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Best place to live in, for the all-around climber? (rock/ice/mountain)

Patrick Vernon · · Grand Junction, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 965

No one ever mentions Estes Park, is that because it is too obvious a choice?

Cory Harelson · · Boise, ID · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 2,410
kidda wrote: -Yosemite Valley, 3.5 hours (April/October/ lucky winter) - Tuolumne/High Sierra, 4 hours (June-September) -Tahoe, 3 hours (May-September, Sugar loaf in south lake ideal in winter) - Sierra National Forest, 4 hours (year round) -J Tree, 9 hours (November-March) Bishop, 5-8 hours (November-March) We rotate destinations by season. After 3 years, we have climbed a lot of classic stuff but we are worn out by the constant traveling, over the big city and a lot of the things mentioned by others, and missing living in the mountains.
If you want reasons to avoid the Bay Area they are listed right here. Super classic stuff, but that's a lot of driving! Also remember that those drive times don't apply to Friday afternoon traffic.

With 3 day weekends I guess it's not so bad, but for Mon-Fri working fools like me that would force the classic puzzle: Choose two of the following, family, career, or your life passion (climbing). With drive times like that you cannot have all 3.

I left California for that reason. Now I have to get way down the list of climbing spots before I stop measuring drive (or bike) times in minutes and start measuring in hours. It's awesome! I get to climb a lot, have time to cook really good dinners with the MRS, and consequently am enjoying my career that much more to boot!

Good luck wherever you go!
Greg Halliday · · Spanish Fork, UT · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 5

SLC. As you know, anywhere near the ocean is wicked expensive. SLC is nowhere near the ocean. But is is near to awesome climbing, awesome hiking, awesome biking (road and mountain), awesome camping, improving nightlife, Mormons aren't that weird. Adobe just built a nice new complex just south in Lehi and there are a number of other software companies here locally. The pay for teachers really sucks though (my dad taught HS English so I got to experience this first hand.) Although being bilingual (I'm assuming Spanish here) is a big plus. The cost of living is reasonable (of course varies on the neighborhood), and the housing market is good.

Pavel K · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 211

Lake Tahoe.

brat . · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 81

I'm from the Bay Area. If your time off is weekends, be prepared to spend many, many hours sitting in traffic to get to anything outdoors that is worthwhile.

If she's super psyched on the ocean, look at San Luis Obispo. It is a much smaller urban area, but has comparable local climbing to the Bay, and similar driving times to Yosemite (but not the traffic).

If you can convince her to leave the ocean, the Front Range of Colorado really has decent access to "ice/rock/mountaineering year round" and a real job market (that def has tech jobs and jobs for bilingual teachers).

Dow Williams · · St. George, Utah; Canmore, AB · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 240

I am a full time climber and split my seasons between St. George, UT (Red Rock-Zion) and Canmore, Alberta (Canadian Rockies). To satisfy my rock and ice climbing needs I find the need to live in both locations. If I was forced to live in the lower 48 exclusively, I would chose Ridgeway, CO. Not the ice or rock routes I am accustom to, but one of the few areas that can offer fairly serious trad routes (Black Canyon) along with multi-pitch backcountry ice routes in such a short distance. The Black is what I am referencing for rock, but Ridgeway, vs Montrose, puts you closer to Silverton's ice and Moab's towers/IC. Had a friend who moved from Albuquerque to Montrose. She is a Doc and took a huge pay cut to do it, but enjoys these activities and does not seem to regret it. Affordability in Montrose is a plus, Ridgeway less so prob. I have climbed in Calif quite a bit but never really enjoyed it much outside of pulling off 15+ pitches a day in Jtree. Lots of folks pissing on each other, on the roads, in towns and in the backcountry. Good Luck.

Ignacio · · Denver, CO · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 15

Looks like housing in the Bay Area is just too ridiculous so, being near the beach is becoming less of a priority. Having dogs too large for a small apartment would put us at, easily, a $3000/month for rent. :-O SO... Denver/Boulder is looking more and more promising (also pretty good job market there for software engineering).

Now I should ask... any reason why you would NOT like to move to Boulder/Denver and surroundings? Looks like reasonable housing, dog-friendly, near rock and ice climbing (and snow sports), and pretty cool overall.

Noah McKelvin · · Colorado Springs, CO · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 1,500

Colorado....without a doubt....whether that means GJ, Ouray, Denver, or Boulder.

For alpine rock, alpine ice, more ice, more rock, choss, more rock, more mountaineering, hiking....Only thing CO doesn't have is a proper glacier.

Ian Stewart · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2010 · Points: 155

Don't go to the Bay Area. Just...don't.

Josh Allred · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Mar 2011 · Points: 161

Salt Lake City. I love being 15 min away (less to the mouth of BCC and LCC) from thousands of routes. Plus you have lots of sport in AF and RC. Maple and City less that 3 hrs. Tetons and Zion 4hrs away. Wind is like 4.5. 6 hrs away from Ouray. Moab is 3 hrs away. 7 National Parks I think. And you have canyoneering, Escalante, Red Rocks is 6 hrs away.
Ice climbing is awesome too. There is some alpine climbing too. Not as good as CO. LCC has all the granite you need for a daily basis. Save Yosemite for the big trips. Zion has some of the biggest sandstone walls this side of the hemisphere.

