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Best Sport Climbing Destination in North America for Late July
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I’m planning a two-week sport climbing trip around the end of July and beginning of August and would love your advice. This will be my first time visiting North America! I’ll be spending a week in Montreal first, but after that, I’m open to traveling anywhere in Canada or the US. |
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You could vary things by spending time in several different areas within reasonably close proximity to each other --climb on different rock types, varied scenery. I've done Lander, WY (Wild Iris, Sinks, etc.)---primarily limestone; Uinta Mts,, UT.---quartzite; and City of Rocks/Castle Rocks, ID---granite, as a circuit within a roughly 2 week period at that time of year. You will probably need to chase shade, especially at COR, but that is easy to do. The Unitas ( Mirror Lake area) are at 10,000 ft., so great at that time of year. All three areas are easily accessible by car, with generally short approaches from the road. |
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Bow Valley and Ten Sleep are fine choices. They can be combined in a single two-week trip, but it’ll be tight (I’ve done it!). A very common summer circuit is Maple, Lander, Ten Sleep, Rifle. |
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Are you traveling solo or with a partner? If solo, you'll want to visit big destination areas with a lively centralized camping area for the travelling climber scene, so it is easy to find partners and people to hang out with. In this scenario, Tensleep is a really great option and would be very very easy to find partners. If you are travelling with a partner, that opens up a lot more options to go to more dispersed places like the Uintas or the Eastern Sierra or the Humboldt Coast. While a solo traveler could still arrange online to try to find partners, that's more work and less reliable. So if you're solo, probably go to Tensleep. Squamish works also, though you might have to work a bit to find sport climbing partners (most people are there more for the trad and bouldering). If traveling with a partner you have more options, though still Tensleep is you most ideal option. |
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+1 to Ten Sleep
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Everywhere is warm that time of year except the high alpine. Squamish will probably feel the hottest of the destinations you listed and that rock is the least conducive to warm temperatures. The Bow Valley is really nice and has amazing rest day activities, but it can involve a lot of driving if you are staying at the campgrounds in the national parks. |
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Weather will dictate a lot. I recommend somewhere with a lot of sun/shade options and crags at multiple elevations. Lander is just as good or better than Tensleep with more options. Spearfish/Devil’s Tower/Needles/Custer will have better shade options than Tensleep and less crowd. Eastern Sierra should be good at the middle elevations but Bishop will be hot. Can be very busy. Boulder/Estes has great climbing but feels more urban. Slightly tougher camping. Same for Tahoe. If you’re trying to connect with local partners, Boulder, Tensleep, Eastern Sierra. Everything is car mandatory. |
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Holy shit this community is amazing. Thanks for all the responses! I'll be traveling with a partner and I would definitely prefer staying in one place for longer. Car is not an issue, I might even be able to pick up a campervan from a friend in Vancouver. I did not even consider places like Lander, Devil's tower etc. Also definitely would prefer places where I don't have to chase the shade too much. |
Dom Watts wrote: Based on these parameters, here is my ranking of North American summer sport climbing destinations. #1 is most recommended, and descending from there. Ranking may differ for those with different parameters and grade range. I went a bit overboard with this post, but it was fun to write. #1 - Tensleep. Pros: Tons of routes lined up at high density. Great place for tons of onsight mileage. User-friendly climbing style and route development practices. Great scenery. Classic western vibe. Camping is good and plentiful. Pretty good summer conditions (high elevation; afternoon shade). Lively scene. Cons: Gets busy in the summer. Remote (far from airport; limited amenities). Have to wait until afternoon for shade on the most popular/classic sectors (though the long lazy mornings are nice). Limited variety - climbing style (single pitch vert-tech limestone) is pretty similar across the area and gets a bit repetitive. #2 - Bow Valley. Pros: Epic scenery. Good variety of sport climbing (range of angles; single pitch and multi-pitch sport; mostly limestone, but also some quartzite at Lake Louise). Best (coolest) summer conditions. Fairly close airport access and decent in-town amenities. Rest day national park sightseeing in Banff. Cons: Camping/lodging is a hassle and/or expensive. Long approaches. Limestone is often chossy. You might get eaten by a grizzly bear. #3 - Maple Canyon (+Uinta side trip). Pros: Unique cobble rock and steep pumpy climbing at Maple (great place if you like it steep). Fairly good summer conditions (canyon with lots of shade options) and a climbing style that is forgiving of summer conditions (big comfortable jugs). Uintas are a great side trip 2.5 hours away with spectacular mountain scenery and interesting quartzite climbing. Fairly easy access from SLC airport. Cons: Maple Canyon and the surrounding area aren't as scenic or interesting for rest days as some of the other options. Campsites can fill up (get a reservation if you can). Dusty. #4 - Squamish. Pros: Outstanding all-around destination - all types of climbing, all levels. Great rock quality. Interesting