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Best climbing towns?

Steve Jones · · Fayetteville WV, · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 105

I've lived in a lot of the places mentioned here. San Diego was the worst for climbing. Chattanooga was excellent. Chamonix would be at the top of my list if money were no object.

If you can live below your means, and like to travel, you can satisfy everything on your list. I live in Fayetteville, WV (New River Gorge). Very low cost of living, 3000 or so routes within 20 minutes of the house, fabulous white water, OK mountain biking, even some skiing in the winter. We climb every month of the year. Ski when it snows and paddle when it rains. The Red River Gorge is not that far away. About the same distance to North Carolina, which has multi-pitch. You'll still miss the mountains, so ability to travel is key. Every year, we go out West and/or to the Alps.

For me, people ultimately make the place. The community here is great - friendly, helpful, no big egos. The other day, a guy stopped us, got out of his truck in the rain, crawled under our car and dislodged a tree branch, waved, got back in his car and left. That is typical social behavior here. Compare it to Boulder. You know what I mean.

It never feels crowded here - there are a lot more outdoor resources than people who use them. So there is no competition for space. The exception is rafting season on the New and Gauley rivers. In the places where we usually mountain bike, we have not seen another biker or hiker in 5 years.

The negatives: no mountains (so we travel a fair amount), professional jobs (it's not a problem if you're in healthcare or can work on-line), the environment is pretty trashed, and the schools are generally poor but with a few exceptionally good teachers. There are environmental groups, such as PAN (Plateau Action Network), that are making it better. We pick up litter on the trails to the climbing areas. I know its going to come back, but its clean in that moment. So we just rest in that moment.

JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115
John Wilder wrote:Locals deal with it- its a bit warm, temps are usually in the 70s to 80s in the shade, so whatever that means for you. Most hard sends are in the shoulder seasons when temps are cooler, but I've seen Pringle and the boys working hard 5.14 in July.
That really doesn't sound any worse than Rifle, which is pretty much our best summer (sport) crag. Kind of the same idea here, people work their routes in the summer then everything gets sent in September. If anything, Charleston might be better, since I imagine the air is drier and there aren't the regular T-storms. Sounds awesome.
Neil Rankin · · Winston-Salem, NC · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 166

I lived in Bishop for about ten years, and I went to undergrad in Boone, NC, which is a pretty nice climbing town as well. I understand the limitations and struggles of living in a climbing town. For volume of climbing, other posters have already chimed in many great places to live.

But in my opinion, Winston-Salem, NC is a very underrated climbing town. The economy is nice, the cost of living is cheap, and Moore's Wall and the rest of Hanging Rock State Park is just under a half hour away. Also, Winston locals are 2.5 hours from the New and almost all of the climbing in NC mountains is within 3 hours, and most is within 2. Yeah, I know, it's not Boulder, Salt Lake, or Vegas, but there are good jobs in the Winston area, and you can buy a nice house for a 100k. And Moore's Wall is world class for a home crag.

fossana · · leeds, ut · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 13,318

I am an atheist and went to grad school at BYU for a year, residing in Provo. In general people were friendly and hard working, and if they tried to proselytize, only did so once, then politely backed off. While I strongly disagree with many of the religion's tenants, I did not feel like any were forced upon me (maybe other than the on-campus no sleeveless shirts or above the knee shorts dress code).

I have considered moving to SLC (far less LDS than Provo) and my only reservation is the inversion layer.

If I had to pick a town strictly based on climbing it would be Bishop hands-down.

Austin Goff · · Winston-Salem, NC · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 118

I have to agree with Neil on this one. The amount of bouldering and rope climbing you can do within 3 hours is pretty amazing.

bernard wolfe · · birmingham, al · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 265

Provo recently got high marks in somebody's ranking.....for happiness or quality of life, etc

Interested to read the comments on Rapid City. Have not visited.....but are there larger mountain objectives within range?

Can the criteria be distilled down to quality, relatively extensive local cragging......with desirable alpine or multi-pitch within 4 hrs.......and a car-ride available, more-than-regional airport in order to access more distant, hall-of-fame climbing?

Is there such a place? Sounds like Denver or SLC-area might be it.....with several Sierra-related cities in various runner-up spots

JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115
bernard wrote:Can the criteria be distilled down to quality, relatively extensive local cragging......with desirable alpine or multi-pitch within 4 hrs.......and a car-ride available, more-than-regional airport in order to access more distant, hall-of-fame climbing? Is there such a place? Sounds like Denver or SLC-area might be it.....with several Sierra-related cities in various runner-up spots
Vegas. I'm making the move in a little over a month.

Denver/Boulder and SLC ain't bad for climbing either, as far as mid-size cities go.
Duc Ong · · Honolulu, Hawaii · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 1

What about other intangibles such as crime rate, dangerous animals/insects/ poison ivy? How would these towns rank in those respects?

Craig Childre · · Lubbock, TX · Joined Aug 2006 · Points: 4,860

Speaking up for SLC. Mormons? Didn't really notice them all that much. Climbing is stellar. You will love it if you partake in winter sports too. Winter is pretty long. Worst thing is the beer and liquor situation. Also, the mexican food isn't too good... but that is most of the US's non border states.

Where would I go? Tuscon! Just might be hard to work with just a bike.

