Best 5.8's and Down in North America

I searched the forums and could not find a post like this, although there must be one and please let me know if there is as I'll delete this one but:

I will be leaving the military in 2 years and I am taking a 6 month break before starting working in the "Real" world and plan on doing a long road trip around North America.

All kiddos will either be finished with college or well into it and my wife is totally on-board with the idea.

Just looking for a "list" of what you all think would be the best 5.8's and down in North America.

Can be trad or sport.

I'm leading trad .7 on a good day now and sport .8 but have partners scattered around the US that I can link up with to try the .8's.

I've done a few (Rewritten, Bastille Crack, Durrance, Ancient Art, Kor-Ingalls, Whitney Gilman, Petit Grepon, High E, Flat irons, etc.) but since I am just waiting for this trip, and have two years to kill, I thought it would be fun to start a "Dream" list of climbs.

Thanks!

First stop: Turn right out of USMA (if that’s where you are;-) and head for the Gunks (you’ve been there). Hit all the starred routes.  All the best.  
and thank you for your service. 

JohnRobertswrote:

First stop: Turn right out of USMA (if that’s where you are;-) and head for the Gunks (you’ve been there). Hit all the starred routes.  All the best.  
and thank you for your service. 

Yes!  That is where I am.  So beautiful here!

Going to go to Rumney and the Gunks a bunch as I have two years left here.

 Also the Daks and Cannon/Whites to hit a few there that I did not do growing up, like Moby Grape, NE Ridge of Pinnacle Gully with the Fairy Tale Traverse, Gamesmanship, and The Diagonal.

And it has been my pleasure to serve but it is getting old now after 25 years and recent changes!

Time to get out and go climbing before all of the airborne jumps and deployments and rucking put the final nail in the coffin of hard hiking and climbing for me!

Dung Fu and White Lightning on Hemingway Buttress in Joshua Tree are great, wonderful top out and beautiful views.

Seneca Rocks is another place where it’s hard to pick just one. The west face of the south peak in particular has a bunch of classics in your range. 

Linville gorge! Some of the most fun and memorable days I’ve had climbing. 

Andrew Dwrote:

Linville gorge! Some of the most fun and memorable days I’ve had climbing. 

So many awesome routes. Maginot Line, the Trifecta, White Lightning, and Paradise Alley come to mind for 5.8 and under. 

Horseshoe Canyon in Arkansas has a lot of great moderate routes.

Junior’s Farm in Olympic National park is one of my favorites. 

I’m sure that this is entirely too obvious, but Red Rock is the ultimate 5.8 and under paradise. I can’t think of anything that comes even close.  

With the caveat that the Gunks are your current local crag, Seneca is another fantastic option for your requirements. 

"Ranger Rock" Yosemite.

Gunks,  CCC, yellow wall, Horseman, easy o's,  Bonnies etc.. 

Daks, Hessitation, Overture with the 5.8 start. Gamesmanship, that thing on hurricane? Screaming Matrix on Rogers. 

Seneca , Green wall, Pleasant O's, Gunsite to S, peak, Exstacy,  West Pole etc. 

NH. Moby Grape, SSS, the Eaglet, Rt66, Hugos horror, Inferno, Sea Of Holes. Pinnacle buttress, Endevor. WG. Mt forest.

Lovers Leap outside of South Lake Tahoe has some terrific and unique multi-pitch 5.8 and under.

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105733959/lovers-leap

I think the northeast ridge of Bugaboo Spire kinda takes the cake here. 

Sigh.

Poor Buck.

Waaaay too many great routes and only one lifetime to spend....

I'd be happy to join you for anything in the central Sierra Nevada (Yosemite to Lake Tahoe and/or back country Sierra, depending on the season). Also, our girls are out of the house and so we've got two extra bedrooms if you need a place to stay and regroup an hour and a half from Yosemite Valley.

Rob Dillonwrote:

I think the northeast ridge of Bugaboo Spire kinda takes the cake here. 

Nope.

South Face Charlotte Dome for my money. Plenty of adventure without the snow and ice shenanigans. 

Best 5.8 in North America.

East Buttress Whitney close second.

• Red Rock in Nevada has a high concentration of good long routes in this range
• Lumpy Ridge and the alpine areas of Rocky Mountain National Park
• Tuolumne is amazing for fun moderates. 
•  Lovers Leap (CA)
• The Tetons for easier alpine and mountaineering 
•  City of Rocks (ID)

^
classic californian, wetting themselves over a bit of white stuff. But yeah, stick with your dusty slog and try to get in there before it’s smoked out!

Rob Dillonwrote:

^
classic californian, wetting themselves over a bit of white stuff. But yeah, stick with your dusty slog and try to get in there before it’s smoked out!

:P

Give me sun baked and featured granite in a remote setting and I'm gtg! 

Have cams and chalk will travel.

Bugaboo Spire is an absolute Classic, but higher probability of Type 2 fun and pesky crevasses and wetness.

Charlotte Dome is like sex on the beach with that beautiful girl you never thought would be so easy. :D 

Lush in the Spring.

Both are proud ticks no matter who you are.

In one's Golden Years I wouldn't miss an opportunity for either one.

Pingora is probably in this convo as well.

For a single pitch of sport climbing, Tentacle (5.8) at Promontory in Nor Cal is about as cool as it gets. Hard to beat climbing over the ocean.

So much incredible stuff in the Sierra. Cathedral Peak is a must-do. East Butt of Whitney was maybe the best day of climbing I’ve ever had. If you’re open to a sandbag 5.8, the SE Face of Clyde Minaret is totally wild. Lover’s Leap is near the top of my list of places I’d like to climb that I have not yet.

Outside of the Sierra, Red Rocks is also at the top of my list. City of Rocks May not have big iconic routes, but it makes for a very enjoyable mellow week. It’s highly weathered granite that climbs more like sandstone, but it’s granite so it’s bomber. Skyline (5.8) was a great time, as was Intruding Dike (5.7). Lots more where that came from.