Visiting Irish Climber

JCMwrote: Indian Creek is pretty good through November, though early November is best. End of November gets pretty cold. Still good for climbing, but the nights are cold in the desert. Makes sure you have warm coats and sleeping bags.

And by then the nights are long. Dark by 5:30 with temps around 5C and lower as the night progresses. One day around US Thanksgiving I awoke to -6 C with 10 cm of snow.

If you are staying in SF, just in case you don’t know, don’t leave any valuables in your car at any time. Car break-ins are rampant and can quickly ruin your trip!

"recommendations for some of the lesser-known climbing from san fran to Colorado"

Perhaps lesser-known to you (click "More Classic Climbs" on any page to get a feel):

Awesome roadside crag, but generally north-facing: https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105733959/lovers-leap

Would require warmer conditions for your time window, but folks climb at the City year round: https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105739322/city-of-rocks and next door: https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105739331/castle-rocks

A roadside crag of sorts in the middle of nowhere western Utah, could be a worthwhile drive-by stop for you: https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105916340/ibex There are a lot more roped climbs than MP suggests and of very high quality. Get a copy of Garrett's Utah West Desert if interested.

If you're seeking warmer weather there are some worthwhile stops around St. George, Utah, e.g. https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105717250/prophesy-wall and https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105716820/snow-canyon-state-park

I would generally not recommend the Swell for you guys but if you're curious, if the roads are dry, and you have a decent vehicle you could camp below this place and probably have a good time, mostly to yourself.  These routes generally don't demand quite the huge rack that some Creek routes do: https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105717075/dylan-wall You can explore other routes on the way down the wash https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105717042/lower-buckhorn

I would without hesitation recommend Eldo to you, but you're adding 8 or 10 hours driving to get there.

Justin Reedwrote:

Everyone’s already added the info you need for climbing but a place I’d recommend stopping by from sf on your way to yosemite if you go south from the city is this bbq place in a small town south of San Jose called Morgan Hill. Some of the best bbq I’ve had and from a quick look at the directions would add only 30-60 minutes of driving. A climbing spot you might want to check out that is only a bit out of the way when leaving yosemite to go to Vegas for red rocks that I like a lot is Alabama Hills which is at the base of Mt Whitney. If you drive east out of yosemite to get there you’d also be able to check out Bishop if you’re in the mood for some bouldering and would drive through Mammoth which has some climbing but is mainly known for the ski resort which if we have another year like we just had would have enough snow to go for a day if you wanted to get some skiing/snowboarding in. 

You didn’t name the bbq spot! What’s it called?

P Degnerwrote:

Worth noting that this trip you are planning will be a lot of (quite scenic) driving. 

• Yosemite --> Red Rocks: 8h 15m
• Yosemite --> Joshua Tree: 7h 30m
• Yosemite --> Moab: 14h 30m
• Red Rocks --> Joshua Tree: 3h 30m
• Red Rocks --> Moab: 8h
• Joshua Tree --> Moab: 9h 30m

This is a good callout. Just how large the American West is is lost on a lot of people from Europe (and honestly East Coasters too).

Natalie Blackburnwrote:

This is a good callout. Just how large the American West is is lost on a lot of people from Europe (and honestly East Coasters too).

Though they do have a month and a half for the trip, so those drive times aren't crazy. If they were trying to pack all that driving into a 2 week trip, that would be a different story.

If they wanted to reduce the driving, the main way to do that would be to cut out the Indian Creek portion. Yosemite - Red Rock - J Tree would also be a good trip, and with a lot less driving. But if they are psyched to visit Indian Creek, the extra driving to go there is definitely worth it. 

I don't think it would be worth it to drive any further east than Moab / Indian Creek. I.e. driving all the way to Eldo would not be recommended. 

I'd consider adding Tahquitz to your already long list, at least as a backup destination

Natalie Blackburnwrote:

This is a good callout. Just how large the American West is is lost on a lot of people from Europe (and honestly East Coasters too).

What??? Hold your tongue good soul... It took me most of a day to hike across Rhode Island.

ddriverwrote:

I would without hesitation recommend Eldo to you, but you're adding 8 or 10 hours driving to get there.

OP, if you're not that familiar with Eldo, do some research, esp. climbers comments on routes and any trip reports. There's a distinct love/hate vibe. Personally, I can't stand the place.

Randy Zzyzxwrote:

I'd consider adding Tahquitz to your already long list, at least as a backup destination

The OP wrote: "...for around a month and a half in Late October-ish to early December..."

My advice - ignore Tahquitz.

Marc801 Cwrote:

The OP wrote: "...for around a month and a half in Late October-ish to early December..."

My advice - ignore Tahquitz.

Yeah. Even ignoring the weather/time of year, Tahquitz isn't as quality as the locations OP has mentioned. If we're playing that game, I might as well tell them to hit Pinnacles while they're here. It's great, for sure. But it's not Yosemite, etc.

A month and a half is a fair amount of time, but not enough for visiting more than three or maybe four major areas. 

Driving to all the way to Colorado (and at that time of year) makes no sense . Your original list, with perhaps some couple day stop overs at other crags, that may be on the way, makes sense.

