1st time out WEST - recommendations?

To make a long story short, my sunday "To-Do" list slowly grew longer and longer, until it was about 2 pages long. That kinda freaked me out, so i tore it up, packed my bags, and hopped on the highway in the subaru (dont tell my dad)... lol

ohhh yeeeaaahhh baby, and you know the destination: the wild, wild, WEST! WOOOOO!

I have never been to this sacred "out west" destination that everyone is so hype about (besides DisneyLand when i was 10), so i decided it would be wise to ask you lovely people of Mountain Project what your recommendations are... Ive checked out Zion and Moab and as of right now thats where I'm headed to first. I haven't really looked anywhere else... Joshua Tree?

ALSO - I dont have a partner so if you're going to be bouncing around any crags in the general wild west and want to show a noob around, hit me up! Im relatively new to the game (about 1yr of xp) so I mostly climb sport, but Im very down to try some traditional shiz if u got the shiz. I would really love to try a multi-pitch, too.

Currently, I'm sitting in a cafe in Minneapolis ransacking them for their Wi-Fi and Google maps says I'm about 18hr from Moab. God knows it'll take me longer than that, but either way I'll probably be around area from December 1st until .... Christmas - ish, maybe New Years? who knows..

I would say Smith Rock maybe. Mostly sport routes, some trad. Some great moderate bolted multi pitch routes. Easy to find a partner/people are nice. Also Bend is cool. Easy camping and good facilities too. Although I would check the weather first, it gets cold this time of year.

i'd be headed for RedRock or Joshua Tree from a weather perspective. Moab's a lot more likely to be variable/crappy.

could start in Moab and see how it goes, then head over toward Zion, St. George, then Vegas/Josh

Alternatively, even further south. Like Mt. Lemmon (Tucson)

Theres a strong crowd in indian creek moab area right now, its way warmer there than in Bend Oregon right now, go south!

ton wrote:i'd be headed for RedRock or Joshua Tree from a weather perspective. Moab's a lot more likely to be variable/crappy. could start in Moab and see how it goes, then head over toward Zion, St. George, then Vegas/Josh Alternatively, even further south. Like Mt. Lemmon (Tucson)

I'd second this, Moab is great, but it's mostly trad and tends to be cooler than other areas. Zion is also predominantly trad and bigwall stuff, and finding a partner willing to haul a relative beginner up a bigwall will be a huge challenge. I'd suggest driving through Moab and Zion to see them, maybe try to do a bit of climbing in Moab, but your main climbing destinations for focusing on sport should be St. George, UT and Red Rock, NV. J-tree would also be great from a weather perspective, but once again, it's mostly trad. Good luck and have fun.

Good job getting out there! Definitely your biggest issue in launching a road trip right now is winter weather, finding sunny crags and not freezing your arse off. Smith can be great in the winter but it's a little far north from everything else, I would save it for early spring when you know you will get good climbing weather up there. Moab is a good call as Indian Creek will always have people around to find partners (make sure youre ready for primitive camping when you head out there, bring water, food, tape, etc) Plus hiking around Arches, Canyonlands, etc is a great time for an Easterner unaccustomed to the desert landscape. Zion(more trad, splitter cracks) or the St George area (sport) would be a good stop for a few days on your way to Red Rock, which has tons of sunny and moderate climbing of all types. From there it's a short trip over to Joshua Tree; there and Red Rock are probably two of your best bets. I haven't been to Bishop in the winter but it's a rad town and I know the Buttermilks are in season for bouldering, plus I would think the Owens River Gorge is climbable if you chase sun.

Another idea which will take you in a different direction from most of these areas is Hueco Tanks, Texas, and El Potrero Chico, Mexico, world reknown winter sport climbing destination just south of the border. Also Tuscon is reputed to have lots of great climbing year round.

Your two best tools for finding partners will be MP and message boards at campgrounds in places like the Creek, Red Rock, and JTree. Joining a campfire and striking up a conversation never hurts either. As a beginner and someone who will likely be relying on other people's equipment and knowledge, be cautious and educate yourself about safety and the systems you are trusting your life with. Be aware of other people's level of experience and be honest with others about yours.

Good luck and have fun!

Good beta from "verticalworldtraveler".

A few additional thoughts:

- Moab is cold right now; highs of 30s in town. Even colder in the Creek (higher elevation). This is for-sure the tail end of the season out there. Still climbable in the sun, but barely- you may have more fun elsewhere. Also it is pretty much all crack/trad climbing around there. It may be worth stopping there to check it out, but it sounds like you've been already; I would say keep driving.

-Zion will likely also be cold, and it is not beginner friendly. You'd have a hard time just showing up and finding partners. Stop by for a day to hike around, or keep driving.

