Best destinations in Western US to learn multi-pitch trad

TL:DR: If you had a summer, maybe a fall to dirtbag around the west, and your goal was to find experienced mentors to learn trad/multi from, where would you go?

So, I'm planning on heading out west for an extended solo road trip at the beginning of the summer. The focus of this trip will be improving my trad climbing and breaking into multi-pitch. Up to this point I have been teaching myself. That's been alright but I know I would progress much faster with a more experienced partner. I'm also planning on checking out a few places to eventually move to after this trip comes to and end as well, but the main focus will be climbing.
As of now I'm thinking WY, ID, and CO for the summer but would be easily swayed elsewhere if there are other places that would be more conducive to my goals.

I'd love to keep the trip going into the fall so I can spend some time in the desert, but I don't think my funds will stretch quite that far. I've been considering getting temp jobs along the way so I can make it work through the fall. I would really, really, really like to stick to free camping but I do understand that it'll be easier to meet partners in more centralized climber's campgrounds. I imagine it would make the most sense to stay in one place for a decent chunk of time if I'm really trying to learn.

The work week at the Teton Climber's Ranch seems enticing but I'd have to move out of my house a month early (pay rent for month I won't be living there). Worth it?

In a nutshell, if you had a summer and maybe a fall to dirtbag around the west, and your goal was to find experienced mentors to learn trad/multi from, where would you go? Any beta on temp jobs and free camping in the area would be greatly appreciated.

A little info on my current ability:
Currently I'm climbing in Southern Illinois.
Leading 5.8 trad, I plan to be at least 5.9 by the time I leave.
Lead 5.9 sport and boulder v3. I know I could probably lead harder sport but I've been too focused on trad (I don't know if that's really a thing).

Some areas I've been interested in for summer:
Tetons
City of Rocks
RMNP
Veedauwoo

Thanks!

Turkey Rocks, along with numerous other crags in the south platte

How far West are you willing to go? My personal favorite for moderate, multi-pitch trad is Lovers Leap near Tahoe. The only downside there is that it is a pay campground. Aside from that, though, it's popular enough that you should be able to find partners and you can walk to dozens of epic 5.5-5.10d routes.

Red Rock near LV also has an amazing concentration of moderate multi-pitch lines, but the sandstone does complicate placements a bit and you don't want to be there between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The campground is also not free, but it's a great place to partner up.

Have you thought about the Valley? Camp 4 isn't free, but it's cheap. There's probably no better place on the planet to consistently partner up, too.

Turkey Rocks/South Platte is great and the camping is free. Due to the distributed nature, you may have a hard time consistently meeting up with folks, though.

Tahquitz for May/June and September/October.

Eldorado Canyon and the Flatirons are full of both old school and progressive climbers with an absolute plethora of knowledge and wisdom. And the south platte, Turkey Rocks in particular are stellar. This is just my biased opinion but colorado holds more than you need for one summer, its all so tightly packed that you will save money on gas and never spent a wasted day.

erik wellborn wrote:Turkey Rocks, along with numerous other crags in the south platte

Turkey is cool, but is hot in the summer. Also rolling in solo (sans partner) would be a problem. There are people around on the weekend, but they will have thier weekend warrior agenda, and mid-week will be very quiet. Even more true for the rest of the Platte; rolling in sans-partner would be tricky. Sure, you can pre-arrange partners via MP, but it is way more fun to go somewhere with an steady dirtbag scene for provide entertainment and ready partners.

Planning a solo road trip is drastically different than planning a road trip with a partner. You can't just go anywhere and expect to find climbing partners hanging around. People who have not done a solo trip in this manner do not realize this , and consequently give bad advice (such as the quoted post). Expect a lot more questionable advice to pop up in this thread. Some pre-reubuttals: Yosemite is way too hot in the summer. Boulder (Eldo/Flatirons) are OK, but the quality does not compare to a destination like Squamish. Plus, trying to find free camping near Boulder is a nightmare. Tahquitz is historic, but the quantity is limited and there is no "scene" to find partners. Etc...

However, if you go to the right places, in season, you can easily find partners. You want to go to a major destination with a centralized climbers campground and a lot of people there on the dirtbag circuit. It also has to be the right time of year.

During July and August, you should go to Squamish. Nowhere else can even compare; it is exactly what you are looking for. The climbing is amazing (better than anything in CO/ID/WY), the July/August weather is good (actually, Squamish has better weather and less rain than CO in the summer), and you would have a very, very easy time finding climbing partners (again, better than any of the CO/ID/WY trad options). Free camping is easy to find. It is worth the extra driving from the Midwest. Go there. Spend several months. It is one of the best places in the world to learn multipitch trad.

If you are still on the road in the fall, head down to CA and climb in Tahoe and Tuolumne in Sept (optional layover in WA or in Smith on the way down). Then go to the Valley in October (after a summer in Squamish you'll be ready). In November, you head to Indian Creek, Joshua Tree, or Red Rocks. That is the circuit. Everyone does it, and for good reason. Also, since you'll be following the migration, the partners you meet in Squamish in the summer will be following the same trajectory.

yeah take JCM's advice, he has clearly gotten to travel more than i have!!!!

Vedauwoo is awesome, and you will fall in love. However, you might get spoiled, because on most of the route the route finding is easy, hardly any loose rock, and great pro.

Lumpy Ridge is awesome also, but a little more challenging in those parameters.

Don't miss RMNP Alpine!

