Reno climbing community

I posted this on the Nevada page, but that seems to be more of a Red Rocks page, so I thought I’d try here.

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? It seems like you could cherry pick days year round if willing to drive a couple hours. Anything else I should consider before moving?

Thanks 

saign charlestein wrote:

How is it living in or around Reno? Are people nice?

I once shot a man in Reno...

There’s Nevaditude to deal with, but it’s not that bad, you mostly just talk about hating California.

It’s a great spot as an outdoor launching pad, as your searches already discovered. Good Mtb and hiking trails right around town, less than an hour to great cragging.

When I was there the climbing community didn’t seem like a big, cohesive thing, but you should be able to meet people and carve out your corner of peeps, so to speak.

Not directly climbing related but more about living there.

How is the smoke, both in town and in the local areas like Donner? I've been twice, no active forest fires at the time but from what I've seen in the news, it seems like smoke from wildfires could be a major problem that's not going away soon.

The smoke is god fucking awful. The Washoe Valley seems to funnel in smoke from 100s of miles away, and it becomes a smoky cauldron. 

Colonel Mustard wrote:

The smoke is god fucking awful. The Washoe Valley seems to funnel in smoke from 100s of miles away, and it becomes a smoky cauldron. 

That was kinda what I thought.

NPR had a bit on people moving because of climate change and Reno was a featured place. 

Location and rock next to a real city, couldn't hardly ask for more. Maybe once all the trees are gone it'll be fine?

Reno is wonderfully located for climbing--Donner, Bishop, Yosemite, etc. 3 gyms in town and a couple in neighboring towns. Mesa Rim is the largest now and another good-sized one is under construction in Truckee. I think the climbing community is pretty awesome and welcoming here, with some real legends climbing next to mere mortals. I saw a grandma killing it in the gym the other day and learned she used to be ranked #5 in the world, and pro/elite climbers are around and quite friendly. The people are very nice, and I find it easy to get partners. Traffic is getting worse by the day b/c lots of people move to Reno. The above poster is correct that you must complain about Californians if you move here. :-) I think the biggest issue for you is the tight housing market. It just gets worse and worse. As for the smoke, that's usually coming from California and can be added to your complaints. It's not every summer, but sadly most. Feel free to message me if you have more questions and good luck with the job opportunity.

Thanks for the replies. I love Tahoe, and am pretty excited about the possibility of being so close, as well as the eastern sierra and Yosemite. I get the city is getting much more congested, is that overflowing into the mountains and crags? I know Tahoe and Yosemite can already be a junkshow, is it getting worse?

I'd probably be looking on the outskirts for housing, as I need a large detached building for a shop space. Any recommendations on where to look? 

Thanks

Confession: I’m a recovering Californian...10 years removed but I still say “the” in front of freeways numbers sometimes. My wife isn’t a fan of most Californians though

Reno is a great place to do it all. Good climbing access, good skiing, great mountain biking, and a short 3hr drive to the coast if you play around Santa Cruz or the Bay Area. My only complaint is a general lack of culture found in some other cities. Either that or the Nevada culture of guns and 4-wheelers isn’t that appealing. Minimal complaints honestly!

I’ve been in Reno for a year and half.  I spent the previous 7 years between Central Oregon and Portland and grew up in Tacoma.  I liked it up there but as far diversity in climbing goes, Reno is way better.  The local climbing is good but limited.  I think what really makes it great is what is available for weekend climbing.  And it is possible to day trip the Hulk which is awesome.

I’ve found people to be super friendly here.  The climbing community is rapidly growing and a mix of young and old.  I prefer the gym scene here more than I did in Portland (though Mesa isn’t an amazing gym it is pretty good)

Carson City also seems like a great place to be. A lot closer to the climbing in South Lake.

Do not live in California no matter what you do stay on the Nevada side, I am an actuary and insurance rates in California should be at least quadruple the rates in Nevada. Insurance carriers are going to leave in masse and there will be limited options for carriers. Also if you need a shop that contains specialized equipment the rates will also be higher in California.

The limited climbing I have done out there I thought the desert was far better than vantage/tieton.

Mikey Schaefer wrote:

I’ve been in Reno for a year and half.  I spent the previous 7 years between Central Oregon and Portland and grew up in Tacoma.  I liked it up there but as far diversity in climbing goes, Reno is way better.  The local climbing is good but limited.  I think what really makes it great is what is available for weekend climbing.  And it is possible to day trip the Hulk which is awesome.

I’ve found people to be super friendly here.  The climbing community is rapidly growing and a mix of young and old.  I prefer the gym scene here more than I did in Portland (though Mesa isn’t an amazing gym it is pretty good)

Carson City also seems like a great place to be. A lot closer to the climbing in South Lake.

I trust this man and I do not even know him! Shout out to Mikey, thanks for the inspiration!

Reno is fine if you’re in the outskirts. It’s a bit congested the closer you get to downtown and the freeway. There is a ton of climbing around, lots of easy day trip stuff and it’s sunny most of the winter. You do have to live in a windy desert though. Unless you have a million or two for a nice small house bordering the mountains. Mesa Rim is good enough for a gym. It’s not a mega gym, but it gets the job done and is better than nothing.

Reno culture is unique. It’s a town that rose up from the dust of a million wagon trains headed west. A true Wild West town and it still bares those roots. It’s been inundated by tens of thousands of Californians fleeing the failed politics, taxes and wildly mismanaged government there. As a result, it’s been expanding at a rapid rate. I suspect that will continue for many years as California continues to burn as a raging dumpster fire. 

Trevor Taylor wrote:

Do not live in California no matter what you do stay on the Nevada side, I am an actuary and insurance rates in California should be at least quadruple the rates in Nevada. Insurance carriers are going to leave in masse and there will be limited options for carriers. Also if you need a shop that contains specialized equipment the rates will also be higher in California.

The limited climbing I have done out there I thought the desert was far better than vantage/tieton.

This aged like fine wine. Spot on.

Desert Rock Sports wrote:

This aged like fine wine. Spot on.

ive always been ahead

Trevr Taylr wrote:

ive always been ahead

Of what   

Reno is a great town, the biggest little city in the world in fact, and is similar in climate to Denver. Good food, good vibes, a sense of community, and excellent climbing-a-plenty within a decent drive. And hot springs! Avoid Fallon when looking for places nearby, it has a history of abnormally high leukemia rates. Also less climbing.