The Madre Route: A Grand Adventure in Nuevo León

Yeti Adventures organizes one of the toughest, most exciting competitions in Mexico. Explore the wonders that nature has to offer and experience countless emotions all with the aim of promoting adventure tourism in Mexico. The first edition of the Madre Route took place in November at Cumbre National Park in Monterrey.

“In Nuevo León, we have Mexico’s most iconic river canyons. These canyons lend themselves to rappelling down waterfalls that end in turquoise-colored natural pools, and switching between different sports like canyoneering, mountain biking, and trail running,” says Javier Barreda, who organizes the competition.

The competition consists of a 60-mile run with over 20,000 feet of elevation change using different mountain sports. In an estimated time of 24 hours, competitors cross canyons and ascend and descend stunning waterfalls, all while taking in the endless landscapes of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range that drive mountain lovers crazy.

The organizers highly recommend that prior to the race, team members get to know each other well through practice sessions and endurance training. It’s not speed but rather consistency and resistance that are key. Javier recommends that participants train at night, as that’s when you learn the strengths and weaknesses of each team member. He also shared with us his best piece of advice: appoint a team captain.

“The biggest challenge of the race will be completing all the obstacles represented by nature as a team. Everyone must support each other as they overcome feats like cave rappelling, ascending and descending waterfalls by rope, free jumps into the water, canyon swimming, and hiking and biking up entire mountains, during over 20 hours of competition requiring excellent physical and mental endurance”   -Javier Barreda.

Competition Info:

• Location: Santiago, Nuevo León. 30 minutes from Monterrey, Nuevo León.
• Competition Dates: November 18-20.
• Estimated distance: 60 miles.
• Estimated elevation change: 20,341 feet of upward climb.
• Destination airport: General Mariano Escobedo International Airport, Monterrey.

The competition is capped at 60 3-person teams. All members must be at least 18 by the date of the start of the race. The meeting time is 10 pm on Saturday, November 18, 2017 for the provision of competition packs and race instructions. It is of upmost importance that participants to be on time. The race begins midnight on Sunday the 19th.

The award ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. on Monday, November 20th, and prizes to be awarded are as follows:

• 1st Place Award: $56,000 pesos. Free inscription in the next race.
• 2nd Place Prize: 28,000 pesos.
• 3rd Place Prize: $16,000 pesos.