The weather will be your guide to where to go and when to move along.

Natalie Blackburnwrote:

Yeah. Even ignoring the weather/time of year, Tahquitz isn't as quality as the locations OP has mentioned. If we're playing that game, I might as well tell them to hit Pinnacles while they're here. It's great, for sure. But it's not Yosemite, etc.

While I agree that October/ November is the not ideal season for Tahquitz, comparing it to the Pinnacles is more than ridiculous. 

• recommendations for some of the lesser-known climbing from san fran to Colorado. 

This is why I mentioned Tahquitz (and added as a backup destination.) Among other reasons: It's close to Joshua Tree, it's historic, it's easy to get to, and it's excellent quality. It won't be in prime season, but Novembers in Southern California can be warm.

Comparing it to Pinnacles is a stretch. 

A few hundred thousand years ago, before Pinnacles was torn in two... and half of it moved a gazillion miles south. (Look it up) It was a close cousin of Tahquitz. Merging the two... to a modern day crag (although expensive) would be a great pet project for the Zucker-Musks out there. 'Tahquit-acles' could become a world class destination with just the right amount of VC money. Whos in????

In soothe, instead of driving all the way to either of them, spend an easy day off from Yosemite and simply swing by Sonora Pass and spend a great day climbing the wildest volcanic basalt that will make your Irish brethren hella jealous.
https://www.mountainproject.com/area/107299550/sonora-pass-highway-108

half ropes work great at Red Rocks.  you will want a single and a tag for splitters at the Creek. I find that half ropes get in the way of foot jaming on splitters. 

Marc801 Cwrote:

OP, if you're not that familiar with Eldo, do some research, esp. climbers comments on routes and any trip reports. There's a distinct love/hate vibe. Personally, I can't stand the place.

Eldo is like: 3 parts whiskey, 1 part juice from a can of pickled herring in tomato sauce. Stirred, not shaken. Add a manly pinch of dill weed. (A drink I invented at the ripe old age of 8 years). It is an "aquired" taste. 

As for a late Oct-Dec trip: I'd suggest to stay in California/Nevada (Yose/Red Rocks/JTree...possibly St George/Zion). Save UT/CO/WY for a trip in Sept/Oct another year.

A few hundred thousand years ago, before Pinnacles was torn in two... and half of it moved a gazillion miles south. (Look it up) It was a close cousin of Tahquitz.

The Neenach formation, off the 138 out in the Mojave between Gorman and Lancaster. It's not much to see and definitely not like Taquitz   Reunion is out of the question, the Pinnacles and Neenach have irreconcilable differences, and their collective lack of granite is a big part of the problem.

Shaniacwrote:

A few hundred thousand years ago, before Pinnacles was torn in two... and half of it moved a gazillion miles south. (Look it up) It was a close cousin of Tahquitz. Merging the two... to a modern day crag (although expensive) would be a great pet project for the Zucker-Musks out there. 'Tahquit-acles' could become a world class destination with just the right amount of VC money. Whos in????

In soothe, instead of driving all the way to either of them, spend an easy day off from Yosemite and simply swing by Sonora Pass and spend a great day climbing the wildest volcanic basalt that will make your Irish brethren hella jealous.
https://www.mountainproject.com/area/107299550/sonora-pass-highway-108

This is hilarious. Just noodge the two of them back together. All good! 

Sonora Pass climbing is great, though I think of it as more granite than basalt (it depends on where you go, obviously).

Some of the info in this thread borders on the bizarre.  There is absolutely zero reason to head south from SFO to Morgan Hill to get BBQ.  It makes no sense that time of year to make City of Rocks a destination.  CO, while a gold mine of good climbing, is too far with only a month.  Tahquitz and Suicide, while having an estimable place in US climbing history, are NOT destination crags for international visitors, esp not in NOVEMBER.  I've been living 1.5 hrs away from them for 9 years, and only climbed there twice because I'm retired and don't have to go to a local LA crag to climb on alpine granite.  With 1 billion LA climbers. 

Late Oct to early December.  Hopefully it will not be too rainy in Yosemite Valley.  If the weather is good, you could stay there for 2 weeks easily.  Fabulous climbing.

 Indian Creek is also a great experience for that gorgeous crack climbing, but it's a bit of driving, as detailed above.  But it, like Red Rock, is sandstone.  You can't climb on it for a bit after a rain.  The time frame depends on how much rain and for how long.  You just have to follow the weather.  Red Rock can be great that time frame as well.  You could easily spend two weeks in either place.  How long you want to spend kind of depends on what kind of climbing you want to do.  RR has many wonderful long multipitch routes, in addition to many choices for single pitch and sport climbing.  IC will be more of a social (by necessity - sharing cams) esp.

If you are in/near Red Rock, Cochise and Joshua Tree are good back up plans for colder, wetter weather.

These threads are always so funny. All the good info is dispensed in the first few responses, then it devolves into, "You've got one week and you're flying into Bishop airport in November and you like bouldering? Hmmm, I'd drive up to Devil's Lake!" Then the adults in the room (like Phyl) have to come in and clean up the mess!