Pervertical Sanctuary, Positive Vibes or The Grand Wall

So I am trying to plan another trip to NA next year and don't know where to go. It was gonna be the Valley for a month to do El Cap and other not so big stuff but I've decided that I want to use half of that holiday time on another trip in Norway.

So with two weeks I've ruled out Yosemite. Maybe I'll visit after the apocalypse but for now I am looking for something more laid back and not so crowded.

Climbed the Hulk last summer and also visited Needles and Tuolomne and loved them all. So do I go back for Positive Vibes and maybe another route? My partner would love to do some routes on Mt. Russel and Connes looks cool even if I suck at ow.

Never been to RMNP. Always wanted to climb the Diamond. Seems to be loads of classics there to get acclimatized before doing PV.

Or Squamish looks absolutely amazing with loads of stuff to do. The Grand Wall looks out of this world good.

So out of the three routes mentioned, which is the best? I love all types of climbing as long as the rock is good quality, and can't say that I'm any better and cracks than face or vice versa. Actually thats not true. I'm best at just off vertical to vertical technical crack and face, so I like that a lot. But I'm totally comfy on steep and overhanging stuff And am not afraid to grunt through a 5.10 ow.

Trip will be two weeks any time from mid Aug to early October. Will be meeting my partner there and renting a car. Camping mostly. Money isn't a huge issue but I'd like to keep it cheap. Reservations and permits are never fun but I realize that's a reality in these places nowadays.

Not opposed to other areas either. Mainly I just want to get some good climbing in on good rock with reasonably consistent weather.

Grand Wall and Pervertical share some similarities - both are mostly good crack climbing and mostly non-cruxy. The difference is the setting and commitment level. The Diamond is a lot of work to get in and out of and the weather can be bad news if it goes bad. The walk out is tough. The G.W. is easy in/Easy Out and the weather will be more predictable. It will be casual.
So what kind of day did you want to have as your "anchor" day?

If I could choose to do one again, I would choose Positive Vibes. Doing that and whatever else you decide in the Sierra (Keeler Needle!) just can't miss.

Ha. Well I'd love to say that long approaches don't matter but the way my knee has been acting the last two months I may not be able to do my usual interval running to train for going from sea level to mountains. I felt great in theSierras last summer though, after spending six weeks working at a beach resort in Italy, drinking wine, eating cheese and not climbing at all.

But it seems like we could potentially get the most climbing in at Squamish. What's the deal with the weather there?

The density of quality granite climbing in Squamish is ridiculous! Just make sure you plan at least two weeks as the weather can be fickle. Absolutely don't go in June - that ain't summer yet in BC. If you go for two or three weeks, preferably Aug to early September, you should be golden for weather. Best months are September (early), August, and July... in that order.

As Tony said, the Grand Wall is basically road-side with zero commitment level. And in general, that's true of all Squamish climbing. Perhaps that's why I like it so much? 10 pitches of splitter granite rising right out of Starbucks ;)

What I love about Squamish is also the mix of route lengths. Want a long day? Check. Want a medium day. Check. Want insanely dense cragging. Check. Rinse (literally) and repeat. Indefinitely.

I'd pick Positive Vibes... though, disclaimer, I've climbed Red Dihedral and seen pictures but haven't done it yet.

There are some really nice pitches on the Grand Wall, but they are connected by bolt ladders... a somewhat discontinuous line... that kinda ruins things for me.

If you're into roadside and doing lots of other nice pitches, Squamish is a good call. From Positive Vibes, you could spend a couple bonus days in Tuolumne, or get down to Dark Star on Temple Crag and Mithril and Fishhook on Russell. Rocky Mountain is lovely, but it isn't the most splitter rock I've ever seen.

Mmmm... I'm drooling over the thought of Sierra granite lines...

