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Best US spot for easy (sport) climbing in late March/early April
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looking for advice on where to climb in late March/early April. Have a few weeks off. Not looking for the hardest routes in the world. Honestly I'd rather do a lot of solid 5.8-5.10s than anything else. Based out of STL. Was just in JTree climbing - got spanked by numerous routes (also not much sport there). Would prefer something to drive to vs flying. |
Elsabiro Finkleshid wrote: owens has a ton of routes at that grade... |
Elsabiro Finkleshid wrote: Horseshoe Canyon Ranch has the most fun easy sport I've experienced. Weather should be fine then. Its private property, I'm not sure how they're handling covid restrictions but it's in Arkansas so it's probably open. |
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Where are you starting from? Planning to drive or fly (or open to either?). Worthwhile details to consider and will inform replies. --- Lacking this information... As posted above stated, Owens River Gorge has good moderate sport climbs. Lots of options in the 5.8-5.10 range, though the best quality and quantity are skewed toward the 5.10 end of the range. Late March and early April is a great time to be there; good temperatures and generally very reliable good (dry) weather. Lots of camping options and good scenery. If you want higher density in the lower portion of that range (i.e. density of ~5.8 sport climbs), consider Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. One of the best places for lots of good easy sport climbs with easy access. Spring is a good time of year there, though with a generally wetter climate the chance of getting rained on is higher than what you get in a desert area. Red River Gorge is a world class area with lots of sport climbing at every part of the grade scale. Would be a great destination for you. Beware: spring break crowds; potential for rainy weather in spring. Mt Lemmon (Tucson area) is less recognized as a major destination, but has a ton of good climbing in that grade range also. Great spot in the spring; very reliable (dry) weather. Wide range of elevations so you can drive up or down the hill to seek out the desired temperatures. Cool desert-mountain interface with good scenery. Nearby rest-day activities include several national parks, plus cultural attractions in Tucson. Easy place to access by flying in to Phoenix (cheap direct flights from everywhere) and then a short drive to Tucson. Shelf Road (CO) is a good place for moderate limestone climbing, and can be combined with a side trip to Penitente Canyon. Shelf is generally good weather at this time of year. Great scenery. Beware: Crowded on weekends - try to climb during the week and rest on the weekend if on a long trip. |
JCM wrote: -thanks! updated my original post. |
Elsabiro Finkleshid wrote: Based on this (driving from STL), go to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch or Red River Gorge. Both offer lots of sandstone sport climbing in the desired grade range, and will be a casual 5-6 hour drive from STL. Look through the Mountainproject route listings from each and choose whichever looks more appealing (or just wait until right before your trip and go wherever the weather looks better). If you want the "out west" experience, Shelf Road is good and will be the shortest drive for you to reach a major western area. If you are travelling solo, I'd suggest going to Red River Gorge since it is the easiest place to pick up climbing partners. |
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By "STL" do you mean St, Louis or Seattle? |
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I know the OP is asking for US spots, but if the Canadian border is open you might want to consider Skaha. Yes, it's a long haul from St. Louis and I wouldn't consider it for less than two weeks, but if you have the time.... Think Napa Valley and add cliffs and two huge lakes. |
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Robinson bluff is 70 miles south of St. Louis lots of great moderate limestone sport routes |
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Definitely HCR or RRG if you're coming from STL. There's no reason to drive any further assuming you haven't been to either of those places. In my opinion HCR is the better choice for 5.8-5.9 whereas RRG is the better choice for 5.10s. |
Marc801 C wrote: I try my best not to disagree with people in here, but this seems like bad advice. It is a much much longer drive to a place with high chance of rain and less rain-friendly crags than places like RRG. Additionally even if the borders are open, that doesn't mean they won't close again. Place rules, but suggesting someone drive 31 hours instead of 5 when they are planning on climbing 5.8-5.10 sport and have to cross a (currently closed) international border... I don't know man. |
Marc801 C wrote: There is zero chance the Canadian border will be open by March-April. |
Dan Rapp wrote: Been to Robinson many a time. Appreciate it, but looking for something a little more adventurous with the time we have - plus if it rains once here, can't get on that rock for 72-96h min. |
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Vegas baby (Red Rock) Calico Hills have many semi-recent moderates with some "vacation grades". |
Rob D wrote: Well, I did load it with qualifiers: the border, the length of the drive, the need for lots of time.
High chance of rain? You're aware that the Okanagan is the driest place in Canada, yes? Penticton gets less rain than Salt Lake City, and we're not exactly awash in rain storms.
Not a suggestion - an option. And you could spend a month there doing nothing but 5.8-5.10.
We all recognize that the border and future plans are a total unknown now and in a few months. |
Niko Hawley wrote: We did HCR For spring break in 2018 and in 2019. Late March both years. Weather is generally decent, but expect some chance of rain. During our spring trips, we'd typically go for a week, and plan to climb when the weather is good, and rest/hike when it's raining. It's right next to the Buffalo National River, and there are some amazing hikes in the area. Re: COVID, masks are required in the trading post when checking in, but they're open. |
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Make the drive to Vegas. Red Rocks has amazing weather that time of year. Not to mention the endless amount of good food (vegan/veg/omni) all around. Good luck! |
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Lived in Vega, 5 miles from Red Rock, for 7 years and now, back in KC hit HCR about once or twice a month. Climbed at HCR for over 15 years. My opinion is that HCR is best for cragging and has no annoying issues around that time period. March/April in Red Rock is a shit show with every college climbing club and random groups flooding in. Now you need a reservation to even enter the loop and also for camping. The black corridor and easy access sport areas are super crowded and loaded with gumbies. The trad routes crowding is even worse during that period. HCR has tons of easy to moderate sport (I did 84 5.9's during one Horseshoe Hell without having to hike very far.) Vegas has great sport routes but you need to move from spot to spot. My wife did 50 different sport routes for her 50th birthday and it took 5 miles of hiking (nothing above 5.9). |
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^^^ I agree with Richard's comment on Red Rock sport climbing. Red Rock is world class for the multipitch trad climbing, while the sport climbing is just OK. Its not this it is bad, its just that there are better areas that are also in-season at that time of year and are much, much closer to St Louis. It would be silly to drive 23 hours to Red Rocks for a few weeks trip when there are other areas that are as good or better for what OP is looking for only 5-6 hours away. Similar goes for Skaha. Its a great crag, but thats a crazy long drive to make when there are equally good (or better) options that are much closer. Driving across the continent is definitely worth it if you have a couple of months to make a proper road trip and get to visit a bunch of different areas in a new region. But with just a few weeks off it wouldn't make sense to spend half your vacation just driving there and back. Plus the border is closed anyway... |
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Sometimes you just have to road trip ;)  The Red sounds like really good climbing but we have been hessitant to check it out because of all the stories of vehicle break ins... |
Nick Goldsmith wrote: I think the risk of break in is about the same as any climbing area of similar popularity. I think sound judgment and going during season will mitigate some of the risks, but if you are especially concerned, Muir Valley is incredibly safe as far as parking goes and has exceptional climbing for a very long trip |