The climbing sucks in SF. I lived there a short time you have to drive get anywhere. The ice is non-existant.

The people are great in UT.

I havent lived in Boulder but that would probably be a second choice I suppose.

fossana · · leeds, ut · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 13,318
Cory wrote: If you want reasons to avoid the Bay Area they are listed right here. Super classic stuff, but that's a lot of driving! Also remember that those drive times don't apply to Friday afternoon traffic.
Those drive times don't apply to any weekday afternoon traffic. I did it all through college, but after having recently reexperienced the pain (on Wed and Thu afternoons/evenings mind you), I can't imagine doing it again.

If ocean is a must have: Having also lived in SoCal, living somewhere like Pasadena gives you faster, year-round access to the E Sierra. 210 weekday afternoon traffic E sucks (Red Rocks, Tahquitz, J-tree), but there are ways to skirt most of the traffic to get to places like Bishop.
fossana · · leeds, ut · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 13,318
Ignacio wrote:Now I should ask... any reason why you would NOT like to move to Boulder/Denver and surroundings?
Boulder's not cheap rent-wise (maybe cheap compared to SOMA) and tech salaries will be less than the Bay (20% at least). Rent runs less in surrounding areas. For me the biggest downside is the clockwork afternoon t-storms esp for alpine (hence why I ditch the Front Range for the Sierra every summer).
Eric Chabot · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 45

CT. More trad than Seneca, more trad than the gunks! ;)

splitclimber · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 18

i'd think mammoth/bishop would be the best location. probably not the best ice (i'm sure the local ice climbers would debate that) but really good in the other 2, esp. the year round requirement

Worster than you · · Lafayette, CA · Joined Mar 2013 · Points: 15
Cory wrote: With 3 day weekends I guess it's not so bad, but for Mon-Fri working fools like me that would force the classic puzzle: Choose two of the following, family, career, or your life passion (climbing).
Ha, this reminded me of being a college student-athlete and of my climbing past. The answer, of course, is to combine your romance/family with your life passion! (good thing those men's and women's track teams traveled together! and the bay area climbing scene is how I met my wife.)
Steven Sheets · · Livermore, CA · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 30

I think the Bay Area kind of sucks for climbing.

Good rock?: 2 hr drive minimum.
Good mountaineering?: 6 hrs.
Ice? Forget about it.

IMO, a worthwhile place for a climber to live is somewhere where you can get off work and go to a crag to get a few routes in before its dark.

anna.gutwin · · Burlington, VT · Joined Apr 2013 · Points: 85

Best places I've lived for climbing:

Bozeman, MT - numerous different mountain ranges within 45min from downtown. I don't ice climb, but I hear there's good ice and mountaineering. Excellent mountain town for non-climbers too, tons of mtb and hiking trails, wildlife, alpine meadows, wild flowers, I could go on and on. A beautiful place to live and work. Bozeman was voted #2 dog town in all of the USA!

VT - has some small crags that can satisfy a quick climbing craving. Rumney is 2 hrs away, the ADKs are 2 hrs and the gunks are 4 hours. Close to Boston and the coast, generally relaxed people, colored leaves in the fall, maple syrup in the spring.

Good luck!

Jonathan Marek · · Spearfish, SD · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 2,497

+1 for SLC. Climbing, Skiing, MTN Biking, Hang-gliding is a big thing (who knew?) an incredible amount of variety. Alpine, West Desert, Colorado Plateau, Uinta Mountains, Wasatch Mountains, and still only 10 hours to LA via Las Vegas (which is pretty sweet.) and although none are particularly close, you are triangulated between the High Rockies, the Eastern Sierra, and the bugaboos, while the Tetons are not too far for a short vacation.

Ellenore Zimmerman · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2013 · Points: 75

Your wife would like the Bay area trust me. San Jose and Santa Clara are not that bad. What do you need? Acres of land and bathrooms to clean or a paradise and memories in a shack? Downsize and get a studio. You both will enjoy the experience.
You do have to drive about 4 hrs to Yosemite to climb but it's worth it. Gyms are great. Beaches are outstanding. Just sooo much to do! You both should just rethink how to live cheap and get part time jobs and do it. There is a lot of need for nursing assistants at the hospitals here if you guys are willing to get your certs and go that way. You only work 3 days a week and there is always a demand for that.

John Herreshoff · · Ann Arbor, MI · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 0

Salt Lake City.

I've never understood why folks have always considered driving time in terms of HOURS when the Salt Lake valley has climbing that's MINUTES away. I figure if your goal is to climb, and not to drive, then having mountains in your back yard should be a major consideration.

With that, the problem with Denver (though not Boulder) is that it's not really in the mountains. It's more adjacent to the mountains. But make no mistake, Denver is on the plains (albeit on the edge of the plains), and you're going to be wasting hours of your life in a car waiting to get to the crag.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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