Moving to Arizona...

As a climber and ~150 miles/week cyclist, Tucson is fantastic for both. It's a whole different thing if you want to ride through mid-town during rush hour, but the cycling on the outskirts (where people generally for for a ride) is absolutely awesome.

Lots of very close climbing, much of it within biking distance for an avid biker.

Sure, Red Rocks is further, but there's so much climbing close by, who cares? Plus, Cochise is a very short drive (for those with cars) and you've got it practically to yourself.

It can be a bit hot getting around town on a bike mid-day in the summer, of course, but that's life without a car in most of AZ.

Ooooh, been visiting Flagstaff a couple days now. I like. There's people hacky sacking in the green by the library (a purportedly haunted library no less) and I saw a woman long boarding.

Plus, just saw Sedona. Wowsers. Read something about the area being void of first ascents by females. Hmmm.

Seems beuno here. The guy at the climbing gym was very kind and accommodating. And I attained my first cam thanks to my Mom who is visiting from Massachusetts!!!

Soooooo...anyone willing to get out tomorrow? Saturday the 30th? Maybe show me something nearby? PM me if so.

If not, I think I'll head up that beauteous mountain with the perfect point. Is it Humphrey?

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!"

(squeals of delight from a woman who has been stuck in the city for a whole darn year).

Yay.
So far, so good.

Hope I am not too late to cast my vote for TUCSON. I moved away to the Bay Area, CA last year because of work. But man, I still can't wait to be back there the moment I could.

I did not have a car the whole time I lived in Tucson (almost 6 years) - I used public transport to go to UofA/to work or just rode my bike. It gets hot during the day in the summer time, but the mornings and evenings are just fantastic! And the spectacular summer monsoon...

Recently, I finally able to articulate what makes Tucson so adorable - it is right at the perfect balance of giving you some of the convenience of being in a city while letting you living like it is a small town.

It really is pretty easy to get around by bike. Very friendly climbers (and people in general) and even the dogs are friendlier(compare to those living in cities)! And great climbing area nearby. Relatively lower living cost as well plus plenty of good restaurant (for food or work). And if you like Mexican food... boy, isn't Tucson the heaven for that as well?! And many many good local coffee shops... hey, the coffee shop at the Tucson Airport is a local chain instead of Starbucks!

People keep saying that Tucson is 2 more hours away from some of the climbing areas, but what about 2 hours closer to Hueco Tanks!

What truly is awesome is that there are many great and enthusiastic climbing partners who will carpool with you to climb at many of the great climbing locations mentioned by others. I just recently made a trip to climb at the Enchanted Tower in NM over Memorial Day weekend. Weather forecast was so so but 3 of my Tucson climbing friends brought a friend along in one car(just that I did not know her before this trip) to meet me there as soon as the weather forecast showed some promising sign. It is over 6 hours driving but they would do it! This is the kind of climbing partners you can find in Tucson! Amazing, right?!!!!

And, really, with Mt Lemmon right at the back yard, it is easy to just go and climb a good 3 - 4 hours even weather is not that great. It is very low investment to go and soon you will notice how much more climbing you had logged!

Great climbing and great people... Tucson is THE place to be!

Seems like one won't go wrong with Flag or Tucson.

From a trad climber who likes to crank, I don't think there is a better crag in AZ than Paradise Forks. Yeah Tucson dudes, Lemmon is pretty cool, but you're not going to find a better selection of hard crack routes than PF (unless you travel to Indian Creek).

Sport in Flag is good, but limited. Seems like Tucson may have the edge there. I climbed out the Pit within a year or two living in Flag. Jacks is flat out lame if you're looking to climb harder than 5.11. Asylum is good, but limited. I tend to go to Vegas for sport routes. Maybe I should check out Tucson.

Previous poster hit it right. Tucson in cooler months and Flag in the warm months.

FUNGUY wrote:Phoenix and Tucson blow!!! 3) Climbing/Bouldering within bicycling distance That does not fit Phoenix or Tucson. What does 3-7 degrees different really matter when it is over 100 and for 6 months a year or more.

