Razor Blade Ridge stands as a sharp, imposing spine slicing through the heart of El Fin de Semana, a dramatic sector at El Potrero Chico in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. This ridge carves a striking profile against the northern Mexican sky, demanding both respect and sharp focus from climbers prepared to tackle its seven pitches stretching nearly 1,000 feet. From the approach, the ridge hints at its challenge—a thin knife-edge of loose limestone that keeps climbers alert, careful not to unsettle the weathered rock beneath their feet.

The route begins within a well-defined, clean dihedral famously associated with Craig Luebben, setting a solid introduction before the ridge steeps and narrows. The rock’s character here is a mix of cautious scrambling and technical climbing; with the loose stone underfoot, silence becomes a crucial tool, the softest noise echoing warning signals to those above and below. Protection is a subtle game of patience—while the lower sections demand slow tiptoeing and tempering your movements, the quality of stone improves as you approach the steeper headwalls, where solid placements can be found for your cams and nuts.

With a single rack (up to #3 C4 cams) and nuts as your companions, Razor Blade Ridge rewards careful gear selection and placement. Long slings and a cordalette come in handy, especially since the route’s protection is scattered and occasionally outpaced by the route’s complexity. Doubles are unnecessary, as the loose and thin nature of some sections means overloading protection could add more confusion than safety.

The climb suits those ready to move deliberately—simul-climbing isn’t advisable given the precarious footing and loose rock that make an unplanned fall on the easy terrain a real risk. Instead, pacing the ridge over seven distinct pitches, staying short on belays before the demanding headwalls, balances safety and efficiency. Each pitch teases a new element: traverses that test balance, headwalls that demand precise body positioning, and culminates at a pointy summit crowned close to Estraillita.

After soaking in the view, prepare for the descent. Four straightforward rappels lead safely back to the canyon floor. A crucial note: don’t bypass the first rappel anchor, approximately 30 feet below the summit beneath a slight overhang. A 70m rope won’t stretch to the next station if you miss it, so careful rope management here is essential.

El Potrero Chico remains a bucket-list destination, mixing adventure with technical rigor, and Razor Blade Ridge distills this perfectly. Its length—1,000 feet of wild exposure and loose limestone—brings climbers face-to-face with the raw personality of the canyon. It’s a climb not just of movement but of mindfulness as the ridge dares you to respect its fragility while pushing your limits in one of Mexico’s premier limestone arenas.