Mogote de los Hoyos

This new area is about 11km from town and reached by heading North from Viñales about four kilometers, until just before El Palenque, there is a road to the right going to Republica de Chile and La Palma. (There is also another road to La Palma which forks off before La Costanera.) Go pass the turn into Republica de Chile. Take the next road on the right and after about one kilometer it comes to Mogote de los Hoyos.

137. Babalú Ayé 5.10d / 6b
P1: 10b. P2: 10d. P3: 10b. P4: 10+
4 pitches 200M. P2 is 33M. P3 is 37M
Bolted
First ascent: December 17, 2001. Aníbal Fernández and Craig Luebben
Babalú Ayé is the name of a Santería god or Orishas. Santería is another name for a widespread African-origin religion that is called voodoo in Haiti and New Orleans and macumba in Brazil. Every Santería god has an equivalent Catholic saint, and Babalú Ayé is also San Lazaro, the patron saint of the sick. Pilgrims walk for days or weeks, even on their knees to reach the shrine of San Lazaro outside of Havana to obtain relief from dreadful diseases from cancer to syphilis to leprosy to paralysis. The route was completed on the day of the spectacular yearly event. Perhaps the route was Fernández's and Luebben's pilgrimage. The route and wall offer a stunning setting and unsurpassed view across farmlands and forest, as far as the reservoir outside of Viñales. The wall is hung with overhead caverns. Bulging tufas and hanging stalactites come down from above and are suspended around you. There is a rough trail to the start, which can be located from below by the Drago palm which is near the end of the first pitch. The route starts up a narrow and shallow 20' tufa of delicate lattices and honeycombs. For the descent, it may be easier to lower leader and followers from top of 4th pitch, and then rappel, but on rappel from top of third pitch, the first rappeller must clip the top two or three bolts to reach anchors at top of second pitch.