Also, Peabody Ice Club is an hour from Ann Arbor and offers awesome ice toproping for a 20$ day pass. Then there's the Michigan Ice Festival in February, which is about a 6 hour drive away in Munising
Adrian: I grew up in mid-MI, went for an undergrad in Kalamazoo and lived in Ypsi/Arbor for six months or so.
I just moved from the West Slope of CO (six wonderful years there) to Fort Collins for graduate study. I dreaded the move to the Front Range, but the crowds are mostly friendly and there are lots of options for climbing in the area.
Ann Arbor is equally crowded, arguably offers a "better" academic pedigree, and you could not pay me enough to live there. You think SAD (seasonal affective disorder) sounds funny? It won't after a winter of no-climb-time in Ann Arbor.
FoCo has been rock-climbable outdoor through the winter (thanks, Al Gore), with real non-farmed ice still available if that is your winter fix.
I would definitely recommend Fort Collins and definitely un-recommend Ann Arbor, if you actually try and climb more than once a week. Seriously.
We use cookies to improve your browsing experience, to show you
personalized content, and for statistical purposes. By continuing
to navigate our website, you accept our use of cookies. Read our
Privacy Policy to learn more.