Where should I live for a year?

Daniel Patrick Smithwrote:

It's not alpine climbing unless you need ice tools and crampons, otherwise it's just alpine cragging. 

Haha c'mon now. I'll politely agree to disagree on that terminology but it's all good. Do your thing, be safe and have fun. 

Louka Hendrickswrote:

I'm never living this down.

Nothing to live down, Louka. 

I on the other hand.........

Cosmic Hotdogwrote:

Would that not be leaning pretty hard into "mountaineering" rather than "alpine rock climbing"?

I don't think most people who say alpine climbing in the context of a rock climbing website are talking about carrying ice tools and pickets for the objectives. That's in the realm of mountaineering, in my opinion. 

Anyway, my vote for OP is Colorado. California is a lot more expensive (I've lived in both states) and Colorado has better access to climbing in terms of much shorter drives, generally. 

Not to be pedantic and further derail this thread, but Alpine Climbing generally has a mixed element involved. Rock climbing is rock climbing no matter if it’s practiced at a crag or at a mountain. 

While I haven’t lived in Colorado, I think that the actual location that one lives has more to do with the proximity of climbing than geographical boundaries like states. Maybe I’m just Eastside-centric but great year round climbing is always minutes away.  

Plus, as a longtime skier, I prefer the stability of our snowpack and often a 5 month plus season. 

The development of new and extensive mountain biking trails is a cool thing to consider too. 

Anyway, my vote for OP is Colorado. California is a lot more expensive (I've lived in both states) and Colorado has better access to climbing in terms of much shorter drives, generally. 

True for those living in the cities of CA (where the jobs are…) but if hes dirtbagging she* can live where the climbs are!

but if hes dirtbagging he can live where the climbs are!

Hard to tell these days but I think Fiona is a woman's name. 

NM is very very cheap, has amazing year round climbing in every discipline, has lots of beer, and is great spot to jump off and travel the rest of the west, with easy access to the SE compared to other western areas

Mark Vigilwrote:

NM is very very cheap, has amazing year round climbing in every discipline, has lots of beer, and is great spot to jump off and travel the rest of the west, with easy access to the SE compared to other western areas

I love NM and climbing around NM, but I would never describe NM climbing as “amazing.”  There is also a complete lack of alpine climbing in NM (granite choss at high altitude does not count)

It sounds like OP wants to get into alpinism. Really, the only realistic options in the lower 48 is the Pacific Northwest and perhaps California.

Fiona Mwrote:

I am a WI climber who is moving out west for vet school. I am graduating undergrad in the spring and am taking a gap year. During my gap year my goals are to save money and climb as much as possible before committing to 4 more years of advanced education. Currently I am thinking of moving to SLC but being from WI I really love my beer. I have thought about Co but it is so expensive or so I've heard. I'm looking for somewhere not too expensive with lots of climbing as well as alpine environments. I don't really care for sport climbing I'm more interested in trad multipitch and alpine climbing. Being in WI, most people here don't have much experience climbing out west so I'm turning to the beautiful MP community! 

If given the opportunity to live anywhere in your 20s for a year, where would you move? 

Ps. I also love skiing and am getting into mountain biking.

SLC has some excellent breweries, don't discount it on account of beer 

OK, I stand corrected. OP is not seeking alpinism, but alpine rock climbing. I still maintain that New Mexico has no alpine climbing. That is, unless you count the Sandias and Questa Dome, both of which would be a huge stretch. The Rockies north of New Mexico have alpine rock in spades, however.

There’s Alpine climbing in California (I did Shasta decades ago with crampons and ice axes and rock scrambling) but ice climbing is hit or miss and short lived. It depends on what the OP wants out of Alpine Climbing. There’s a lot of snowy approaches to big rock walls but not a lot of steep snow/ice faces that don’t melt out quickly in the spring  

Does it have to be in the USA? Else I'd say go to Europe, you'll find year round climbing there. 

Why live in one place and not follow the seasons . On the West Coast you can climb ,ski, and cycle somewhere different all year .

Another vote for Bishop.  It has everything, including ice climbing at Lee Vining.  And after a day in Owens River Gorge you may very well start to love sport climbing.