Lansing, MI Home of team sports and drinking

Alright, it is happening. I am moving from the great state of CO to MI. This seems like climbing suicide but is surprisingly a good career move. So can any area climbers (from MI or surrounding areas) give me some beta on how to still get a climbing fix?

Devil's Lake in Baraboo, WI is probably the best place to climb in the Midwest.

I grew up right next to Detroit and then went to college in South Bend, IN, so I've felt the pain that you're in for. Here's the skinny on what sort of climbing you'll be doing while you're living in Lansing.

Outside Rock -

About 20 minutes west of Lansing is a little town called Grand Ledge (aka Oak Park) with some climbing in a city park. It's toprope only, and there are around 50 routes on the little cliff (there's a nice topo elsewhere online). Some range into the 12s, and are fun. The setting is neat, too, right on the Grand River. A very pretty spot.

The Red River Gorge is about seven hours away, not too bad for a three day weekend trip, given your local options. I'm not sure if you're familiar with that area, but there's way more going on there than is represented on MP.com.

A quick local.google search reveals that Devil's Lake is about the same distance as the RRG. I've never climbed there because I didn't lead gear when I lived in the midwest, but I'm sure it's a great long weekend destination as well.

Finally, you can head to *Jackson Falls in Southern Illinois for sport and trad as well, but it's about 8.5 hours from Lansing, and with the Red and Devil's Lake both closer, I'm not sure it would be worth the trip.

Outside Ice -

There's an annual ice climbing festival in the Upper Peninsula, in Munising, and I've heard the ice climbing is really good. It's about 6 hours from Lansing.

Inside -

There aren't any gyms in Lansing that I'm aware of, but Planet Rock in Ann Arbor, MI is one of the best climbing gyms I've been to, Colorado gyms included. It's an hour from Lansing, but Ann Arbor is a pretty cool town in its own right, a little less bro'ed out than Lansing can be. Sort of comparable to Boulder (not saying that's good or bad) in terms of the college-town feel. The Hash Bash on 4/20 used to be big but it's toned down quite a bit in the last 15 years.

Enjoy Michigan - it really is a nice place, and though I'm a bit biased since I grew up there, I do love Detroit.

Aaron Martinuzzi wrote: Inside - There aren't any gyms in Lansing that I'm aware of, but Planet Rock in Ann Arbor, MI is one of the best climbing gyms I've been to, Colorado gyms included. It's an hour from Lansing, but Ann Arbor is a pretty cool town in its own right, a little less bro'ed out than Lansing can be. Sort of comparable to Boulder (not saying that's good or bad) in terms of the college-town feel. The Hash Bash on 4/20 used to be big but it's toned down quite a bit in the last 15 years. Enjoy Michigan - it really is a nice place, and though I'm a bit biased since I grew up there, I do love Detroit.

I would vote for Planet Rock as the best climbing in MI.
At least they have Trader Joes in Ann Arbor!

EMT wrote: I would vote for Planet Rock as the best climbing in MI.

hahaha, yeah, this might be true...Grand Ledge doesn't TOTALLY suck, though - at least it's free and 40 minutes closer to lansing.

looks like they've got something of a guidebook to the ledges now. two 5.13s in michigan? how did those not make it into Hot Flashes or 8a.nu?

That's what I feared...or already realized. Anyone hear of climbing outside toronto? and is that any closer than the red?

toronto is about 4, 4.5 hours away, but I'm not aware of any climbing around there.

Since you'll be driving a long ways to any good climbing I would say that, yes, Jackson Falls is worth driving to. Also Devil's Lake, Red River Gorge and the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario--not sure just how far that is from Toronto.

Lion's Head in Ontario has great limestone sport climbing and Niagra Glenn has good granite bouldering. Both are 4.5-5hrs from Lansing.

Miltia-Gan- good luck, man.

There's good cragging to be had in the U.P. around Marquette, but if its still cool enough temperature-wise, use the drive-time to hit the Red in Kentucky. 6 hrs from the MI/OH state line. Tons and Tons of climbing there...

Kayaking and Re-loading are excellent Miltia-gan past-times.

Curious...what career opportunities are opening up in the People's State of Michigan?

This might be a dead thread but the Ferry from Muskegon to Milwaukee would cut drive time to Devils Lake making it a more realistic option.
Just a thought.