Beta on Flagstaff...

I'm a long time Boulder-area climber who might be heading to Northern Arizona University for an 18 month graduate program this spring, and I was hoping to get some info on what Flagstaff is like (comparison to Boulder is fine too if you've been here). I would be heading there sight-unseen, so I'd love any info you might be willing to share, but specifically, I'm curious about the following:

1) I know that Flagstaff has awesome bouldering, and that it is close to many awesome areas for weekend trips (Zion, the Creek, Vegas, etc), but what about the local roped climbing? Can you climb at the Forks for a day or a half day? I know Sedona is popular (but having done the Mace and climbed a lot at Indian Creek, it kinda looks like choss - no offense!!!). Are there other (good) options for local climbing? I'm the type of climber who really likes inspiring, hard climbing - specifically single pitch trad and sport climbs in the 5.12 to mid 5.13 range. Accessible, harder climbing like this has been instrumental to my development as a climber, and I don't want to stagnate while I'm there for 18 months.

2) Is it easy to get involved in the local climbing community? Especially given my interests (see above)? Is there a decent gym?

3) What is the scene in Flagstaff like? I know that it is a lot smaller than Boulder, but I'm told it still has that energetic "college town" feel and is a great place to live. I'd love to hear more about it... Ideally I'll love it and never want to leave, but realistically I'd just like a place that would be wonderful to explore for the time that I'm in school.

Finally, any suggestions as to what areas to look for a place to live for my time there? I have no idea where to begin aside from checking craigslist listings. Thanks in advance for your help as I look towards this big move!

hey josh,
drop me an e-mail with your number and i can tell you a bunch about flag. i just moved from there to conifer a couple of months ago.
ropedog420@yahoo.com

Paradise Forks has great climbing in a beautiful setting.

I've stayed in a downtown hotel twice now and have never been able to get much sleep there. The trains that come through are super loud and the constant horn blowing never fails to wake me about once an hour. And I thought I was a heavy sleeper...

Josh,

Here's my 2 cents on the sport situation, from the pt of view of another climber who likes inspiring lines...

"The Pit" is the local sport crag, and the rock is fairly good limestone, but most of the lines are extremely short (30 feet?). There are only a few lines that I would call "inspiring" in the 5.12/13 range (Total Recall, 13b, and The Joker 12c, being the two that come to mind). There is a 13c (called the Crucifix) but the rock is...[gag], and its literally 25 feet tall. I think there is a decently long 13a as well. The other 5.13s are diminutive highball boulder problems with bolts.

Jacks is about an hour (?), and it has good climbing in the 5.10/11 range, but its not "inspiring" for someone at your level. There are some hard lines, but I believe most of them are manufactured, and they make the Skull Cave look like Ceuse.

Bottomm line, I think Flagstaff is a really cool town, but I think you'll be driving a lot if you want inspiring sport climbs. Red Rocks is 4 hours, Zion is 4 hrs, and St George (VRG, Utah Hills, etc) is about 5. Enchanted Tower (NM) is around 4 hrs. It has the best sport climbing in NM. All of the other worthwhile NM sportcrags will be at least 5 hours. Mt Lemmon might have some stuff; I've never been.

Near Jack's canyon is the Asylum. It has harder climbs generally and has been developed quietly but steadily.

Josh,
Flag' has a great vibe and a ton of climbers. If you can't get psyched to climb there, you'd have a hard time getting psyched anywhere. Just as BOulder, there is an eclectic mix of sport, trad, boulderers and weirdos but I've found it really friendly with a ton of energy. The gym is good but not too big. I would put Flag as one of the top five rock climbing campuses in the US. The only thing missing (other than Eldo) is ice and alpine.

18 months is probably a good amount of time to spend there. Lots of new stuff over in Diablo Canyon. Pictures have been awesome. DWS or boat approaches with reports of some of the best single-pitch trad anywhere.

It doesn't take too long to get used to the train noise but the traffic that gets clogged up from it is tough. Mason pulls espresso shots at Late For the train. Go see him at the Milton St. shop and he'll hook you up.

Skiing has been epic this year.

Mal

Most sport around Flag is generally uninspiring. But, the trad lines are spectacular. The forks are world-class and Sedona provides good adventures. There is very high-quality sport 45 minutes from Flag but it's being kept on the DL. You'll get to it if you hang out with enough Flag locals.

Flag is great, but you will soon discover that grad students don't have time to have a quality life, let alone climb. Condolences.

Grad students don't have a life ?

Hey, I did some of my best Flagg routes as a grad student.
Sure beat being a working stiff.

Depends a lot on your advisor(s)

Hey Josh - i don't have much new to say, but can't help but reply to this one...i went to school in flag from 92-97, and learned to climb there. since then, i've been living in denver, and enjoying the climbing here.

i'm not a gym or sport guy, so can't speak to that.

in general, i love flag and think the climbing is great. but that said, it is not the mecca that boulder is. biggest complaint is that there is not much big stuff there that is close (i'm sure someone will correct me shortly). here in boulder, with eldo/bould. cany/lumpy/rockymnt/s. platte/veedavoo etc...., you're going to be dissappointed.

i personally love paradise forks, and to me it is the best crack climbing anywhere. much better than even the desert sandstone which i love. the smooth basalt is perfect rock. it is more varied than the desert rock, and is better quality than some of the other basalt areas i've been to. routes are not big, though.

there are also good crack climbs at the overlook (on the way to sedona from flag). but yeah, i've spent many days at the forks. most of the stuff there is at least 5.10, and if you want bigger routes with adventure, check out volunteer canyon (near the forks). you can also check out the sycamore rim for endless climbing too. like you said, i guess you'll have to buck up for 4 hours in the car for vegas or zion when you want your multi fix. there are some bigger routes on mnt. eldon, that i never got on, casue the beta was pretty sketchy, and i am not a hardman (wanna be). there was a fire there that damaged the lower portion of the routes, but i guess my point is that there is some bigger routes close. (check mnt. project. i saw them the other day).

what do you mean can you climb at the forks for a day or a half day?

sedona is good, but if you the choss bothers you, the rest of sedona will too. there is one area there, i think called "the waterfall" (in sedona) that was a bit of a hike, but was not the typical soft sedona sandstone.

as far as the town, i was doing the college thing while i was there, so you'll find lots of housing around the school. if you want to get out more, you might want to check out Lake Mary Road. I think that the bouldering area "priests draw" is out that way too. there are rental places out there. i'd suggest you stay away from east flag, where the mall and lots of the locals live.

i really don't think that you'll stagnate there, but it doesn't have the grand stuff that we have here.

good luck man, enjoy!