The best place to be a dirtbag climber for a summer?

I am out of work, have some cash, and my imagination is running.

I currently live in Jackson Hole, not a bad place to be at all, but I haven't climbed many different places, so I turn to those that have.

I don't have much criteria yet-
-Can be anywhere in the world, preferably in the Americas and easy to get to (as in, no two day treks through a jungle).
-Cheap accommodations. Thinking along the lines of hostels or camp grounds. Or friendly people willing to rent out their couch.
-Varied levels of climbing, bonus points for bouldering problems.
-Near some sort of civilization.
Would like to haves
-A dirtbag climber community.
-An easy way to find work, even temporarily.

I'm dreaming of camp ground on the beach, with friendly climbers and running water. Nearby cliffs with some deep water soloing.

well no beach or deep water but rumney is great with best around sport, great bouldering and only 40 mins to great trad...

one word. RIFLE.

kimberly luba wrote:my friend denise runs the mobil mart/whoa nellie deli on the east side of tioga pass in lee vining... they provide a cabin or yurt with your job... 2o mins to tuolumne , hour/half to valley, hour to bishop, yada yada yada... i worked/lived there for many summers... off the chain opportunity..

damn, that sounds amazing.

Bishop: lots of free camping, abundant water, great bouldering, ORG sport climbing, great alpine, 1 hour from Tuolumne, nice people, etc. Oh yeah, and don't forget Mule Days over Memorial Day weekend!

isn't Bishop a little hot in the summer? What about Squamish?

flagstaff arizona is a great climbing place, plus lots of free camping.

Sad....if I had the chance to spend a summer living in my car/camping anywhere in the lower 48 states to climb, I think I'd choose Jackson.

But since you've been there awhile, I'd go north. Squamish, Bugaboo Range, all sorts of good stuff if you've got the cash for gas. Assuming you like alpine stuff (which you must, being from Jackson).

I spent last summer living in my truck in bishop, it was a little bit hot. However, because of the heat we didn't see anyone else in the Owens river gorge, we had the place to ourselves for weeks. If you dont mind a little bit of heat, bishop is the place to be.

-Nate

Two Places: Bishop or Flagstaff. Tons of climbing either way you look at it. In Bishop you've got the Buttermilk, the Happies/Sad, Owens River Gorge for Sport Climbing and don't forget the sweet community and the hot springs! In Flagstaff you've got Priest Draw for bouldering and Le Petit Verdon for Sport. Flag is definitely nice in the summer. Either way you float it you can't go wrong.

North Cascades in Washington. Near Mazama. Not super far from Squamish, or the Bugaboos.

Enjoy living the dream!

Las Vegas.

It might be too hot to climb in Red Rock during the summer, but this year room rates at the Strip casinos are close to all-time lows, providing a multitude of dirtbagging opportunities.

JLP wrote:Think Yosemite, .

Finally! End of story. Stop. Do not pass Go. The Valley is the ultimate destination for any dirtbagger. The best granite in the world, the best variety of trad climbing, and you can walk to most of the crags from Camp 4. When that gets too hot, migrate to the Meadows.

Bishop is way too hot and you're really not that close to the climbing. The Milks and Happys/Sads will be REAL hot until very late in the day. While you can follow the shade in the Gorge, while the climbing is nice, IMHO it gets monotonous there very quickly.

If you really want to incorporate the East side, I think a better itinery is the Valley/Meadows, and when you want a sport climbing break head down Tioga Pass to Clark Canyon, Bear Crag, the Gorge and all that granite near Tom's Place.

I second the recommendation for Squamish.

Pros:
-Amazing climbing of all types, including bouldering
-Great climbers camp with water and food storage
-Walk from here to the Chief, bulletheads, Apron, Shannon Falls, bouldering, Sheriff's Badge, etc. Just a short drive/bike to the Smoke Bluffs, Murrin Park, Malamute, etc.
-Lots of climbers from all over the world
-Short drive/bike into town.
-Close to lots of great hiking and Whistler.
-Summer weather is usually pretty good.
-Fairly close to great climbing in Washington State, including Index, North Cascades, and a little farther to Leavenworth, Vantage, and the Tieton.

Cons:
-Even in the summer, it rains. So bring the rain gear and go aiding!
-Can be crowded, but the crowds tend to stick to the uber-popular classics.
-Not sure of the work situation.

I would just buy a gun, wear a bandana, start robbing mini-marts, and then take a trip to france. But don't forget the gun when you get there, those french can be mean.

kimberly luba wrote:my friend denise runs the mobil mart/whoa nellie deli on the east side of tioga pass in lee vining...

Ah yes, the whoa nellie deli. They make some damn good food there!!

JLP and Fat Dad are right, Yosemite is the place to go for partners and the amount of climbing.

I really like the Eastside, both the for climbing and the setting. The problem is that it's too hard to enjoy the climbing in the down in the valley in the summer. Clark Canyon is up around 7-8K' though. Cardinal Pinnacle is always cool. Lots of good technical routes on the nearby peaks, etc. Not a bad break when the tourons in the Valley get to be too much.

If you really want to dirtbag on a grand scale, go to Thailand. The plane ticket is pricey, but once you get there it's dirt cheap. Lot of steep limestone, amazing turquoise water and cheap Thai food.

During a similar period in my life, I went to Thailand (but missed most of the climbing), but then went to India and trekking in Nepal (the Annapurna circuit). Very glad when I went because I definitely won't have that much time for a trip like that until I retire.

The world's your oyster. Think big.

I would have thought Squamish, but witht eh Olympics coming, things might be getting pricey.

Yes go big. Do it for me. Do it for all of us stuck in our own personal shitholes that we dug for ourselves and jumped in without thinking of the consequences. Do it for all the people who wake up each day to only see subdivisions, stripmalls, and fast food resturants, without such as a hill, boulder, walls, or fucking pebble in sight or available within several hours. You dont have to go overseas to go big. Flagstaff, Eastside, Thailand whatever...it really doesnt matter...just make it count wherever you go.

Chile/Argentina? Not really cheap anymore, but a little strategy and ingenuity goes a long way down in the southern cone.

If it were me, it'd be simple: Sierra, Yos, Tuolumne, etc. Done it before and I'll do it again. Many lifetimes won't be enough.

Depends on what you are after, but there are 2 obvious answers (without going international):

1. SPORT: If you want to get as strong as humanly possible, just go spend the summer in Rifle. After an entire summer of open handed, overhanging slopers, you will climb WAY harder when you are done.

Assumes of course that you are already roughly at least a 5.11 sport climber and would actually enjoy this. Dirtbagging and free camping are easy here, and you can always find some dudes around to partner up with - they will probably be cranking 5.13 so just be ready for that.

2. TRAD: Or if you want trad climbing and adventure, go to Yosemite or Squamish. Assumes of course you are into big walls and are generally fearless and indestructible and all that stuff. Again, dirtbagging and partners should not be a problem.

Or if you stay home you have pretty much a world of great climbing within a few hours/minutes drive...