Moving to Maryland - Rock Climbers Suicide?

Dear Climbers,

I know similar issues have been discussed here before (and I read through all of them) but I think my question has a unique angle that has not been covered and I'd like to hear your insights.

I am considering moving to Maryland, more precisely to DC proper or maybe one of the northern suburbs around DC. Is this a really bad idea for a serious climber? I am specifically looking for your feedback on the following:

1) Gyms which are good for training (campus board, steep bouldering walls (45 degrees), system walls)

2) Bouldering in the V8-V12 range

3) Sport climbing in the 5.13+ / 5.14- range (lead climbing).

I am obviously aware of the VGR and RRG but I don't think that I will be able to go on many full weekend / two day trips that warrant such a long drive. Rather, I think I need areas that are doable on single days. Also, I don't necessarily need large areas with multiple climbs. A random, single block with a high quality V10 line on it, ranks pretty high in my books.

What are your thoughts and recommendations?

Miguel

Seneca is relatively close, but it's not exactly a hard sport or bouldering mecca.

It's not so bad. Earth Treks Rockville will meet your gym needs for sure. It's pretty great. There are some Vhard boulder problems around, although not in great concentration. Check out Catoctin (Sharp!)for that. As far as Sport Climbing goes you're looking at about 4-5 hours to the New i think.

Get a copy of Climb Maryland by Indy Kochte. You may want to consider buying a trad rack. Check out Illchester

+1 for Earth Treks

You should move to Squamish.. Oh wait, that's where to I want to move.

Mount Gretna and Haycock in PA could be doable for bouldering 2-3hrs drive. Good rock.

Safe Harbor in Conestoga Twp, PA is ~2 hours, it's a pretty good sport crag. (it's actually a 100+ year old railroad cut, but we take what we can here in PA)

Birdsboro in PA is a reclaimed quarry turned into a sport climbing crag/outdoor gym. ~2.5 hours.

Not suicide! NRG lots of sport climbing 4 to 5 hour drive and
Gunks 4 to 5 hour drive. Closer as mentioned Indy's Guide is the
best with Earth Treks and Sportrock climbing gyms for training.
I've moved back and for from DC to Nevada several times. Save up
the vacation time and climb (anywhere).

Seneca does have a handful of 12 and 13 climbs, some bolted (cave area). Southern PA has safe harbor which has plenty of 11s and 12s, maybe a 13 or 2. Bellefonte has plenty of 11, 12 and 13 bolted lines. Birdsboro, mt gretna, whiskey springs, little round top, hunters, and gov stables all have harder, technical climbs.

There is more out there (these are all pa minus seneca) in sothern pa/md.

This may help out a little bit indy-adventures.net/climbin… Plus I could always use someone to climb with but It's a little bit of a hike for me to get there due to the fact I live on the shore. You may also find this link useful for meeting some other climbers around here also. potomacmountainclub.org/

Carderock is the best top rope place just off the C&O canal
path.
The heat and humidity during the summer, as well as the
unbearable traffic won't be fun.
Good luck.

Speaking for the bouldering, we don't have any huge concentrations in the V8-V12 range in MD, but enough individual problems to keep most people occupied for a while. Still a few harder open projects out there too. The closest problems in that range to DC are at Northwest Branch, Carderock, and Great Falls, with a few more between there and Baltimore and further north. The Frederick area (about 45 minutes NW) in particular has seen a lot of development over that last few years, and I wouldn't be surprised to see several hard lines going down there soon too. Check out mdguides.wordpress.com for mini-guides of several MD bouldering areas, and my own blog (robinclose.blogspot.com) has lots of pics and links to most of the MD bouldering videos out there.

Would I move here as a climber if I had a choice of places with more rock? Maybe not, but as someone who always planned to move out west as soon as I could after school, I've recently found myself in no rush to leave and feeling like I have more than enough rock to keep me happy for years to come. Hope that helps, and feel free to message me if you need any additional advice.

Larry S wrote:Mount Gretna and Haycock in PA could be doable for bouldering 2-3hrs drive. Good rock. Safe Harbor in Conestoga Twp, PA is ~2 hours, it's a pretty good sport crag. (it's actually a 100+ year old railroad cut, but we take what we can here in PA) Birdsboro in PA is a reclaimed quarry turned into a sport climbing crag/outdoor gym. ~2.5 hours.

I agree with Larry, both safe harbor and birdsboro are worth checking out at least once if you move to MD. its no mecca but you can certainly get a full days climb in anytime you go.

