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Iowa climbing (or lack of...)

Original Post
pkeds · · Broomfield, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 30

Hey, I go to school at Iowa State, in the middle of nowhere town of Ames. Are people going to post spots to climb in eastern Iowa? or if I want to help get that started, who would I do that on here? Thanks!

David McAllister · · Denver, CO · Joined Jul 2002 · Points: 65

Alright, let's see if memory serves! I grew up in Iowa, went to the University of Iowa (ISU sucks!!;)), and started climbing in Iowa -- which swiftly motivated me to get the hell out of Iowa!

Anyway, there is a gym at Iowa State, in a barn in a small town named Kelly. At least it was there when I lived in Iowa. They should have some good beta. Also, you could give the Active Endeavors in Iowa City a call, and ask for some advice on climbing in Iowa.

Here are a couple areas to get started with. Outside of Mt.Vernon is a nice little park called Kepler-Palisades. Here you will find some short toproping and a bit of bouldering. On private land, just outside the park is a bouldering feature called "The Wave", which is just friggin' fantastic. I've bouldered all over the world, and this is still one of my favortite little walls to pull on! I don't know what the access is like as of now, but I'm sure someone at either Active Endeavors in Iowa City, or the I.C. climbing gym (located in the FieldHouse, call and ask for Travis Eiselstein, who works there) can give you some info.

Also, there's Wild Iowa, in Pictured Rocks State Park just outside Monticello, in Eastern Iowa. This area features a nice little guidebook and over 100 sport (a couple trad lines) routes, ranging from 5.6 --> 5.12d. Very nice area, where a lot of folks from the midwest go to crank. Camping is available, the approach is non-existent and the climbing is fun and relatively safe. Be careful though, the access is under serious heat, so try to be a good example.

Backbone State Park, up north, near Strawberry Point, also has some toproping, but I've only been there once and it didn't seem worth the time.

Anyway, I hope that helps. Iowa's a great place to climb, if nothing else than for meeting the wonderful people and seeing how stoked even the flatlanders can get about big blocks of stone!!

if you have any more questions, drop Dave McAllister (me) a line at fitzelq@msn.com and I can put you in touch with some climbers in Iowa,

Cheers,
Dave

Avery N · · Boulder, CO · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 650

Well, I was cleaning out a file and ran across a photocopy of a hand-drawn guide to Wild Iowa, by Chris Schmick. If you want a copy, let me know and I can e-mail you one. Did you check out the ISU Mountaineering and Climbing Club? I think it perished a few years back, but we had revived it around 1996 with more than 50 members and monthly road trips.

Seems like the best 'nearby' spots to climb were Backbone State Park (slimy Limestone), Wild Iowa, Blue Mounds MN, Taylor's Falls MN, and just over the Mississipi in IL.

Dave, haven't seen you in a couple years. Where are you hiding these days?

Phil Berggren · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 35

Working summers in Iowa after many years. Saw a comment about the ISU Mtneering Club....yes I am a self aggrandizing farty old trad as my friend Jed Becker and myself started the club back in the mid '70's. Am in Indianola south of Des Moines but wanting to get to Wild Iowa or Kepler Palisades over the 4th of July weekend or later. Any beta or partners would be appreciated. Was at the Palisades this spring but the river was way high and it was raining.
Not completely out of shape..just back from a week of Boulder Canyon, Independence Pass, and Indian Peaks.

Rob Kepley · · Westminster, CO · Joined Dec 2005 · Points: 1,005
WeBeJammon wrote:all the people i know that are from iowa are child molesters with creepy mustaches. stay away.
Laramie isn't much different...
Kaner · · Eagle · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 2,280

I won't have any gear with me at all but if anyone has an extra harness and wants to get out climbing in Iowa in the next week, let me know. I'll be in Dubuque tomorrow morning until Tuesday.

Evan Fales · · Iowa City, IA · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 0

The Eastern Iowa Climbers' Coalition has been re-named the Iowa Climbers' Coalition (we have climbers from all over the state). Annual membership is $5 and we have a website at:
geocities.com/iowaclimbersc… I am currently serving as prez of the ICC, and am the Access Fund guy for Iowa. Please note that camping is no longer being allowed at Pictured Rocks, because of over-use and damage to the area. Camping is available in Central Park in Jones County; also in nearby Montecello. Also, the DNR recently bought the private land in Whitewater Canyon that some climbers had established routes on, and it's been closed to climbing. Sad but true; and I am not optimistic that we can get this re-opened, as we did Ozark (Hoot Bluff) when it was closed about 10 years ago.
We have been working productively with the Jones County Conservation Board, which hopes to encourage responsible climbing at Pictured Rocks. There is (finally, after seven years) some indication that we will be able to establish a climbing management committee in cooperation with them, and my hope is that we'll be able to negotiate replacement of manky bolts at PR in the not-too-distant future (currently there's a ban on placing any new bolts).
Every fall we have an Access Fund-sponsored cleanup day at PR, a great way to meet other climbers, connect with the ICC, contribute to the upkeep of the area in ways (trail maintenance, trash removal) that do wonders for a positive relationship with the JC Conservation Board and the DNR, and last but not least, to climb. This year we're planning to schedule it for Sat., Sept. 20. There's also a charity group, the American Foundation for Kids with AIDS, that would like to work with us to have climbers collect pledges for each route they climb that day, to raise money for AIDS treatment. Anyone who wants to find out more can contact me at evan-fales@uiowa.edu. Cheers