If you've never done the Diamond you should do it now, before your knees get any worse -you'll never forgive yourself if you don't. It's truly alpine: 2000 feet higher in elevation than the Hulk, and not even in the same category as Grand Wall. Do any route but Casual (which is always crowded, cold, and not the best route as long as you can lead 5.10+/5.11). Continue up something above Table Ledge - like Yellow Wall Finish - for full value.

squamish

- thousands of cragging trad routes with a 5 min approach
- the entire chief is one big roadside crag, tons of routes
- lots of shorter multi routes that you can cool down or warm up on ... or just run up one of the easier 12+ pitches routes on the chief in the afternoon ... tons of harder routes on the chief as well up to 13-
- the gear is generally very good and pretty straightforward
- you can txt and facebook at the belays through your mobile, and flame on MP
- the best bouldering in canada is a 5 min approach below the chief
- want easy alpine? its basically within an hours drive to the trailhead
- the sport is actually quite decent, you have steep overhangs for those rainy days
- there are tons of pure cracks, the kind you have to jam ... and then there are also tons of facy cracks as well ... tons of slab ... tons of dihedrals ... tons of boulders ... decent amount of sport ...
- the women are friendly in the summer, tons of yuppie tourists at the sbucks and hiking the chief
- tons of fellow brits for you ... you can spot em using hexes and doubles cragging ...
- get bored? ... take a 10 hour drive to canmore and climb the best sport in canada ...
- the bears are friendly and like to be fed ;)

in terms of sheer amount of climbing you can get in 3 weeks ... squamish cant really be beat IMO ... in the summer you can even do chief runs by headlamp

if you can climb trad into the 11s it wont be very crowded ... and even if it is there is always another good route 5 min away =P

J Achey wrote:If you've never done the Diamond you should do it now, before your knees get any worse -you'll never forgive yourself if you don't. It's truly alpine: 2000 feet higher in elevation than the Hulk, and not even in the same category as Grand Wall. Do any route but Casual (which is always crowded, cold, and not the best route as long as you can lead 5.10+/5.11). Continue up something above Table Ledge - like Yellow Wall Finish - for full value.

Was waiting for someone to recommend RMNP. The Diamond does look stunning. I know there are other great routes in the park, but any that compare to the routes on Longs?

It's not like I don't have plenty of time to do it though. I am 29! I have just been battling a minor case of itbs in one knee and i know what caused it in the beginning. I'm a runner at heart and also ride my bike to work so it's been hard to take the needed time off for recovery. I plan to be fully functional by spring and don't see myself having "knee problems" in the future that will keep me from climbing.

Thanks for all the recomendations guys. There are specific reasons that I want to go to all of these areas. I think the DiMond is something all climbers should do. And I remember standing under PosVibes and thinking that I absolutely must go back and do this route when I'm in better shape and with my regular partner. Then Squamish just looks awesome with loads of climbing to be done. Like I said, it seems that well get the most climbing in there.

maybe I should just quit my job and live in my truck (again).

In the Park, nothing really compares to the Diamond, which is higher and steeper than all the other walls. That said, the Directagonal and Diagonal Direct (on Longs, lower East Face), and the routes on Chiefshead (esp the NE Face) are just as long, excellent, and very challenging.

Squamish season, BTW, as others have pointed out, starts ~ July 4th. It rains until about then. Been 3 times - same experience every time. Go before that, get rained on every day. Go after that, get mostly sunshine. Go right then, split 50/50.
As for the question of anything being like the Diamond? Well, not, nothing is exactly like the Diamond. But there is other great stuff with it's own merit. There is also 'nothing like' the flying buttress on Meeker, just a few miles away. And not much like the 10's on the Sabre (except the 10 on the Petite Grepon), etc... J.A. is right that Chief's Head has some unique and spectacular climbing. The Spearhead is a Jr. version of it.
What I'm saying is that the park is a pretty amazing venue. There is a lot to do. If you want to crag for a day, hit Lumpy Ridge.
The season also starts around July 4 on the Diamond, April for Lumpy, and June for most of the rest of the park.
I have never been up in the Sierra, though after seeing Kat's pics and hearing about last summer (She did P.Vibrations) it is now on my list...