Consider Albuquerque/Santa Fe/Taos region, NM. Low salary, but low cost of living too.

Nathan Scherneck · · Portland, OR · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 2,370

This one doesn't get thrown out there too often...Redlands, CA. Riverside Quarry is 20 minutes away (great sport climbing, trashy area), 1.5hrs to Joshua Tree, 1.5hrs to Tahquitz/Suicide, 1.5hrs to San Bernardino Mountain crags, reasonably close to Red Rocks, Bishop, Sierras, and Yosemite. There isn't much of a cohesive outdoor community, but there are a lot of climbers in SoCal. Year round climbing and decent employment opportunities depending on your profession.

JeffL · · Salt Lake City · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 65

Would you guys stop talking about how great SLC is? It's supposed to be a secret. This place will get crowded if people actually hear the truth. Shit if people keep moving here at the current rate it'll be less than 10 years before the politics shift and "the church" no longer controls the government. Then there ridiculous liquor laws will change and the mormon's will become a minority and more people will move here.

After the above happens there might be another party on the classic climb you were planning on walking right up to.

JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115
Craig Childre wrote: SLC.....Worst thing is the beer and liquor situation.
Why do people get so hung up on the Utah alcohol situation? It is slightly less convenient to buy beer than it is in a place like California, but it really isn't a big deal. Plus, if you are really choosing where you live based on alcohol availability, perhaps it is time to start going to AA meetings. Maybe if you cut down on the beer a bit you might send something. The real reason not to move to SLC is the wintertime inversion layer. By all accounts, it can get absolutely heinous.

As the the suggestion of Redlands (CA), a few posts up, that is actually a pretty good spot for climbing access. If you are going to be living in the SoCal urban sprawl, and don't care too much about being right next to the ocean, Redlands is probably the spot to be. It is close enough to Black Mountain, Tram, Idyllwild, and J-Tree that day trips are quite easy. From much of the rest of SoCal, those areas are more weekend-trip distance. Plus, since Redlands is kind of on the outer edge of the sprawl, you can usually escape to the climbing areas without having to deal with too much traffic.
Robbie Mackley · · Tucson, AZ · Joined May 2010 · Points: 85
pataug16 · · chattanooga, TN · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 30

home town born there and will never move gotta give a shout out to Chattanooga TN, love it!

camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240
Neil Rankin wrote:I lived in Bishop for about ten years, and I went to undergrad in Boone, NC, which is a pretty nice climbing town as well. I understand the limitations and struggles of living in a climbing town. For volume of climbing, other posters have already chimed in many great places to live. But in my opinion, Winston-Salem, NC is a very underrated climbing town. The economy is nice, the cost of living is cheap, and Moore's Wall and the rest of Hanging Rock State Park is just under a half hour away. Also, Winston locals are 2.5 hours from the New and almost all of the climbing in NC mountains is within 3 hours, and most is within 2. Yeah, I know, it's not Boulder, Salt Lake, or Vegas, but there are good jobs in the Winston area, and you can buy a nice house for a 100k. And Moore's Wall is world class for a home crag.
Wait, you're calling a place that has ONE crag a half hour away, and some other good ones within decent distance for a weekend trip a "best climbing town?" This kind of reminds me of the Honda Civic owners who always have to chime in on those "best dirtbag cars" threads– "yeah, they're GREAT for dirtbagging in; it's kind of scrunchy to sleep on a reclined seat, but they save so much money, and it's the only thing I've ever traveled in but really, they're the BEST!"

If you're talking great climbing towns in NC, Winston-Salem is no comparison to Brevard, Boone, or even Asheville.

Oh, and my current home of Fayetteville, WV, has a few nice local crags, too.
Jonathan Dull · · Boone, NC · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 415
camhead wrote: If you're talking great climbing towns in NC, Winston-Salem is no comparison to Brevard, Boone, or even Asheville. Oh, and my current home of Fayetteville, WV, has a few nice local crags, too.
He said "underrated climbing town".
David Coley · · UK · Joined Oct 2013 · Points: 70

In case no one has said it, Sheffield, England.

Austin Goff · · Winston-Salem, NC · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 118
camhead wrote: Wait, you're calling a place that has ONE crag a half hour away, and some other good ones within decent distance for a weekend trip a "best climbing town?"
As Jonathan pointed out, reading comprehension seems like an issue here. Underrated ≠ Best. When you take WS's growing economy, cost of living, job outlook, 30min Proximity to 4 crags, and proximity to the rest of the state's climbing WS is very underrated.
Eric D · · Gnarnia · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 235
JCM wrote: Why do people get so hung up on the Utah alcohol situation? It is slightly less convenient to buy beer than it is in a place like California, but it really isn't a big deal.
Have you lived in Utah? Do you realize that you have to go to a liquor store to buy beer stronger than 3 or 4%? The stuff you can buy at the grocery store or gas stations in Utah is not good. I have one drink a day but I like it to be quality. Good food and good drink is important to me. That wouldn't keep me from moving to Utah but it is certainly a much bigger pain than in CA.
Jon Zucco · · Denver, CO · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 245
camhead wrote: Salt Lake City really sucks. It is over 90%+ Mormon and there are no bars. Don't go there.
SLC is great for climbing and skiing, but yeah -- I didn't even last a month there due to cultural shortcomings.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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