certification, and is an Outdoor Emergency Care Technician.

 

Aspirant Rock Guide

Mary Harlan worked as a professional ballet dancer in the Midwest until 1998. Having dabbled with backpacking and rock climbing, she decided to attend a semester Outward Bound course. Since then Mary has put her full efforts into rock and ice climbing of all disciplines, and backcountry skiing and snowboarding.She has worked her way up from an internship with Outward Bound to a professional guide with The Women’s Wilderness Institute, Babes in the Backcountry, Colorado Avalanche Information Center, and The American Alpine Institute.
  Pete Fasoldt is a climber and sailor. He often seems to find himself in
remote areas. He has traveled extensively in
Central and South America, climbing whenever possible.
Pete is a seasonal rock guide in Acadia National Park.
 Amidst all his travels, he has found
the time to get a bachelor’s degree in Hispanic
Studies, an AMGA Top Rope certification, and has completed an AMGA
Rock Instructor Course.
  Shaunna Richard started climbing in the Colorado while in college. When she moved back to her home in New Hampshire she found that it held some of the best climbing in the USA. Since graduating art school Shaunna has been pursuing rock climbing with great passion. She has a wonderful since of humor about rock climbing and life. Nothing is too serious when your out climbing with Shaunna, nothing except safety. Shaunna is currently pursuing an AMGA certification.

 

  Luis Lozano is the operator of his family business, Posada, and part owner & founder of EPCCS&G. Luis grew up in Hidalgo, the town where El Potrero Chico is located. He attended Tec de Monterrey  for engineering and the Tulane University Business School in Louisiana for his degree in business. His studies in both countries have afforded him a unique perspective on culture and language. Luis is at the center of all that happens at Posada. He is the person to find if you have questions on anything from the cultural history of the area to the nearest recreative and touristic places.

 

 

A new day is dawning on El Potrero Chico will you be here to greet it? We will.

 

(Sun rise from the top of the Out Rage Wall looking over the spires)

 

 

 

Prices

RockClimbing Courses

Guided Ascents Page

Sign Up Now With Our Online