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Climb locations based on season

Original Post
drock3 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 13

I'm still fairly new to the area, so I'm trying to figure out when it's good to hit the different destinations.

So I've seen the MP descriptions saying things like "you can climb here starting in ...." but I'm curious, where are you climbing at different times of the year? When do you start going to Zion/Moab/Jackson? Where in LCC will you scope out in December?

The skiing's amazing, but the gyms not.

Greg Gavin · · SLC, UT · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 888

Once the highs in the desert average 35 I start going down. Usually in late February.

LCC is good year round as long as it's dry. Winter cragging is generally limited from the Dragon Arch to the Bong Eater buttress. Bumper snow year means fewer climbable days per winter. Last season the canyon always had people cragging. This year hardly any.

Teton ski mountaineering season starts in the spring.

City of Rocks season normally starts in April depending on the snow pack.

Overall climbing season in the Wasatch usually "starts" in early spring, but it's always up to your tolerance for varying conditions. Don't forget about Ibex and the west desert. Ibex usually sports warmer weather than the salt lake valley by 10 degrees. Last time I made it there was last March, and it was perfect.

I can't really speak for Maple or AF as I normally only hit those spots up in the heat of the summer.

builttospill · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 0

Echo Greg's comments regarding LCC.

The alpine rock season in Jackson is usually July and August. Early September can be really great; mid-June can be okay, but there's a lot more snow to deal with. Very dependent on the year though. For the Winds you have to deal with bugs, so the later the better. End of August or first week in September seem to be ideal.

Zion is really nice in October and early November, and again in March. Basically the only time I've been there when it was too cold was December and January. Moab is noticeably colder than Zion.

Andrew Gram · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 3,725

Red Rocks down in Vegas is the go to spot right now, or sport climbing on sunny crags around St George. I was climbing in a tshirt in the sun in both places this weekend(though shivering in the shade in multiple layers).

Travis Haussener · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2012 · Points: 60

Just to echo Zion was pretty fantastic this last weekend (if you're bored hellbentravis.blogspot.com ), but I would say with any of the Utah desert crags you have to be pretty flexible. Meaning most of your trips will be last minute planned(within a weekly weather forecast it could go from lots of snow to lots of sun) until the weather gets a little more stable in Mar or Apr. By Friday it said high of 60 but when I checked several days earlier it was only suggesting 40's.

tenesmus · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2004 · Points: 3,023

Fun blog!

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northern Utah & Idaho
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