and varied climbing. Epic scenery. Great rest day activities (lakes, hikes, etc) and in-town amenities. Cons: The sport climbing isn't really the main event there; a lot of good sport climbing has been developed and it will certainly keep you busy for a multi-week trip, but Squamish really shines best if you are also interested in dabbling in the crack climbing or bouldering. Kind of a busy/noisy in main Squamish - highway, town, port. Camping can fill up, though there are enough options to choose from that you can make it work. It has been getting kinda hot there in recent summers (sweaty for climbing; great for swimming in the lakes). #5 - Lander. Pros: Classic pocket pulling on limestone. More varied than Tensleep (variety of route length and angle). Great scenery. Great climber-friendly town. Ample free camping. . Cons: Although at high elevation, many of the main sectors are in the sun almost all day, so heat is an issue. Waiting until 4 pm for shade get old fast. Mid-summer isn't really the ideal season there. The aggressive pocket pulling style isn't for everyone (hello finger injuries). #6 - Spearfish/Needles/Rushmore. Disclaimer: This is the one area on this list I have not been to, so take this with a grain of salt. Pros: Variety of options. Spearfish has limestone sport climbing similar-ish to Tensleep, but less busy. Granite climbing nearby at Needles (runout trad) and Rushmore (sport). Devils Tower (trad) is a classic landmark. Cons: Lower elevation (warmer). Overall most people seem to prefer Tensleep and consider it a more significant destination (I can't comment on whether this is justified or not). The Sturgis Rally (look it up) is in early August and can turn the whole region into a massive junkshow. #7- City of Rocks. Pros: High quality featured granite. Fun, interesting climbing at moderate grades. Classic western scenery. Great camping. Cons: Mid-summer can be uncomfortably hot; while shade can be found, it still isn't ideal. May or September is better. Area offers a mix of sport and trad, so if you're exclusively sport climbing you'll miss out on half the area (though there is plenty of sport climbing to keep you busy for a two week trip). #8- Eastern Sierra (Mammoth Lakes, Pine Creek). Pros: Lots of variety (multiple crags, rock types, climbing styles). Range of elevations and aspects lets you pick your conditions. Epic scenery. Lakes and hot springs. High Sierra hiking. Good in-town amenities in Mammoth. A lot of different camping options. Cons: Spread out and no single sector is a major destination in its own right, so you may end up traveling around a bit. Some of the areas (Clark Canyon) have dirt road access. Pine Creek gets a bit warm in the summer (though there is lots of shade, and better conditions can be found at higher elevation in Mammoth). Mix of sport, trad, and bouldering - exclusively sport climbing may be a bit limiting and the area offers more if you dabble in multiple styles. #9- Redwood Coast, California. Pros: Under-the-radar destination, but newly documented with a modern guidebook ("Redwood Burl"). Amazing scenery and rest days - ocean and Redwood trees. Very quiet. natural setting. Varied climbing; limestone, sandstone, and quartzite. Great climbing at a range of grades. Nice summer conditions, especially at the coastal areas (climb next to the ocean). Cons: It's a whole region, not one concentrated area, so you can expect to be driving around a lot to various different remote crags. This part of California is prone to wildfires, so you could get smoked out of the inland crags. #10- Rifle. Pros: Outstanding destination for 5.12-5.14. Decent summer conditions; lots of shade. Nice camping. Lively scene. Shortest approaches on earth. Unique and challenging climbing style. Cons: Really not a destination worth traveling to for a multiweek trip for the 5.10-5.11 climber. Routes at that grade are more limited, polished, and kind of weird. Other mentions: Colorado Front Range: A ton of sport climbing, including some higher elevation zones that are good in summer, but none of it is really a major international destination to travel for. Tahoe: Great overall destination, but doesn't really offer a sufficient concentration of quality 5.10-5.11 sport climbing to justify a big trip. The Fins: Good summer limestone area, but remote. Rough steep road to the good camping. Best climbing is harder. Nice spot, but not what OP is looking for here. Avoid: Anything east of the Mississippi (hot, humid and buggy in summer). Desert areas like Smith or the Owens River Gorge (way too hot). |
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Ten sleep is great for 5.10 and 5.11, very fun and will keep you busy for 2 weeks. Very chill vibe and easy to find friendly people. If you get bored you can go to lander which isn't that far away and is more varied. I love Squamish but if you aren't looking to trad climb or boulder I would skip it. I live in the Boulder front range and would not travel here internationally to climb, especially in the summer. |
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Blackleaf Canyon, MT (if you've got a partner). |
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I have to add one caveat regarding Tensleep. I was there over 10 years ago, so maybe things have changed, but it isn't the best destination if you, like me, are a 'morning person'. I tend to wake up early and once 'really up', I want to get going and climb, not wait around--and find the waiting to be very draining. On the other end, I tend to fade early later in the day, and very much prefer to cook, eat, and wash up while it is still light. At least, with the exception of a couple of sectors low in the canyon, when I was there, this type of 'schedule' didn't work. The norm was to hang around all morning ( into early afternoon) until the cliffs ( and the steep approach slopes) came into the shade before heading up, then climbing until dark. This obviously worked fine for many, but I never adjusted!!!! Good climbing though--and plenty of it. |
