El Caracol - Pico Norte

Approach

From Paseo de Las Americas avenue in Guadalupe, N.L., drive east and up on El Greco street in the Contry Sol subdivision, after 1 1/2 miles the street ends at a little triangular shaped plaza, drive around it on Renacimiento street and park your car there. Walk to the northernmost end of the plaza and go through a wide concrete opening (for water drainage purposes) on the right side of the house marked with the number 2449 on the eastern side of the street that was built on top of the dry creek bed, hike down and on to the grassy creek then up and around behind a few more houses, where the actual trail starts.
Hike for abouth half a mile on gentle slopes to a "Y" sp[lit.

Route Description

From the split the Caracol route goes to the right and climbs across and up the right side of the creek on a switchbacking trail trough some bushy and scrubby terrain very steep at first then gradually reaching and following the ridge. The trail can be hard to pick up at some rocky stretches in the winter months but every now and then you can see some white arrows pointing the way. Eventually the trail joins the elefantes route at La Carbonera, a little flat area where you can pitch your tent, forming a single trail one again.
From there hike up on the left side of the creek for another 15 minutes or so then the trail exits the creek to the right (south) and climbs trough the oak forest on terrain that can be slippery at times. AT the end of the forest there is a section that involves some class 3 scramblig over some boulders before reaching the summit marked by a 15 meter metal tower.

Essential Gear

No technical gear is needed, only some good trantion boots.