Climbing community in Reno?

An employment opportunity has us considering moving to Reno. I get that there isn’t much climbing right around town, but the access to the Sierras is quite appealing.

It seems like there’s a few gyms in town, so I would guess there’s a fairly large climbing community? How is it living in or around Reno? Are people nice? Easy to find partners? Is there traffic getting to Tahoe, and are the crags super crowded? Anything else I should consider before moving?

Thanks

I lived in Reno for 12 years, and it's where I first learned to climb. The climbing community there is not as widespread as what's in Las Vegas, but it's sizeable. When I left Reno in 2018, there were 2 climbing gyms there: Rocksport and Mesa Rim. Since then, I believe Rocksport has gone out of business--but Mesa Rim has a great community, and it's the best climbing gym I've ever held a membership at. The staff there are great, and there's a message board in the gym for people looking for advice and climbing partners.

In terms of crag access: the majority of routes near Reno are in the Sierras. Some are closer to Reno (i.e. in Carson City, or Truckee--Dinosaur Rock comes to mind), but the majority require the trip up to the area around Lake Tahoe. Traffic around Tahoe can be bad, especially on the weekends, but this is typically only an issue around ski resorts in the winter and beaches in the summer. Traffic is otherwise not horrendous. Like elsewhere, the more popular crags can be crowded on good climbing days. 

Generally: Reno is an awesome city. It has grown immensely in the past 10 years, and continues to grow, but the people are friendly, and the scenery is beautiful. There are many opportunities to recreate outdoors besides just climbing: skiing/snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking/backpacking, etc. Note that a lot of the crags in the Sierras are not bolted--but if you're comfortable climbing trad, then that shouldn't be a huge deal.

Austin Koontz wrote:

I lived in Reno for 12 years, and it's where I first learned to climb. The climbing community there is not as widespread as what's in Las Vegas, but it's sizeable. When I left Reno in 2018, there were 2 climbing gyms there: Rocksport and Mesa Rim. Since then, I believe Rocksport has gone out of business--but Mesa Rim has a great community, and it's the best climbing gym I've ever held a membership at. The staff there are great, and there's a message board in the gym for people looking for advice and climbing partners.

In terms of crag access: the majority of routes near Reno are in the Sierras. Some are closer to Reno (i.e. in Carson City, or Truckee--Dinosaur Rock comes to mind), but the majority require the trip up to the area around Lake Tahoe. Traffic around Tahoe can be bad, especially on the weekends, but this is typically only an issue around ski resorts in the winter and beaches in the summer. Traffic is otherwise not horrendous. Like elsewhere, the more popular crags can be crowded on good climbing days. 

Generally: Reno is an awesome city. It has grown immensely in the past 10 years, and continues to grow, but the people are friendly, and the scenery is beautiful. There are many opportunities to recreate outdoors besides just climbing: skiing/snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking/backpacking, etc. Note that a lot of the crags in the Sierras are not bolted--but if you're comfortable climbing trad, then that shouldn't be a huge deal.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I don’t mind clipping bolts, but granite cracks are my jam. I’ve spent a lot of time in the sierras, so I know what they offer. I was more wondering about the vibe around town, etc.

 I’m starting to get a bit excited about the prospect of moving to Reno. We’ll see if it works out.