La Huasteca in 7 Hours: Pico Horcones

Monterrey is ringed by mountains, and one of the lesser-known ones — every bit as good as Cerro de la Silla — is Pico Horcones, inside La Huasteca Park. It isn't a beginner route: it asks for fitness and some technique. In exchange it gives you views few trails around here can promise.

My alarm went off at 4:45. I put water on for oatmeal with banana and berries, took a cold shower to actually wake up, and headed out. I'd packed the night before: 4 liters in a hydration bladder, headlamp, energy bars, a sandwich in foil, snacks, an electrolyte drink and a light jacket. It was around 17°C in the south of the city — perfect for starting.

I filled up on Garza Sada, picked up Isidro at 5:20 and we took Morones Prieto. No traffic: 25 minutes later we were at the park entrance.

The park opens at 6:00. We got there a few minutes early and were let in once the Tourism staffer arrived to register us: they ask for your details and your destination. Entry is free. We were through at 6:02.

Since last year's storm, only residents can drive inside the park, so the route starts with 4.7 kilometers of dirt road on foot — what used to be the highway through the canyon is now just a dirt track between the walls. It's flat but long, and it starts charging you right away.

At 6:45 we stopped for water. Still fresh, still eager. By then the first light was hitting the rock.

An hour later the effort showed. Short stops for water and air. On some sections the wind blew hard — refreshing, but it makes balance harder.

Then we reached a cool valley with one of those views that stay with you. It was the best part of the day. No signal, no noise: just footsteps, breathing and the mountain.

Close to the summit it gets serious: hands and feet on steep rock, and a vertical scramble of about 3 meters. The trail vanishes at times and you navigate by GPS. Up there vegetation is minimal — just shrubs and stone.

We topped out around 9:15, nearly three hours after entering the park. At about 1,370 m above sea level we were met with a huge view: downtown Monterrey, Cerro de las Mitras and part of the Sierra Madre Oriental.

We sat on the big rocks up there, dropped our packs and finished what was left of the food: nuts, oat bars and dried fruit, with water and electrolytes. It was around 25°C under a clear sky. We spent nearly half an hour just taking in the view and resting our legs.

There's a notebook at the summit cross. We signed it and left a note of thanks for having made it up.

We took the descent slowly. Same route, but the vertical section feels harder going down and there's a lot of loose rock: every step needs attention. I'd recommend descending one at a time, so a rolling stone doesn't hit anyone. We used our hands at several points.

We crossed paths with a couple of hikers heading up without enough water and without GPS. We gave them some advice and carried on.

The sun was strong by then — up to 28°C — but we had water to spare. The descent was much faster, though hard on the knees.

Back down on the dirt road it was over 30°C. We walked the first 15 minutes and noticed there was a lot more resident traffic by that hour. We waved for a ride; on the third try a family stopped and let us climb in the back. They took us all the way to the parking lot. Hugely grateful.

We got to the car around 11:45, tired and happy. We changed out of our sweaty clothes and, on the way out of La Huasteca, stopped at a taquería near Santa Catarina — Tacos Benji — for a few milanesa tacos.

There was no better way to close the day. Full stomach, wrecked legs, clear head.

• Route: from the La Huasteca Park entrance to Pico Horcones, out and back.
• Distance: 14.8 km (9.2 km dirt road + 5.6 km trail).
• Elevation gain: 693 meters.
• Duration: 5 to 7 hours, with breaks.
• Difficulty: moderate to hard, due to distance, gradient and sun exposure.
• Gear: poles, sunscreen, cap, buff and at least 4 liters of water.
• Best start time: 6:00 a.m. at the latest.
• Caution: there's almost no signal. Go with someone, carry an offline map and tell your family your route.

👉 See the full route on the site

Now you know what climbing Pico Horcones is like and what a route like this involves: demanding, technical and full of views. If you go for it, prepare well and respect the trail.

Write to us with any questions or suggestions, and as always, we'll see you on the mountain!

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