Summer Sport Climbing Trip , Ten Sleep or Spearfish?

I am planning a two week sport climbing trip for mid-august, looking to climb up to easy 12s. Wondering what sport climbing destination will have the best weather during this time, doesn't have to be Ten Sleep or Spearfish, all other suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

Haven't been to tensleep but I wasn't too impressed with spearfish when I visited. I might suggest Rifle as the best summer sport climbing destination. Shade all day on a clear mountain creek. Approaches are measured in seconds. You can even climb in the rain (when it ever does) with the over hangs. Great pay camping in the park; free camping further up the road.

Spearfish is the land of 5.11 and 5.12. Of the 700 plus routes over 200 are 5.12. Lots of shade! Check out blackhillsclimbingguide.com for the book.

I've been to both spearfish and tensleep, I like both areas, but I have a lot more fun at Tensleep. Part of this is because there is free camping easily available at Tensleep. There may be free camping at spearfish but it certainly was not obvious. The grades at Spearfish are stiff,like smith rock stiff, while the grades at tensleep are soft, like spain soft, so there will likely be more routes at tensleep that will be in your grade range. Hope that helps a little bit.

The only reason I even went to spearfish was because it was close to Devils tower, so if you've always wanted to climb there then that would be the only reason I would suggest going out of your way for spearfish.

Never been to Tensleep, but had a blast at Spearfish and Rushmore. Spearfish routes start at 5.9 and go up quickly - definately better suited for the solid 5.10 and up lead climber. Spearfish is well bolted, but a stick clip is still worthwhile on certain routes. climbs are close to parking areas - a 15 minute approach is about as long as they get. The guidebook for spearfish is great and definately worth spending the $$ on. Try the Rod and Gun campgound, which is close to the Spearfish climbing and scenic.

Also, there is great granite sport climbing on the backside of Rushmore (about an hours drive from Spearfish). Supposedly a new guidebook is out, or is due out for Rushmore. The rock spires in this area are really cool - almost middle earth like.

Camping is free all over the spearfish area. Great free camping at the trail head for VC also.

Full Disclosure: Mikel Cronin is the main developer and author of the Spearfish guidebook.

Having been to Ten Sleep, Spearfish, and Rifle and not being a developer or having any bias towards any of those areas, here is my take.

Ten Sleep: Awesome. Generally ranges from less than vertical to slightly overhanging although steeper stuff can be found if that's what you seek. Grades are all over the place. I've done .12s that feel like .10s and vice versa. Good camping along the old road assuming the cows aren't stampeding through. Generally an afternoon destination which is nice because you are almost forced to loaf around the campsite until around 1 when the walls start to dip into the shade. Very fingery and technical. Usually not very crowded and approaches range from 15-45 minutes. Nice river/creek/lake access because it can get really hot.

Spearfish: Most aesthetic of the 3. Deep blue stone. Generally steeper than Ten Sleep and definitely harder. If you're looking to tick your first .12a, Spearfish is not the place to do it. I felt the place was really, really sandbagged with most .10s feeling like .11+. I also found Spearfish to have insane weather. In the same day I experienced 105 degree, literally can't be in direct sun type heat and then, that evening, the temperature dropped to the mid-20's and the riparian nature of the canyon keeps everything damp. In other words, be prepared for anything. I didn't find the camping very pleasant, but if Mikel says it's good to go, it probably is and I was just in the wrong place. Added bonus, Devil's Tower, VC, and Rushmore nearby. Definitely not crowded but be prepared to eat lots of humble pie. Approaches were generally steep but short.

Rifle: This is where I would go because it will maximize how much you climb. You can always chase shade, literally no approach (you could belay from your car in spots if it was allowed), camping is easy and accessible. Bring your camping chairs, beers, etc. to the crag since it's a 20 second walk from the car. Again though, if you've never been to Rifle, prepare to be humbled. It is the far and away the most beta-intensive climbing I've every done so don't expect to onsight anything. On the plus side, there are fixed draws hung on virtually every route so commitment level is low and you're free to take a stab at 5.14 just to see how difficult it really is. Lastly, and this can be a pro or a con depending on your personality. Rifle tends to be the most crowded of the 3 spots. I haven't encountered the Rifle "ego" problem though, and I climb 11+/12-. I actually find the community to be incredibly supportive and fun to be around but if you're looking for solitude, you'll likely have climbing families, dogs, etc. all over the place. Also, Rifle is the only one of the three to charge an entrance and camping fee.

Hope this helps.

One other option you may want to STRONGLY CONSIDER is Lander, Sinks canyon is an afternoon only spot with amazing routes and Wild Iris is an all day crag (due to the elevation) with bouldery 50-70 foot routes. It gets crowded on weekends (but I've heard the same about Tensleep), but you'll likely have it almost to yourself on weekdays. Camping in Lander is free, at wild iris there are nice 'developed' campsites and in Lander you camp in the city park for free, not joking. Lander loves climbers and I love Lander!!! I wish Todd Skinner and Paul Piana were from Bishop, this town does not lover climbers nearly as much as Lander does.

Agree with sweagan. Just returned from a trip to Spearfish, Ten Sleep and Wild Iris. My gf and I both preferred Wild Iris over the other two for the fun & consistent climbing, quality of the limestone, all-day climbing temps, free camping AND the Lander community. Lander definitely ROCKS!