Swedes going to Colorado next summer. Campervan rental?

Hello!

We are a swedish couple of climbers planning to go to America next summer, aproximately 20th june - 26st august. Our plan/wish would be to fly in to Denver from Stockholm, get a small campervan and go around climbing first for a couple of weeks in Colorado (eldorado canyon? Boulder canyon? Rifle?) and then head up to Wyoming and the areas around Lander (Wild Iris? Ten Sleep?). After that we would like to go to Squamish aswell preferably by driving there from Wyoming.

I've been trying to find rental campervans in Denver (that could, in the best of worlds, be returned in Vancouver or Seattle). The one's I've checked are very expensive. Anyone who knows somewhere to check? Or is it better to buy one? Or, anyone who want's to rent out there crag-bum-love-shack-mobile?
Or, is there another better setup?

Also, of course there would be great with advice on good areas, sectors, routes to get on while we're there. We want to climb roped climbing around:
Sport - 5.10-5.13
Trad single pitch - 5.9-5.11
multi pitch around 5.9-5.11
No alpine (meaning snow and ice, but long routes on rock is good).

Also, is there places we shouldn't miss in the close by states (summer places that is)? Around Salt Lake City? How is Smith Rock, to hot in the summer?

All the best!

/Viktor Gyllenberg

Hej
Jag är svensk och bor i colorado. Jag kan säkert hjälpa er och ge förslag när ni kommer hit.
Skicka mig ett pm.
Det finns många "camper van" eller små RV att hyra. Kolla på nätet. Köpa är nog för dyrt.
Mia

They rent these from Las Vegas, Nevada.

jucyrentals.com

I've seen them at some climbing spots. Colorado and Wyoming sounds good for that time of year. I would avoid any desert climbing but would maybe add city of rocks in Idaho and Ruth lake in the Unita national forest in Utah if you are in the area.

I'd just echo what Tri-cam said. I did a similar trip last summer, went through Colorado, Wyoming, and lastly the Uintas before getting back to Oregon.

While the Uintas may not be a mecca of summer climbing in the way that a place like Ten Sleep is, I'm super glad I stopped there. Camping in the Uinta National Forest was super affordable, I think a 7 day pass was $12. The non designated campsites I came across were awesome. Specifically one on solid ground overlooking a wild flower filled meadow in front of hayden peak, with ample parking space, a well built firepit and some felled tree trunk seating. The climbing itself was fun, nothing that would make a top 50 list but worth doing, and climbing with views of alpine lakes certainly added aesthetic value.

For what it's worth at the time I was climbing there last summer most of the West side of the country was seeing 100+ degree F weather, and other than an impromptu hail storm the weather at the uinta crags was perfect, probably in the 70s with a nice breeze.

Something to think about, although from Wyoming it would certainly lengthen your route to Squamish as you'd need to deviate significantly southward to get there. And it goes without saying you could spend your whole trip in Squamish and wish you had more time there.

Whatever you choose, hope you have a great trip! My buddy and I should be in Ten Sleep at some point in June, keep an eye out for you, If I see you beers on me.

In regards to Smith, that was my home crag, so I've spent a good amount of summer seasons climbing there, chasing the shade, getting up and climbing before the sun comes up and hiking back out before 8:00am, or waiting until the evening to climb with the last hours of light. But you'll get much more return for your time climbing at the higher elevation/northern locations you're already looking at. As much as I love Smith I think you'd be wasting valuable time there that would be better spent elsewhere.

Thank you for your replies!

I don't think 2 months is enough time. You could easily spend 2 months in CO and not climb everything you'd like to. WY also has an amazing concentration of quality rock. We spent over a month in WY alone and it would have been longer if the rain hadn't chased us.
Also, keep in mind that Lander to Squamish is more than 20hrs straight driving time. This means at least 2 days driving, maybe more, depending on your daily progress. The US is REALLY big. Driving from one state to the next can be similar to crossing multiple countries in Europe.
I would encourage you to get the most out of fewer places rather than less put of more places. More time climbing, less time driving.
I wouldn't bother with City of Rocks. Though it is an amazing place, it will be roasting and is about 8 hours from Lander.
PM me if you want more beta. I've recently spent quite a bit of time in the areas you've mentioned.

Thank you!

We're though from the part of Europe where we do have long distances and are used to drive. :) Stockholm-Lofoten is 20 hours and we've been doing two summers in a row...

Viktor Gyllenberg wrote:Thank you! We're though from the part of Europe where we do have long distances and are used to drive. :) Stockholm-Lofoten is 20 hours and we've been doing two summers in a row...

Yes, but only 5 hours to Oslo, there is not a major concentration of climbing between and you aren't initially paying hundreds of dollars just to leave home. ;)
Though gas IS a lot cheaper at the pumps in the US, so you have that going for you....
Basically my point is, you don't HAVE to drive for 20+ hours to get world class climbing once in the States, but if you want to, more power to you!

