Minneapolis/Saint Paul Climbing?

Hi All, 

There is a possibility I will be moving to MSP in the next few months.  Quite a large change from living on the west coast with easy access to Joshua Tree, the Eastern Sierras, Idyllwild, etc... but hey, life happens.  With that being said was hoping to get some input on the area and the climbing scene.  Also, I know some of this is a bit different now with COVID but just more of in general when the world returns to normal.

1. Hows the climbing scene in the area? Is it easy to head to a gym and find people to go climb outdoors with? Is finding partners relatively easy?

2. I noticed there isn't a ton of climbing in the area (as expected) but any inputs on best crags nearby? Something that would fall in a day trip or easy access for an afternoon outside after work while its still light out?

3. Best gym in town?

4. Any other input on the area as it relates to climbing or lack there of?

5. Super dumb question as I know the answer, but any options for Backcountry skiing anywhere close other than Colorado?

Thanks in advance!

Jeff

Hello Jeff,

The climbing scene is pretty sizeable in the metro area. Gyms are always populated and the crags are usually buzzing on the weekends. You'll see everything from total beginners to people onsighting 5.12+. In my experience finding partners has not been too hard (pre-COVID at least) and I've met tons of partners at gyms and via Facebook. If you're on FB I would recommend joining the groups "minnesota climbers" (large and casual) and "MN Adventure Climbers" (small and serious). There are also a couple ice climbing FB pages too, if you dabble in that. 

Short of a couple small boulders, the best crags are at least an hour away from the cities.  Red Wing and Sandstone are pretty alright sport crags (by Midwest standards). Willow River is nice too, but there isn't much easy climbing there and they have restrictions on when people can climb. Interstate State Park is a good crag for top-roping and trad, but it's one of the most popular parks in the state. All of the aforementioned crags can be reached by a <90 minute drive on major roads. Devil's Lake and the North Shore are good weekend destinations, but during peak season they'll be jam-packed with hikers, climbers, and other outdoor adventure enthusiasts. Western South Dakota isn't too far away either, and can make for a good long weekend destination.

For gyms I'm partial to Vertical Endeavors, they're the largest and have the best options for roped climbing in my opinion. Minneapolis Bouldering Project and the Minnesota Climbing Coop are solid bouldering gyms.

Minnesota has a stellar ice/mixed scene, with one ice park in Winona, one in Sandstone, and one in Duluth (new this year). If you don't ice climb already, it can be a great way to survive the winter. 

I only XC ski so I can't really answer your last question. I've heard of people skinning up and skiing down at local hills, but that's about it as far as I know. We do have a bunch of XC trails and a huge Nordic skiing community though! 

Hope to see you out there! 

-Eric

I second just about everything said above.

For the size of the city, Minneapolis has a pretty excellent gym scene. 2 rope focused gyms with 60 foot walls, and 2 newish huge bouldering gyms. If you are stoked on training hard and meeting some strong outdoor focused climbers though, the best gym in my opinion is the Minnesota climbing co-op. It is small but updated and the cheapest of any gym in the area. Great place to train in my opinion. 

As far as crags go there is nothing in the way of multipitch, but there is some okay trad nearby at Taylor's falls, and good steep sport at willow (best after work crag). If you drive up north there is some excellent bouldering at sawmill and fun sea cliff style climbing at palisade. There are also lots of people who take trips frequently to the black hills, devils tower, Wyoming, etc. I think you will find enough to keep you happy mixed in with trips in the winter months.

As far as backcountry skiing, its not really backcountry but there is a small but big for the area ungroomed mountain (i believe called Indian head?) in Northern MN or WI i can't recall that could satisfy an itch for a weekend.

Thanks all!  Great info!

mount bohemia and environs may be worth a look on the right weekend. 

Hey Jeff, 

While there isn't any major backcountry skiing in Minnesota, there is some potential for backcountry skiing along the north shore. You can check out this website to learn more about it. If you're looking for a ski partner from the area, feel free to reach out. I'm looking at doing some trips to the backcountry this winter. 

BC Ski descents of North Shore rivers offer both skiing and climbing adventure.  Combine skiing, rappelling, and ice climbing, and sometimes even “crevasse” rescue.