Best climbing close to Missoula

What do the locals suggest? Looks like a lot of crags, but no info.

Don't know if you'll hear much from locals, but I spent about a month in Hamilton. For cragging, I enjoyed climbing in Kootenai canyon and mill creek. They both have a mix of good sport and trad routes.

If you wanna bushwhack and climb longer trad in the backcountry, check out Blodgett canyon.

There's plenty of info on all the places I mentioned in the mp database

Eminem1 e wrote:  ... but no info.

I know this isn’t helpful but I think the above is precisely what the locals suggest.   

Matt Simon wrote:

I know this isn’t helpful but I think the above is precisely what the locals suggest.   

Thanks Matt. Not a friendly community. This is the problem with climbers in general.

Eminem1 e wrote:

Thanks Matt. Not a friendly community. This is the problem with climbers in general.

I can't speak for the Missoula climbing community but regarding the areas in which I recreate the most, many of the locals/pioneering climbers seek to limit the public/written beta with the hopes of keeping the areas adventurous. 

I can see how you/someone would construe that as unfriendly. Maybe that explains it. Maybe self-interest explains it. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding/miscommunication of their style, philosophy, etc. Or maybe it's some combination of those or something else entirely - I don't know and am certainly not trying to tell you how it is. Just exploring the possibilities...

Hope you find some good climbing up there! And if I were you, I'd aim to climb the South Face of Shoshone in Blodgett. Fucking awesome day out!

Joe wrote:

I'm a local. Why do you think I'm unfriendly? That's a shame, Eminem, because I really like some of your older music.

No offence to you Joe or anyone else for that matter. I am going to hit Blodgett Canyon and Kootenai Canyon in the next day or so, weather permitting. Was just interested in other bigger walls you can see off in the distance. I'm not comfortable just guessing on the unknown. That's the point of my post.

Sent you a DM Eminem1 e. If you end up going to Kootenai, please remember to get the day use permit. We don't want to jeopardize access there.

Thanks, Is that through the forest service?

I just checked Mountain Project and I guess Kootenai canyon climbing is closed and no permits are being issued. Any other suggestions for sport up to 5.11a tops? Thanks

Send me your email and I’ll send you some PDF guides.