How do you deal with crowds?

I can plan for it here in New Hampshire, but we have a lot of crags. It is not always what you think either, I have seen Cathedral and Whitehorse both nearly vacant on holiday weekends when everyone figures it'll be mobbed, and I guess, stays away.

If you expect a lot of people, avoid one destination places and go somewhere you have options.

Go as far away from the parking first and work back seems to help too.

Tony B wrote: Generally, that means that someone submitted it that way.

Tony B. it is what it is.

Tony B wrote:Serious studies have proven that the crowd at a crag/climb in any given area is quite closely correlated to # of stars in the book (online as well) and distance from the car. There are other influneces, but I have to agree that when I am willing to walk a ways in, willing to climb climbs with fewer stars, or run it out a bit, I have no problems. Pretty much never. I'm not sure what your status is as a climber, but yeah, being limited to TR or sport lead of moderate routes pretty much means crowds. I avoid those areas for those reasons and general lack of interest... I am a multi-pitch trad guy who seeks out "every" climb, including the obscure... so I can't legitimately speak about any breadth of experience in areas like Cat Slab or Canal Zone (moderate sport climbing with TR anchors) on a nice weekend day, when I'll be damned if I get caught there. Best of luck!

Gotta get my trad gear together! I started as a boulderer. I've been doing a lot more backpacking than I ever have these days and that's where I started becoming more interested in ropes. Its very appealing to me to be able to go hike out some place without limitations in terrain. To be able to drop a rope down a cliff or safely climb up one. I'm at the point now where I need to build up my black book of partners, I'm climbing beyond my friends abilities. I see solo lead and TR in my future

Start soloing and shout "OMG i dun wanna die!!!" with every move

Ull clear out the crag or be youtube famous

;)

bearbreeder wrote:Start soloing and shout "OMG i dun wanna die!!!" with every move Ull clear out the crag or be youtube famous ;)

Hahaha! Best advice yet! If I did that at Dume in Malibu, id be famous for sure! Well, maybe not in a good way with the climbing community on MP.

You went to a crag with no approach where the hardest route is 10- on a weekend. Any crag like that is gonna be crowded with gumbies.

Honestly one of my biggest motivations to climb harder is to avoid crowds, and not have to wait for routes. It seems to be working!

Guy Keesee wrote: Tony B. it is what it is.

Have you written the area admin and suggested a reorganization?
If you have good cause, I bet they'd do it if you offered to lay out a proposal that is logically supported.

Tim Lutz wrote:easiest way to deal with a crowded crag is to clear it pick 3 of the 4 weapons: cragbaby, boombox, smoke weed, swear loudly and often

This...HA! I have another that I like. It starts with one person in low tones humming the score of 2001 a space odyssey (Thus spkoke zerathustra I think). Then one by one more of your group joins in with a rising crescendo. The timpani comes in DUN DUN DUN DUN...and then the rest of your groups starts knuckle dragging and gesticulating as they make ape sounds that also start low and then build until it's a blast of horns and screaming apes jumping all over the place....Then you break out the weed play the boom box and strip down to your chests and take over the crag.

In Colorado, be willing to hike for 20 minutes, rarely see anyone.

Around here trad venues are always the least crowded and even they are usually only busy on few of the 'classic' moderate lines.

Healyje wrote:Around here trad venues are always the least crowded and even they are usually only busy on few of the 'classic' moderate lines.

This is true in lots of the popular California crags as well. All you need to be alone is a 5.10b or higher and a rack to shake off most crowds. Add to that many of the clims with the most stars are 5.10+/5.11 and those are two of my current motivations for trying to break into harder climbing. Quality and lack of a line.

My solution may not be for everyone :). I just got old enough to retire and now climb through the week - then go home on the weekends to rest up and avoid all the people. It seems to work fairly well. Probably also helps that I mostly climb trad routes with a bit of a hike into them.

We just clip our ill-tempered 110# dog to the first bolt of whatever route we want to climb next...

Luna

NickMartel wrote:We just clip our ill-tempered 110# dog to the first bolt of whatever route we want to climb next...

Funny how two old but revived threads just converged.

mountainproject.com/v/how-d…

I really hope Alex comes! Need more guys like that on these posts.

JoeGaribay wrote:I really hope Alex comes! Need more guys like that on these posts.

Aleks is not going to be happy that you misspelled his name. Woe to you.

Oh crap! Pardon me Aleks. Just drove five hours. Dehydrated and suffering from a lack of fisheads

How do I deal with crowds? I moved from Colorado. Problem solved.

Don't shower and talk about God, a lotly.

Nice one JQ