need suggestions for mid october sport climbing

Hello

I am planning a trip for mid to late october and want to go somewhere new. Requirements are that its
1. beautiful
2. moderate great sport (10s to 11s)
3. easy to get to ie reasonable close to a major airport (want to cut down on travel this time)

would love your suggestions.

the needles of the black hills is always awesome! gets really run out on most climbs and super sandbagged! But it is beautiful and very easy to get to! greak climbing too!

Luke Deurmier wrote:the needles of the black hills is always awesome! gets really run out on most climbs and super sandbagged! But it is beautiful and very easy to get to! greak climbing too!

I think that you should ignore the response above. Note that the OP asked about sport areas, not ultra-runout adventure climbing areas.

In October, your options are pretty open; this is the month in which practically the entire US, save the highest alpine and the lowest desert, should be in season. There are various options offering moderate sport climbing and good October weather. Some of the best are:

Smith Rock (Not too far from Portland airport): Great in October, classic destination

Red River Gorge (Various nearby airports, closest is Lexington): An obvious choice, it its best month

New River Gorge: Also in season. Not so sure about the sport offerings in the 10s, though.

Owen's River Gorge: Actually is really good in October; perfect in the shade. Although this doesn't get the same publicity as some of the more nationally famous area, I think that it is a worthy destination for the 5.10/5.11 climber. It doesn't get publicity because it doesn't have any 5.14s, but for 5.10s and 5.11s it is one of the best sport crags in the US

Rumney: Beautiful October colors in NH, various airports nearby (Boston is 2 hours). Really great climbing at a wide spread of grades

Shelf Road: Close to CO Springs airport, lots of routes in the 5.10-5.11 range. Good sun and shade options. Typically very good weather.

Suggestions could be narrowed down better if you said where you were coming from; i.e. if you want to cut down on travel, you'll want to consider areas on your side of the country.

Jon Moen wrote: I think that you should ignore the response above. Note that the OP asked about sport areas, not ultra-runout adventure climbing areas.

there are a ton of sports around the needles and rushmore. then there is also spearfish canyon on limestone. A TON OF GOOD SPORT ROUTES AROUND THE NEEDLES.

Red Rock qualifies undoubtedly for requirements 1 and 3, and arguably for requirement #2, plus it appears to be fairly close to your home crag (driving distance from LA county.) Perhaps it fails in the newness category, if you have already visited this lovely place.
Additionally, October is the best month to visit with regards to temperature and weather stability.

Great info! Thank
You! All places I was considering but wanted knowledgable suggestions.

Red Rocks or if you want to travel a little further Red River Gorge.

cassondra wrote:Red Rock qualifies undoubtedly for requirements 1 and 3, and arguably for requirement #2, plus it appears to be fairly close to your home crag (driving distance from LA county.) Perhaps it fails in the newness category, if you have already visited this lovely place. Additionally, October is the best month to visit with regards to temperature and weather stability.

Red Rocks sport climbing is still a bit warm in mid-october. Great time of year for the long routes and trad crags (tend to be shady, breezy, and higher up in elevation), but not as good for the main concentrations of sport crags (tend to be lower, more sheltered, and sunnier).

Luke Deurmier wrote: there are a ton of sports around the needles and rushmore. then there is also spearfish canyon on limestone. A TON OF GOOD SPORT ROUTES AROUND THE NEEDLES.

if you had said Rushmore or Spearfish, I would have tended to agree with you, but you didn't. You said the Needles, which is not a sport climbing area.

Jon Moen wrote: Red Rocks sport climbing is still a bit warm in mid-october. Great time of year for the long routes and trad crags (tend to be shady, breezy, and higher up in elevation), but not as good for the main concentrations of sport crags (tend to be lower, more sheltered, and sunnier).

I don't think black corridor gets very much sun at that time... and I've been there in the middle of november and gotten snowed on. October is a great time!

Are you renting a car at the airport?
Broken record time for me but once again: Devils Head. Esp. early October with the aspens turning. Prolly 1-1/2 hrs. from DIA. Only mentioning as an alternative to all the obvious suggestions.

The Wyoming sport scene can be outstanding that time of year. The Lander area would be a good bet for any weather conditions. Cold days mean Sinks Canyon will be excellent, and if the weather's warmer Wild Iris will still be rockin'.

Basically you'll find good conditions no matter what. Tensleep can also be outstanding that time of year, though nights will cool off substantially. The setting of any of the aforementioned crags cannot be beat.

Also second what Jon said above. The New and the Red River Gorges can be really great that time of year, though I've had some really warm days that month too.

Red River Gorge. Most people consider this to be one of the best if not the best sport climbing in North America. Fly into Lexington, rent a car, and stay at Miguel's or Lago Linda's. You won't regret it!

Jennifer rau wrote:Hello I am planning a trip for mid to late october and want to go somewhere new. Requirements are that its 1. beautiful 2. moderate great sport (10s to 11s) 3. easy to get to ie reasonable close to a major airport (want to cut down on travel this time) would love your suggestions.

If you are willing to gamble, I would recommend Rumney, NH. You can fly either to Boston (~2 hours), or to Manchester, NH (which is sometimes cheaper and only 1 hour away).

New England is by far the prettiest fall foliage in the country. The climbing at Rumney in the fall with the spectacular colors and river in the background cannot be beat. For a rest day, there are amazing hikes in the nearby white mountains and Boston is always fun in the fall for a city day.

The big gamble is the weather. While the weather is often ideal in New England in October, it can rain for a week straight, which would ruin a trip. That being said, it is a totally worthwhile destination and you have to gamble at some point if you go there... just have some backup plans in case the weather doesn't cooperate.

Places like Shelf and Smith are also fun, and have more reliable weather, but aren't quite as "new" if you are coming from the LA area.