The nearest emergency-equipped hospital is in San Nicolas, a northern suburb of Monterrey, located about 30km (20mi) from Hidalgo. No high angle rescue facilities, including helicopters, exist in Hidalgo. Given this fact and the naturally loose nature of the rock in the Potrero, climbers will be well advised to treat the rock with respect and wear helmets. This is not a sport climbing area in the usual sense of the word! There have been some fatalities in the past, most related to loose rock, and injuries are common every season. Encounters with rattlesnakes or the equally dangerous giant centipedes, often high on multi-pitch routes, are also reported every season. So be alert, don't climb or loiter at the base of routes under other parties, and check those big huecos for critters before you cram your hand in them!