Get your priorities straight - move to where there's stellar climbing!

if you climb v8-v12 and lead up to 14- AND climbing is a big priority in your life...why on earth would you move to DC or Maryland?

Sorry, but at your level unless you hit NRG or RRG the climbing is going to blow. I'm sure there are a few not so stellar problems here and there, but otherwise you will find yourself spending way more time in traffic dreaming of climbing than actually ever climbing. especially if you are looking for day trips. I'm sure Earth Treks is ok, but I find Sportrock pretty lame. DC/MD/VA will try and sugar coat it, but believe me there are better places to move if career or a lady isn't pulling you there.

lol, Miguel. priorities my man, priorities. if you are looking to soften the blow then you better embrace the gym or getting drunk every night cause that what everyone I know there does and I spent 20+ years there. if you dont mind eliminates carderrock has hundreds that will keep you busy until you need to dyno from one side of the cliff to the other. creativity is a bonus there.

I think we've been trolled. You've read the other threads where people complain about the CHOSS LIFE we live here in the midatlantic (still waiting for that section mods) you know how short much of the climbing is, that bolts are a no no for much of the region you say climbing is really important and you still want us to weigh in?! This has troll written all over it. Apologies if you're just an incredibly talented sport climber trying to figure out if you can live in a swamp with second class mountains hours away. Come out for visit and hit some crags. That will probably be the most informative thing you could do.

--Wannabe

No, you have not been trolled. I have sincere interest in the issue. Many of the other threads where about top-rope climbing or "just getting outside". I wanted to hear some insights how (or how bad) it would be for more serious climbing ambitions.

Thank you all for your feedback. Those are all very valuable insights. I think there is a very interesting tendency within the replies: those during the day were not too negative, those towards the evening where more like "get your priorities straight - don't come here".

Obviously climbing is not the only thing to base this decision on (jobs anyone?). I like that so many are pushing me to sort out priorities. We'll see where I end up. Maybe coming down for a couple of days to check it out really wouldn't be a bad idea.

If you really want it its here. It just may take more effort (multiple crags in a day, more gas, looking for new lines or making existing lines harder for yourself, etc) than out west or any other climbing destination. Between virginia, west virginia, south central, pa, new york and north carolina only...8 maybe 10 hours from you I think you'll be able to "make do" and still thrive at the higher end of difficulty.

Excellent post Jake. I did not read your (the inquirers) whole post so I did miss the no long weekends/drive part. If that's the case then you're SOL (not as a climber but as a technical, higher end climber). Sorry dude. Jake brings up a good question: does the work/domestic situation outweight the climbing? Is there no other options, balanced options? Seems like you moving to MD might be a off-balance move since your climbing experience will change drastically once in MD. That's my guess at least.

Yes, complete climbing suicide. Unless you are willing to drive 4/5 hours or you get into super slick 5.8 polished routes that are 40 feet tall (that's all you get for climbing in the DC area).

Miguel,
I think I owe you an apology for acting like I was on my "man period." Rain is in the forecast this weekend and that always makes me pissy. I think I'm also developing a soft spot about climbing here on the east coast. I'd choose to live somewhere with bigger and more climbing in a heartbeat but certainly cherish what I've got now. The other climbers in the area are awesome as well. It may be a choss pile but its MY choss pile.

In an attempt to make good on my lame first response here's a bit of possibly helpful beta. There is a route at the Talking Headwall Crag that goes dead horizontal for about 20 feet and has two permadraws hung on it. The crag is approximately 1 to 1.5 hours away from your potential new abodes based on the info you've given. Talking Headwall is listed under Elizabeth Furnace area on mountainproject. The route isn't listed and I don't know the name. Jake might know.

Also you DO NOT have to drive 4-5 hours for polished 5.8 routes. Those would be a 15 minute drive for you to Great Falls where you could top rope them. I actually like climbing at great falls-- but check my profile I'm setting the world on fire with my climbing gifts.

--Wannabe

Miguel31 wrote:Obviously climbing is not the only thing to base this decision on (jobs anyone?). I like that so many are pushing me to sort out priorities. We'll see where I end up. Maybe coming down for a couple of days to check it out really wouldn't be a bad idea.

Plenty of time to work when you're too old/frail to climb at your best. NOW is the time to live.

I speak from personal experience -- in my later 30s now, body is starting to slowly fail, and wish I had gotten into this 20 years earlier (and skipped the physically abusive hiking inbetween).