Best locations for Grad school and Climbing

This thread is amazing. I am also looking at going to grad school next year. I've just recently taken a 1yr temporary contract job which oddly pays way more than my permanent position did. I switched in order to save money to save for grad school and hopefully to take some time off for climbing before school. Someone mentioned on here that UC Davis was a good school. It's actually one of my top choices. Besides Yosemite which I'm pretty sure will be a solid 3 hour drive maybe more are there any other suggestions for climbing spots near there?

ccanez wrote: UC Davis was a good school... Besides Yosemite which I'm pretty sure will be a solid 3 hour drive maybe more are there any other suggestions for climbing spots near there?

For the most part, the good climbing around there will involve a long drive, but will let you access great climbing with reliable weather. Yosemite is the big draw, of course, but a long drive. Closer options do exist, but are still a bit of a drive. These include Tahoe area crags (1.5-2 hours) and Sonora area sport climbing (Jailhouse, Grotto, Gold Wall) (2 hours). A really long drive will give you access to places like the Needles, Bishop, etc. The more local crags around Sacramento and the Bay Area are generally not very good; you'd be better off just driving to Tahoe or staying at home and climbing at the gym. The gyms are excellent.

Overall, Davis is not exactly a climber's paradise, since there is no good local climbing, but it isn't bad either, since it is within striking distance of great options. It would be a good place to go if it was the right choice for your field; it is a very respectable school. I wouldn't choose Davis just for the climbing, but you shouldn't choose any grad school just for the climbing.

Brad Caldwell wrote: Totally agree...grad school isn't a contemplation, its something you should be serious about well before you get into your major courses in undergrad. If you have to contemplate it, then you're not cut out for it...especially if your biggest concern is climbing. Best of luck in whatever you choose though!

I'm not sure I agree.
The quarters in undergrad I did the best were quarters where I was taking 18 credits of upper div courses and cragging 4+ days/week. For me the key was learning to compartmentalize, and knowing that I was going cragging on days I didnt have labwork until 6pm meant I worked much more efficiently. Additionally, getting out and moving made it a lot easier to really buckle down in the evenings.

I do, however, agree that entering a grad program shouldnt be done on a whim, and a program should be chosen first for the quality of opportunity it provides not the recreation available.

I appreciate the advice and info about Davis. I'm definitely considering the fact that my time will be limited with grad school and since climbing is something that I do love I want to go as often as possible. I have other schools that I'm considering with much closer options (Fort Collins, SLC, etc.) because there really needs to be a balance between the two.

ccanez wrote:I appreciate the advice and info about Davis. I'm definitely considering the fact that my time will be limited with grad school and since climbing is something that I do love I want to go as often as possible. I have other schools that I'm considering with much closer options (Fort Collins, SLC, etc.) because there really needs to be a balance between the two.

This is a smart consideration. I'm in grad school in golden, and am able to climb quite a lot, despite the grad school schedule, because there is lots of climbing 10-30 minutes away. It makes it easy to go out for a partial day, etc. If I had to drive 3 hours...or even an hour...to get out, I would be able to do so much less.

That said, don't choose a program based only on proximity to rock. If Davis is a much better program, it might be worth it.