La Palenque

Ryan and I hooked up with Devin and Alberto for a day of climbing at La Palenque Wall.
We decided to catch a taxi as it is slightly out of town (only a few km). Upon arriving we can see the classic Cuba Libre wall - it is a very steep long route that works its way out of a huge cave largely visible from the road.


Devin and Alberto are climbing a little harder than we are (Alberto is currently the top climber in Cuba), but we start out together on the vertical face on the other side of the road from the main Cuba Libre wall, where there are a few 10s to warm up on. Starting off on 'Socialism ? Oh Muerte' (10a), I am eaten alive by mosquitoes. Bad timing as this is the first day that I have decided to forego the long pants that I have worn the last few days to avoid this particular problem. With a rash of bites up and down my arms and legs, I still manage to have a good morning of climbing. We next jumped on La Kirenia (10d), Confiscado (11b), Allez, Allez, Allez (11a), and Mi Amore (11a/b). Being a bit slower climbing than Devin and Alberto, they decide to lounge on the grass across the street while we finish up the last climb, which takes us a little while - it being a little run out in a couple of places and phasing Ryan a little. I decide to just clean this one rather than lead it under the circumstances. Seconding wasn't too bad, though I am sure the headspace would have been quite different on lead.

Once we are done, everyone is in more of a mood for lounging than climbing, so we sit on the lawn in front of La Palenque - (also a touristy spot for a cave restaurant that we didn't even check out. Apparently on some Saturday nights they have a nightclub here in the cave which sounds fun, but I never did get to).

In the end, we don't even bother climbing in the afternoon, and simply hitchhike on an old tractor back to town (or at least most of the way back).