Queretaro
More information
Overview[edit]
The state of Queretaro has two world class canyons, La Barranca and Infiernillo. Agua Fria is another outstanding canyon. Most of the canyons currently established in Queretaro are located in the Sierra Gorda mountains, on the mountainside between the towns of Pinal de Amoles and Jalpan de Serra. These two towns take about 1 hour to drive between. Pinal de Amoles is at an elevation of 7600ft, and Jalpan de Serra is at 2500ft. There can be a 10-15F (5-8C) air temperature difference between the two towns due to the elevation. Jalpan is a much bigger community, with more services, although you should find sufficient restaurants, shops, and stores in Pinal to satisfy your needs.
Weather[edit]
During the winter months of Dec-Feb, the weather at the higher elevations of Pinal de Amoles can be very cold, with lows dipping below freezing, and highs around 40F (5C), although there can also be days of 80F (27C). Due to the chance of cold spells, and the subsequently very cold water in the canyons at that time of year, it is recommended to plan trips outside of those months, or be prepared for cold conditions. In November 2024, due to the RIC Mexico cancellation, a large number of attendees went to Queretaro instead, and found absolutely ideal conditions with water flows and weather. But depending on the level of rain for that year, the flows could be too high. La Barranca is more dependent on a safe flow than Infiernillo because it is more narrow. It is advisable to contact the guides for Infiernillo and ask about conditions (you can find their contact info on Google Maps and Facebook).
Accommodations[edit]
Flying into Queretaro airport (QRO) is the recommended option. You can also choose to fly into Mexico City (MEX), but that will add 3 hours of driving each way and the route from there goes right by the Queretaro airport anyway. Mexico City does offer many attractions of course -- along with outstanding food it has the Museum of Anthropology (one of the best museums in the world), and the pyramids of Teotihuacan.
Staying in either Pinal de Amoles or Jalpan de Serra for the canyons is also recommended. There are many hotels and Airbnb options in both towns. Pinal has less driving time each day to/from the canyons. You can also find accommodations and restaurants in Ahuacatlán de Guadalupe, which is a small hamlet in the middle of the two larger towns.
Canyon logistics[edit]
Most of the canyons are bolted well, although you should bring some webbing to replace an anchor or two in each canyon as some of the drops use natural anchors. Also, some of the rappels marked on the side profiles do not actually have bolts at them, and you'll need to do combine two marked rappels into one at some of the drops. All of the instances of these were less than the height of the maximum rappel of that canyon, so you should already have enough rope along to do this.
Nearly all of the canyons require lengthy car shuttles, so it is advisable to have two cars, although you can usually find locals willing to shuttle you for a fee at the middle of Infiernillo (where the guide company is) and the end of La Barranca. The fee in 2024 was around 500mxn for the whole vehicle.
The canyons are becoming popular with local canyoneers. On a weekend in Feb 2022 in Infiernillo, we had 3 other groups in the canyon with us.