Welcome to Colorado! We have it all here--why spread yourself thin?

While Boulder, Fort Collins, etc. has great climbing, and you should not miss these fantastic routes, like the Diamond, you really ought to consider heading south for the "off-the-beaten-track" & stellar climbing of the Black Canyon, Unaweep Canyon, Ouray, Silverton, and of course Durango !

Email me if you are in Durango, and I'll show you around...

Thank you again for your replies. What guidebooks do you recomend? Is there an overall "best-of" guidebook for the state? Or, is it reccomended to get several different? which ones in that case?

Try Rocky Mountain Camper Vans He rents Eurovans and Vanagons.

Most rental agreements don't let you go to Canada.
More than enough to do in Colorado and Wyoming.

The diamond on longs peak is iconic,
And the painted wall of the Black Canyon is the biggest cliff in CO. Check out Stratosfear.
The Wind River area in WYoming is pretty spectacular too, and then on to the Tetons.

Squamish seems too far for this trip.

If you buy a van, you'd do best not to drive it more than you have to.
If it breaks down, it's all on you to fix it.

Consider a regular van, unless you really need all the comforts of a camper van.
It's a lot easier to buy and sell a regular van.
Campers can take a long time to sell.

If you want to go to squamish, consider flying to seattle from denver (cheap airfare on Southwest Airlines) and renting a car in seattle. Short (3-4 hour) drive to squamish. Logistics would be easier as you can return the camper before going north. Good camping around the chief, no need for a van up there.

Christian George wrote:Most rental agreements don't let you go to Canada. More than enough to do in Colorado and Wyoming. The diamond on longs peak is iconic, And the painted wall of the Black Canyon is the biggest cliff in CO. Check out Stratosfear. The Wind River area in WYoming is pretty spectacular too, and then on to the Tetons. Squamish seems too far for this trip. If you buy a van, you'd do best not to drive it more than you have to. If it breaks down, it's all on you to fix it. Consider a regular van, unless you really need all the comforts of a camper van. It's a lot easier to buy and sell a regular van. Campers can take a long time to sell.

Beat me to it...I would bet getting a rental across the border would suck.
A regular car may be a better deal unless you have a ton of stuff. So many areas are easy to get to.

A lot of places can be pretty hot during your travel time, also thunderstorms are frequent.

I second the idea of just traveling in a normal car - perhaps something with high (ground) clearance so you won't be limited in getting to some of the crags.
The summer rain is no big deal, completely tolerable in a tent for the short periods required.

Also second the idea of not leaving Colorado/Wyoming, with the possible exception of going to the Creek (but we all know that's in CO anyways). I know it's tempting to try to hit everything, but you'll simply get more days climbing and around a nice campfire if you don't leap as far.

Don't know if you've ever been there, but Squamish is way better than anything in Colorado. Do not skip Squamish!

I bet you could get a decent Subaru in the Denver/Boulder area..there are thousands of them !

This would get you to 90% of the climbing areas..at least

Hiro wrote:... Also second the idea of not leaving Colorado/Wyoming, with the possible exception of going to the Creek ...

The initial post gave the dates as June 20 - Aug 26. The Creek might be a bit on the hot side for these Swedes normally living half way to the north pole. Same probably goes for Black Canyon that has been mentioned previously.

Victor the Viking wrote:Thank you again for your replies. What guidebooks do you recomend? Is there an overall "best-of" guidebook for the state? Or, is it reccomended to get several different? which ones in that case?

As far as guide books go, there is a "Colorado Select" book (Rock Climbing Colorado) by Stewart Green. It has the usual problem with "select" guides:
1) Since it is a select guide, the included routes are far apart, so they can be troublesome to find. There is no way of relating a particular route by finding its neighbor lines.
2) Superclassics, such as "Over the Hill", "Rincon", and "Long John" in Eldo are not even in this book! It seems the author have excluded really nice lines/areas because of the approach? The "no approach" chosspile of Wind Tower in Eldo gets plenty of coverage though as does N Table Mountain.

The standard guide for Eldo these days is by Levin (Eldorado Canyon: A Climbing Guide). For Lumpy, I still think the old black/blue book of Gillett (Rocky Mountain National Park: Estes Park Valley: The Climber's Guide) is the latest, but there is a fresh spankin' new one for RMNP by Rossiter (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK on fixedpin.com). Nothing wrong with the old Gillett guide for RMNP though. Bob D'Antonio's BOULDER CANYON ROCK CLIMBS and Capps/Lloyd Rock climbing Clear Creek Canyon are the latest in these areas. But again, the previous one for Clear Creek (Darren Mabe) is pretty decent also.

Min fru ar svensk ackså.

I"ll spare you anymore of my Swedish. You should plan on checking out Lumpy Ridge or perhaps an Alpine route in Rocky Mountain National Park since you will be in Boulder, it will be cooler up there for sure. The last several springs into early summer here have been cooler, maybe the pattern will continue for you.