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how far will you drive for a weekend climbing trip

JJNS · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 531

Get it while you can. Its going to become a question of money not time as the gas prices keep going up.

Ryan Williams · · London (sort of) · Joined May 2009 · Points: 1,245

I've made a 12 hour round trip to do one route.

Seth Derr · · harrisburg, pa · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 2,260

Funny i actually had this conversation with some friends about a month ago. I'll do up to 3 hours for a day trip. 4 hours is drive up the night before, camp, climb, then drive home. 5-6 hours for a weekend. 8-10 hours i need at least 3 days. Anything over 10 i'm flying.

Alicia Sokolowski · · Brooklyn, NY · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 1,781

about 7 hours is my max

Jeffrey Arthur · · Westminster, CO · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 290

I've done the New River Gorge from Raleigh, NC plenty of times. It's about 4 hrs if you haul ass and don't make any stops. However it's not fun, because I usually fell asleep at the wheel coming home and had to pull over to let someone else drive.

I've only ever done day trips to Shelf Road from Westminster. My quickest one way is 2 hrs 15 mins. Most people I've talked to think day trips to Shelf are crazy, but as much as I love that place I don't find climbing there two days in a row that awesome. Besides 2-1/2 hrs was pretty normal for day trips to Boone (3 hrs), Moore's Wall, Pilot Mtn, or Sauratown (2-1/2 hrs).

Charles Vernon · · Colorado megalopolis · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 2,655

About 8 or 9 years ago we left Boulder on a Friday night and drove to Castle Valley, about 5 or 6 hours. Saturday, climbed Fine Jade, then drove to Moses, 2 or 3 hours. Sunday, climbed Primrose (it was our first time up both of these routes) and then drove back, which took a long time, probably at least 8 hours from all the way in there. Got back at 3 am and got up to go to work at 5:30. So about 16 hours of total driving for 2 days' climbing, but minute for minute probably the best climbing trip of my life.

Bill M · · Fort Collins, CO · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 317

4 hrs for a 2-day weekend. 6-7 hours for a 3-day weekend. Living in Albuquerque that will get me from RMNP to Cochise and most places in between.

Will Copeland · · Driggs · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 25

my limit is generally 6-7 hours for a weekend.

Bapgar 1 · · Out of the Loop · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 90

For the standard friday to sunday night, 3hrs one way is about my limit.
I'll double the drive time for an extra day though.

TresSki Roach · · Santa Fe, NM · Joined May 2002 · Points: 605

I've gone from Denver to the Swell for 2 days of climbing. I drove all the way to Zion for 3. That was too much.

Cory Harelson · · Boise, ID · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 2,410

At least you know roughly how bad your drive will be ahead of time. Trying to escape from LA for a weekend at Red Rocks the 4.5 hour drive could easily turn into 7 hours each way unless you leave between the hours of 11pm and 5am.

That said, 2.5 hours is a day trip, the most I've done for a 2-day weekend was 8 each way (Tahoe), but we do 15 hours each way over a 4 day weekend every year for our Ouray trip.

Matt Marino · · Georgetown, MA · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 10

I'm flying 6 hours and driving 7 (each way) this weekend, Boston to Yosemite via LAX. But that's for 3 days of climbing. I've taken the Red-Eye from Boston to Vegas (5 hour flight) for 2 days of climbing a few times, always worth it.

jack roberts · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 0

I've been known to fly in from Anchorage into the Ruth on a Friday and come back Sunday night. Or fly to Cody, Wyoming Saturday morning,climb and come back Sunday night. Does that count?

jack roberts · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 0

I've been known to fly in from Anchorage into the Ruth on a Friday and come back Sunday night. Or fly to Cody, Wyoming Saturday morning,climb and come back Sunday night. Does that count?

Go Back to Super Topo · · Lex · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 285

2.5 to the new and 3.5 to the red......being in Ohio isnt all bad ;]

Woodchuck ATC · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 3,280

Depends on where I'm headed. Some close places fill up on all available camping by Friday AM. Others 7 hours away are always available(Miguels, at the Red). 4 hours seems like just about the right late Friday night drive to still get some sleep and climb the next day, and allow for a full day on Sunday to get home before midnight. I'm not working on 3 hours sleep anymore at my age.

JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115

It, of course, depends directly on the number of days available, and is a bit of a sliding scale based on desperation to climb.

My "ideal"-what I'm willing to do regularly, every weekend, is less than one hour driving (each way) per day of climbing.

"Acceptable"-what I can deal with if I need to- is two hours or less each way per day of climbing.

Anything more than that is generally too far; gas is expensive. In desperate circumstances, though, sometimes this gets stretched. I've done 4 hour day trips to to take advantage of winter weather windows when living in the east, but this is not something I'd do often often.

So for a weekend, anything less than two hours is good, but can deal with up to four hours if I have to.

I've driven 14 hours for a one-week trip, but this is at the outer edge of my "acceptable" range.

For a 30-day trip, anything less than 30 hours fits into the "good" category--this opens up all of the western US.

Woodchuck ATC · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 3,280

Wish I had the choices for less than 4, 7 or 14 hour drives. Selection makes it easier to excuse the mileage. Gas costs, yeah they have gone up but since I've never driven a car that gets less than 40 mpg for the last 42 years I never even think of it these days. Still cheaper than flying and renting a car at the destination. Week long climbing trips are certainly worth the 20 hour drive if needed.

Olaf Mitchell · · Paia, Maui, Hi, · Joined Mar 2007 · Points: 4,190

With the right partner the approach/drive is more memorable than the climbing you did. But really there is no limit to the distance as long as the experience exceeds the cost. But that rarely happens when we are counting and justifying!

Steve Powell · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2002 · Points: 915

Five to six hours each way for a weekend trip

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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