While hiking along the Río Ramos you can take a dip in its crystalline waters, in the shade of venerable Montezuma cypresses. (Photo- Bakpak Revista de Aventura)
By John Pint
The city of Monterrey, one of Mexico’s largest, is nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range, surrounded by soaring peaks, knife-blade ridges and countless hiking trails. It’s no misnomer that the city’s name means “King of the Mountains” in Spanish.
As for the “king” of Monterrey’s hiking clubs, I’d say that honor goes to an organization known as the La Comunidad Bakpak, which sprang into existence, along with the first publication of Bakpak Revista de Aventura (Bakpak Magazine), in 2005.
I asked the leader of Bakpak Community, Alejandro González, to describe five great hiking destinations that people could reach from his hometown.
“I’ll do better than that,” he replied with a smile. “I’ll tell you about five excellent hikes you can do without leaving Monterrey’s city limits.”
Cerro de la Silla (Saddle Mountain)
“This is probably the favorite hike of the people of Monterrey,” said González, “and the Cerro de la Silla is definitely the iconic symbol of the city. People like to hike up to The Saddle in the morning or in the evening along a trail called La Brecha de la Virgen (Trail of the Virgin), and you will in fact find several little shrines [to her] along the way.”
I learned that Saddle Mountain has two famous landmarks. The first is called El Teleférico. It was a 3.3-kilometer cable car system inaugurated in 1961 and closed in 1964 after two tragic accidents.
“A hike from the city streets up to this point would be suitable for beginners and might take one hour,” González said. “From here, you can see just about all of Monterrey. This is also a great place to enjoy a magnificent sunset over the town, should you decide to do the hike in the late afternoon.”
From the Teleférico, the trail goes on to the second landmark of Saddle Mountain: the summit, which is another impressive lookout point from which you have a 360-degree view of the city.
This part of the hike, says González, is for experienced people, and you may need another 90 minutes to hoof it from the Teleférico to the peak.
Chipinque Ecological Park
This is a luxuriant pine and oak forest that was developed into a recreational area by private companies. The result is one of Mexico’s most beautiful and best-organized parks, with over 60 kilometers of trails. It’s set up very much like the national parks in the United States, complete with rangers.
Chipinque is, first of all, a nature reserve. It is especially famous for its great variety of butterflies, but here you will find everything from white-tailed deer and gray foxes to pumas and even black bears. If you are lucky, you might also glimpse the Mexican coati, an omnivorous member of the raccoon family.
As for birds, in Chipinque you can see wild turkeys, mountain pygmy owls, red-tailed hawks and blue-capped motmots.
According to González, among Comunidad Bakpak’s most popular activities in Monterrey is their Night Trail Run under the Autumn Moon, which they organize in Chipinque Park.
“This is directed at helping people experience nature through their five senses, to gain new awareness,” he said.
Because El Chipinque is located 15 kilometers from downtown Monterrey, people can do either day or night hikes, soak up the good vibrations and then go back home to sleep in their beds.*This excerpt was published with authorization. To keep reading please search for the link to Mexico News Daily: https://mexiconewsdaily.com/travel/mexico-best-outdoor-experiences-monterrey/