Evan Fales · · Iowa City, IA · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 0

This is news to me, Pat: definitely something I need to check out. What's the source of your information? If memory serves, I was told by Larry Gullett of the Jones County Conservation Board that they had just purchased an addition to their Whitewater Canyon land, namely the adjoining Henneberry addition, which encompasses rock-walled Lost Canyon. See the JCCB website:
co.jones.ia.us/conservation…

I had assumed that the routes have gone up in Lost Canyon on what used to be Henneberry land (I haven't been up there yet myself but intend to check it out); Gullett clearly implied that they'd bought land with bolted routes. Am I wrong?

Evan

Evan Fales · · Iowa City, IA · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 0

OK, Pat, that's very useful to know. I stand corrected.

Evan Fales · · Iowa City, IA · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 0

Thanks, Pat. I am glad to have the correct information on this, especially as the JCCB wants to initiate a climbing management committee, with climber representation, to oversee climbing activities at Pictured Rocks, and it's important for us to have our facts straight on our end, as well as for climbers to respect private land. I do know that the JCCB and DNR don't want climbing on the land at Whitewater that they own. It will be a major step for all of us if we can establish a good working relationship with the JCCB and the DNR where we're allowed to climb.

Evan Fales · · Iowa City, IA · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 0

Pat - Thanks for this very helpful information. I still haven't gotten up to Whitewater - it's been a busy summer - but I guess it would be useful for me to try to get in there and get some idea where the public land boundaries are and what bolts might exist inside them. I don't have any explicit statement from the DNR/Jones County people about why they don't want climbing in Whitewater, but my strong hunch is that they don't want the area subjected to the trampling of vegetation at the cliff bases that is an inevitable consequence of routes being put up. I am sure that DNR feelings about this have been heightened by the new route creation at Indian Bluffs in contravention of our agreed-upon bolting moratorium there.
I am very unsure whether climbing at Whitewater might be negotiable. One thing that's clear, though, is that we will need to establish a much more cordial working relationship w. the DNR before we can productively discuss this with them. And it's pretty clear to me that at this point the best way to initiate that will be to pursue in a vigorous and responsible manner John Klein's proposal that we set up a climbing management committee to oversee climbing at Pictured Rocks. (Klein is the park ranger with the Jones Cty. Conservation Board.) As I understand it, the intended purview of that committee will cover just PR, but if we can gain their trust, we might then be in a position to expand the issues/areas they'll talk to us about.
I should add that Klein envisions the committee consisting of himself (representing the Jones Cty. Conservation Board), someone from the Jones Cty. first responders' office, Jeff Glaw (Bob Sheets' replacement in the local Wildlife Service office), and a couple of climbers. I've never met Jeff; I think it will be crucial to gain his confidence in us. It will therefore be crucial, IMO, that we as a community select two climbers to represent us who are both respected by the climbing community here and who understand land stewardship issues and the give and take of respectful negotiation. It is my hope that we can have a strong showing of climbers at this year's PR cleanup event and use that occasion to select two climbers to serve in this crucial role. There are a number of critical immediate issues that will have to be engaged: first and foremost, IMO, we need to get permission to replace manky bolts at PR.

Kaner · · Eagle · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 2,280

I'm in Dubuque and looking for partners for anything. I have full equipment for sport or TR and about 1/2 a rack. I'm trying to train one of my buddies now but would love to get out with anyone, on anything. I have seen a surprising amount of promising looking rock lately, no idea if any of it has seen ascents or not.

Kaner · · Eagle · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 2,280

bump for partners.

going to check out backbone today. ive been surprised by the number of climbers, the amount of interest, the quality of areas, and the difficulty (overhanging hardness I wouldn't even attempt) of climbs in iowa. nothing over 30m long, but definitely fun routes. just the other day, dude showed me bouldering cave in his basement! who knew? still chasing the mystery of wwc sport climbing. the built-up, hush hush hype and strange aura of the secret climbers club makes it even more appealing.

Mark Tensigh · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 0
Ryan Kane wrote:bump for partners. going to check out backbone today. ive been surprised by the number of climbers, the amount of interest, the quality of areas, and the difficulty (overhanging hardness I wouldn't even attempt) of climbs in iowa. nothing over 30m long, but definitely fun routes. just the other day, dude showed me bouldering cave in his basement! who knew? still chasing the mystery of wwc sport climbing. the built-up, hush hush hype and strange aura of the secret climbers club makes it even more appealing.
I wouldn't say there is a mystery, built-up hype, or a strange aura. The climbers have been clear that it's a small, very private area, and they seem to be out there on patrol. Private areas might be appealing to the participating individuals, but guys like you and me (who don't have permission) just let 'em have their fun. There is still a lot of unclimbed rock in Iowa.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Midwest
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