JCM has got it covered

edit to add:

smith rocks has some sweet multi pitch sport routes that could be a great warm-up to get some belay systems dailed before going to squamish. it's a popular place in the spring, and you can meet people to climb with and stay at the bivy for real cheap.

depending on where you come from it is on the way north.

Other notes:

If you want to visit Eldo, Vedeauwoo, and/or City of Rocks, go during June. This would break up the drive to Squamish well, and let you kill some time before Squamish season is in full swing in July (although, as John WIlder mentions, an early summer could happen again). June is a good time for those locations; it hasn't gotten quite so hot yet, and the summer T-storms haven't started. Of those areas, I would consider City of Rocks to be the best destination, especially as a newer leader. Can't comment on the scene for finding partners.

Tetons may not quite match your needs and interests--depending on what your interests are. If you want to scramble around in the mountains, go there. If you want to really focus on learning to trad climb, go elsewhere. The hike-to-climb ratio in the Tetons is kind of rough, and you usually spend more time walking than actually tied in. If you are cool with that, then go. If getting in a lot of trad climbing mileage and pushing your lead limits is your priority, go to a more accessible rock climbing oriented destination. Tetons are not a place to push your lead grade. Same goes for RMNP. Do this sort of alpine trrip once you are more experienced (and fast!) at multipitch trad.

If you do go to the Tetons, go later in them summer once it is melted out. At the time of the work week, there will still be too much snow for rock climbing in the high country (unless you are prepared to deal with ice/snow winterish conditions). But I suspect this is not you. Newbie trad leader, in May, in the Tetons? Not going to get much done.

If/when you go to Squamish, don't bother trying to set up partners ahead of time. It is futile, unnecceary, and will constrain your flexibility. Just show up and go hang out at the picnic tables in the campground (this will be obvious when you arrive), and you will meet new friends and climbing partners within 15 minutes. Similar deal (during the correct season) for other destinations like Yosemite, Indian Creek, and Joshua Tree (although nowhere is quite so easy as Squamish). In a place like Eldo, you'll want to troll for partners on MP.

If at all possible, set up you car so that you can sleep in it. Ideally, you will have a minivan, truck (w/topper), or station wagon. Depending on your vehicle, build a sleeping platform and/or remove rear seats for maximum space and comfort. If you have a smaller sedan, you may end up sleeping in a tent, but if you are short you might be able to build a sleeping setup with a bit of creativity. Car sleeping will increase your mobility and allow for many more options for stealthy free camping.

+1 for tahoe area/lovers leap. Great temperature, friendly ma and pa convenience store that sells food, beer and climbing gear and unique steep rock with lot of horizontal dikes that keep the grades moderate.

tahoe and lovers leap are great, but most climbs top out at only about 300 feet.

a few of my favorite climbs are there, and the place I call "home".

eagle lake buttress is some great climbing/scenery, and you'll be the only one there.

Wow, thanks everyone! JCM, I think you've just about got me sold on Squamish. If I really want to learn to climb multi-pitch trad, it's starting to feel like it would be stupid not to go. Squamish was originally very high on my list of destinations. The main issue that sent me searching in other directions was the camping. It seemed to me when I first looked into it that there was no free camping and that the only camping to be had was prohibitively expensive considering my meager budget. Your comment about the free camping has renewed my hope. From what I've read it seems this is true, but maybe they are starting to crack down more? Is it still relatively easy for someone with a will to make things work? I wouldn't mind paying for sites ever so often (would probably be a good way to meet partners at first) but even if I was able split a site at the chief every night, that's still $300 over the course of two months.

Thank's again everyone for all the replies! Any more advice on Squamish, and solo road tripping in general, would be greatly appreciated. Or, you can try to sway me another direction. I try to stay open minded.

Can anyone comment on finding partners at City Of Rocks?

lots of climbers at city of rocks, and campsites scattered throughtout the rock formations. should be easy to find partners, but they are mostly single pitch climbs.

You can easily find "free" camping in squamish especially if u have a car

In climbing season squamish is one of the easiest places to find partners

And is perhaps the best place to get moderate trad dialed with simplr placements and bomber gear

Theres tons of moderate multis

;)

+100 for Squamish. Amazing rock, partner finding will be easy, great straight forward pro, single to multi-pitch as you please.

Hit CO front range areas, vedauwoo, and city of rocks on your way out in June (smith Rock/trout creek on the way too) and be in Squamish for July/August. Try to line up partners for all US crags mentioned- they could be scarce during weekdays. In Squamish, go to chief campground to message board or shelter and you will have endless partners.

Holler if you come thru Laramie- I'll show you around Vedauwoo.

Have fun!

Hit me up when you want to do some RMNP stuff.

I've done some solo road-tripping. One thing nobody has picked up on... you say you're a self-taught n00b, looking to learn how to multi-pitch climb. That's fine, nothing wrong with that, but... when you're out solo looking for partners, you're going to run into a lot of sketchballs. You better know right from wrong (climbing-wise) beforehand. Meeting up with random strangers is a shitty way to learn best-practices.

I'd suggest either:
1 - Take a class with someone local and respected at the start of your trip, to get a grasp on the basics. (Sorry, don't know the SoIll scene - can't recommend anyone.)
or
2 - Find good climbers, well respected, through MP (or through your local network of friends) first - before you hit the road. Plan to meet up with them on your trip. Offer up front that you're inexperienced, eager to learn, and happy to pay your way in free beer or whatever.

Have fun!

GO