Cerro Pescadores, Pico Rasco

29-Oct-77

By: Bill T. Russell

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Jerry Keating, Cuno Ranschau, Henry Heusinkveld, Chuck Pospishil and I climbed Pescadores and Pico Rasco on the above dates. We used the route information by Roy Ward in the Desert Sage #133 and also a Mexican Government topo map "Sierra Cucapa" D75. Mexican topo maps are available from the Map Centre, 2611 University Avenue, San Diego, Ca. 92104 for $4.00.

A dirt road leaves Hwy #5 at a curve about .3 mi south of a new two-story resort/clubhouse which is about 16 mi south of the junction of Hwys 2 and 5 in Mexicali. The coordinates of this curve on the topo are 548845. (The convention for these coordinates is stated on the HPS peak list and in the Navigation chapter of the LTC Leaders Reference Book.) The dirt road goes toward the mountains for perhaps one mile and then turns right. After a short distance we turned left on a track leading towards the mountains that ended at about 521831. The peak where the register is located is the high point at 463820. It is not named on the map and it is not the bench mark "Puerta". The elevation from the map is 1080+ meters or 3540 ft, and not 4400+ ft as stated on the current DPS peak list. My hand level was not accurate enough to determine which was higher, bench mark Puerta or "Pescadores" - - we did climb both. There are a number of obvious ways to climb the ridges and gullies to the summit.

On October 30 we climbed Pico Rasco using Roy Ward's writeup and John Backus' in DPS Sage #122. We went south from Hwy #2 on the road through the Laguna Salada as shown on the Auto Club Baja California map. Pico Rasco is the obvious prominent peak at the head of the canyon which is very visible from Laguna Salada. The peak is at 123557 on the Mexican topo map "Arroyo del Sauz" D84 but is not named on the map. Our route was up an obvious feeder canyon to the left of the main watercourse and around the peak on its west flank. We then went eastward up the final 140 meters to the summit area and then to the summit block itself. The elevation is 1520+ meters or about 4990 ft, rather than 4900 ft which is stated on the peak list. The fee charged for our one car and five climbers was $4.00. The road into the canyon had loose sand and Henry Heusinkveld's car was a no-go so we left it about 2 miles from the campground. During the day someone broke into the car and stole Jerry Keating's sleeping bag, etc., a sad ending for what was otherwise a fine outing.


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