- St. George has good options for beginner-friendly sport climbing, sunny walls, and often good winter weather. It would likely be worth stopping here for a few days. There is not, however, a central climber's campground, or a steady dirtbag scene, which makes finding partners harder. Arrange a partner beforehand, or keep driving.

- Red Rocks will suit your interests very well. Lots of beginner-friendly sport climbing in the sun, and usually good winter weather. The campground sucks, but there will be lots of other climbers there, so finding partners should be very easy for you. Logisitics are easy also, since Vegas is right there. Stay limit in the campground is 14 days. Stay a week or two, then move on to J-Tree.

-J-Tree is reasonably good in the winter. The camping is great, the scenery is beautiful, and there is a lot of climbing. It is mostly trad climbing, and the bolted climbing can be old-school and serious (i.e. not sport climbing). It would, however, be a great place to learn some trad skills. There is a ton of moderate trad climbing, and there are many climbers there in the winter. Also, the vibe there is very chill (i.e. not elitist or performance-oriented), so you would likely have a very easy time finding someone to take you around and teach you to trad climb. It would be worth a stop. Also, there is a lot of pretty-good bouldering. If you have a crash pad, bring it. If not, maybe try to get one (especially so for the next stop...Bishop).

- Bishop is great in the winter. The bouldering is outstanding and there are lots of people around (camp at the Pit in order to meet partners). Sport climbing in the ORG is often good in the winter, depending on the weather.

- Smith will be much colder than the other places mentioned, and is very far out of the way. Skip it on this trip.

- Overall, I would say you should circuit through Red Rocks, J-Tree, and Bishop. Of course, this is all weather dependent. Check the forecast often, and let that guide your decisions.

-Or just go to Potrero. It is an awesome place, and will be much, much warmer that any of the other place mentioned.

Spearfish Canyon and Devils Tower will be very climbable this Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. If you are near the area, these places are worth a visit. The Needles by Custer SD might be climbable but the altitude will make most areas windy and cold, but try anyway if you have the time.

If you are heading west I suggest Sink Canyon in Lander WY. This is a good south facing winter climbing destination. After that, you might want to think about heading south and then west. There might be some climbable areas in Smith Rock Oregon but anyplace in the Front Range or the Rockies might be ice climbing only unless you hit Shelf Road, which might be a touch cold depending on when you get there.

Have fun!

Wowza.. very happy i decided to reach out on here. this has made my trip planning so much easier and I am truly thankful for all of the great advice! Im very stoked for this big adventure... wish me luck and rock on y'all :]

"-Or just go to Potrero."

Single female driving to/from Potrero - maybe not such a stellar idea.

JCM wrote:St. George has good options for beginner-friendly sport climbing, sunny walls, and often good winter weather. It would likely be worth stopping here for a few days. There is not, however, a central climber's campground, or a steady dirtbag scene, which makes finding partners harder. Arrange a partner beforehand, or keep driving.

Great advice above!

You could check in with the Desert Rat in St. George. Some bouldering if you're solo, and, a few local climbers around to show you the sunny crags in the Utah Hills, etc.

Zion would be nice for a hike but its fairly off season there for climbing in December. Great to see, though.

Ditto Moab and if its sunny, there may be folks at the Ice Cream Parlor, etc. Try a few of the local shops for beta and partner potential. Hiking in Arches and/or Canyonlands very close by and worth a day or two.

Red Rocks is a good bet.

Joshua Tree is where I'd go if I were solo. Huge place and enough folks around to always find something or someone to do. Plenty of hiking, scrambling and bouldering to keep you busy if you can't find a partner.

You might try the partner search for specific areas once you figure out where you'll be.

Have a great and safe trip!!

I would recommend southern Arizona. The weather is pretty money this time of year. Mt. Lemmon in Tucson has a good variety of climbing at the lower elevations of the mountain that are very nice in winter. There is a partner board at the climbing gym downtown (Rock and Ropes) and a solid climbing community in town. Camping is available in the mountains and Catalina State Park has a campground if you are looking for higher-end digs.
I'd avoid Moab and Zion, but maybe I'm just too spoiled to climb there when its 30 degrees.
Smith might be climbable in the winter if you are a local, but you can expect uber-cold and uber-long nights and the campground doesn't allow fires.
St. George has lots of quality climbing for the beginner and there is abundant free camping. On weekends, the camping at Moe's Valley (bouldering) is usually pretty busy with other climbers. I have found people to climb with there several times.
Red Rocks should be a must-visit. Good weather, great climbing; plus, its Vegas baby!
You are already using this site, so finding partners shouldn't be a problem wherever you go. I have a traveling job and have never had a problem finding a partner in any of these places.
Good luck and safe travels!