Are you kidding me? You probably have a whole closet full of wool caps eh?

JF

Amanda Marie wrote:Ooooh, been visiting Flagstaff a couple days now. I like. There's people hacky sacking in the green by the library (a purportedly haunted library no less) and I saw a woman long boarding. Plus, just saw Sedona. Wowsers. Read something about the area being void of first ascents by females. Hmmm. Seems beuno here. The guy at the climbing gym was very kind and accommodating. And I attained my first cam thanks to my Mom who is visiting from Massachusetts!!! Soooooo...anyone willing to get out tomorrow? Saturday the 30th? Maybe show me something nearby? PM me if so. If not, I think I'll head up that beauteous mountain with the perfect point. Is it Humphrey? "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!" (squeals of delight from a woman who has been stuck in the city for a whole darn year). Yay. So far, so good.

Man, I wish I'd seen this sooner. We were at the Pit yesterday and are headed back for a couple hours. If you ended up meeting up with someone and heading out there, I'll be the massively pregnant one in a full body harness belaying my husband on his latest project. If you head up to Humprey's it'll probably have snow about halfway up but it's an awesome hike!

ElyseSokoloff wrote: Man, I wish I'd seen this sooner. We were at the Pit yesterday and are headed back for a couple hours. If you ended up meeting up with someone and heading out there, I'll be the massively pregnant one in a full body harness belaying my husband on his latest project. If you head up to Humprey's it'll probably have snow about halfway up but it's an awesome hike!

My partner and I will be at the pit Sunday around 10:30am you're welcome to join us

Forgot to mention, you can find the highest number of routes listed for areas around Tucson (for the state of Arizona)- e.g. over 800 routes for Mt. Lemmon. Even though we have a great guide book for Mt Lemmon, there are still many new routes added and Eric FR (who author the guidebook and also an active FAist) is also the most active in sharing the routes (new or old) with us who wanted to climb there. And other climbers do the same in sharing information. This is the kind of openness, friendliness and willingness to share mentality that set Tucson climbing community apart.

I used to think that only the quality of the route matters, but the truth is, the people I climbed with that made the experience priceless!

Hmm, think I changed my mind,
Found solid female partners here in the ABQ area!!!
Thanks EVERYONE who posted...you guys riZzule.

Actually if you didn't help the original poster you sure helped me. I might be attending the U of A in August. My original plans were to live in Salt Lake an climb my face off. But plans change and I might end up in Tucson. Reading these threads made me feel a lot better about the climbing, climbing community, and biking in Tucson. Moving from the flat lands of south Georgia a 30 minute drive is nothing. Try 6 just to get to okay rock spray painted my Alabama rednecks!

Hopefully I'll be out there soon and get to climb with you guys I'll post a new thread when I get out there. Man I'm ready to climb!

Yay!
I'm glad my post helped someone.
It's a Sandia summer for me...
but as far as winter goes? Only time will tell.

Did you find your man to marry though?

Prescott!
Did you all forget about Prescott? I'm an AZ native and have lived in PHX, Tempe and Flagstaff. And while I'm not debating the superiority of Flagstaff's climbing scene, Prescott should be noted:

10 minute bike ride to bouldering and climbing at Thumb Butte.

6 mile bike ride to UNBELIEVABLY good bouldering at Groom Creek!

5 mile ride, 30 minute hike to "Arizona's mini El Cap" Granite Mountain.

Prescott is closer than Flag to:
Iso
California
Nevada
Southern Arizona

And there are a handful of worthy little crags like Sully's and the Promised Land. Prescott is quaint, local, bike-able and has a bunch of good people (once you sort through the hicks and addicts [Come for the rehab. Stay for the relapse]) The weather is the best in Arizona, hands down, and the library is great! I'm there right now ;-)

Man, not sure why anyone is suggesting anything in AZ. STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY! We actually have enough people...thanks. Okay, let the "why don't you move then" begin. (Everybody wants to be the last immigrant - Ed Abbey)