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If you are in Montreal for a week hit up Kamuraska for at least one day. we were there last summer during a heat wave and it was nice. Its always windy because of the st Laurance river. |
Nick Goldsmith wrote: Kamouraska is great, but pretty far from Montreal--4-5 hours, maybe. There is plenty of good sport climbing much closer to Montreal, about an hour north in the Laurentides. Val David is the best known area---mostly trad but also with a fair number of sport climbs, but several of the other cliffs in the vicinity have more bolted options. |
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Kamouraska sounds interesting. It also means that we don't have to take another flight, we'd have a car to borrow in Montreal. Is there enough quality climbing in the Quebec/Ontario area to make it worth just spending the two weeks there? Or are the other destinations like Ten Sleep, Squamisch, Bow Valley, Lander, Maple so good that it would be shame to miss out on them? |
Dom Watts wrote: I really enjoy climbing in Quebec ( haven't done much in Ontario) --especially since living in New England it is relatively close, but 'culturally' quite different---and the climbing is good. BUT, it is not at all in the same league as any of those western areas---the crags in Quebec tend to be pretty spread out. Even more of a problem though, during the time of year that you will be over here, are things like heat, humidity, and BUGS!!!! While late July/early August are past the peak bug season, the 'little critters' can still be very distracting, especially for folks not used to dealing with them. Being up on a ridge and near the River, as Nick mentioned, the principle crag at Kamouraska often has a good breeze which helps keep the bugs down, but they can still be annoying at the base, and definitely are so down in the valley. Even in early September, we were 'chased' from the otherwise beautiful outdoor seating area of the brew pub near the campground by swarms of mosquitoes in the evening. A visit for a day or two in mid-summer ( especially if you get a cooler spell) to sample the crags is worthwhile, but for your main trip---stick to your original plan and head west. |
Dom Watts wrote: In addition to the climbing and the weather/insects (Alan makes good points there), another reason to consider going west is the travel/landscape/scenery experience. Where are you traveling from - UK? The landscape in Quebec is nice - forests, green fields, low rolling mountains, a big river - but it isn't that different a landscape/experience from what you can find in many places in the UK or Europe. The western landscape is something totally different and worth experiencing. Wyoming, in particular, stands out as a unique and very western sort of place. Squamish and the Bow Valley are also both spectacular, though each in their own different way. |
Connor Dobson wrote: This is a fairly common perspective, but I'll steelman Squamish sport climbing to offer the contrasting perspective. I think that Squamish sport climbing is very underated, and it is easily in the top-5 for North American summer sport climbing areas. But it gets overlooked as a sport climbing destination for several reasons: 1. It is a good sport destination for western North America, but as a summer trad destination it is a contender for best in the world. The sport climbing gets overshadowed by the trad climbing (sometimes literally - the Chief casts a big shadow), but that doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile as a sport climbing destination. 2. The good sport climbing is hidden away in the woods in outlying parts of the Squamish area: at Chek and the Rouges Gallery, up the Squamish Valley, up the Mamquam, etc. A trad climbing visitor sticking to the main trad climbing zones around town - such as the Chief and the Smoke Bluffs - may never see the sport crags. 3. An enormous amount of sport climbing has been developed in the last 10 years and is not documented in the guidebook. So again, the trad climbing visitor may not even know it is there. But it is very well documented in free online topos. The new crags on their own could constitute a destination (though there is a ton of good stuff in the guidebook also). This is all to say that Squamish is a better sport climbing destination than many climbers realize. It also offers a lot of variety in the style of sport climbing (more varied than somewhere like Tensleep). Plus there's the standard Squamish amenities of easy access, a full-service town, rest day activities, scenery. I won't claim that Squamish is better than Tensleep, but it is arguably a closer contender than you'd expect. Overall - Squamish may be worth considering for OP's situation. Especially since OP said they may have the option of borrowing a campervan in Vancouver. Squamish would be a logistically easy option for them - direct (domestic) flight from Montreal to Vancouver, borrow a van, 1 hour drive to Squamish. And then once in Squamish there's all the supplies and amenities you need. (Despite all this, I'd still suggest Tensleep as the #1 recommendation. But if the logistics of visiting Tensleep (flights, car, etc) are a hassle and Squamish looks to be way easier, Squamish is a super worthwhile option). |
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JCM if you get up into Gands Jardins and the high gorges its pretty spectacular.. But thats all trad climbing. |
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“The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about fight club. The second rule of Fight Club is: you DO NOT talk about Fight Club!” |
Dom Watts wrote: There is a bunch of choices for sport in driving range of Montreal -- but in July-August, you're likely to be climbing in hot/humid conditions. At mostly they're going 1-3 day crags, rather than 2-week crags.
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