Best climbing towns?

bernard wrote:What about Ogden, UT? I read some good things but don't know how it might relate to climbing or other outdoor rec. opportunities and resources

There is good skiing and climbing but the feel of Ogden is like the Akron of the west.

Chattanooga is surrounded by a ton climbing areas. Saying that it is not near the mountains is misleading. It's surrounded by an almost infinite amount of CLASSIC sandstone cliffs and boulders in every direction. Not this BS that technically passes for sandstone in the Front Range with Horsetooth being the ONLY exception.

Just listing off the popular areas: HP40, Rocktown, Sandrock(yes graffiti crazed rednecks f'd this place up, but the climbing is spectacular), Little River Canyon, Foster Falls, Stone Fort, T-Wall, Obed, and the Lilly Bluff Boulders are within 15 mins to 1-1/2 hrs of the city. If you wanted to count the areas within a 2-5 hr drive you pretty much have the entire Southeast covered from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina. As far as the humidity you just learn to deal. You will always have Fall, Winter, and Spring covered at any of these classic areas. On top of that the Southeast locals are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet.

You know man, having read this entire forum I would like to offer another interpretation.

I moved from boulder 9 months ago to start my Ph.D. at Virginia Tech. I have the New River Gorge right in my backyard and it is absolutely world class. McAfee Knob is a bouldering area that is unappreciated but has a ton of good bouldering. On top of that there is Seneca and all the stuff in North Carolina all within reasonable striking distance.

That being said, as far as climbing goes, I AM MISERABLE. If you love climbing with all your heart and soul, like I do, and you have the choice, DON'T LEAVE BOULDER. For all of its bullshit, there are so many intangibles about Boulder that are not to be found anywhere else. And ultimately, if you are really a climber who gets out and climbs, you are spending your time on the rock, not with the trustifarians at the Foundry.

Notice also how many of the other posts note all the other things that such and such a town offers. But you want climbing, right? Pound for pound, Boulder is absolutely unbeatable in terms of 2 second access, gyms, distance to other areas (RMNP, Vedauwoo, South Platte, Rifle, Moab and on . . .) and climbing community. If you just need to get out of boulder for some other reason, than that is how it has to be. But if you are a climber and are just looking for something comparable to Boulder, Trust me, a few weeks after you are gone you will realize how big a mistake you made.

akforty7 wrote:i would have to give a nod to san diego as well...mostly because it's not landlocked, therefore, starts off better with just that fact. you can hit up southern/mid-arizona in a couple of short hours (driving in a straight line, so it seems shorter when you tie off the wheel and take a nap on the way). if you like seasons, then look elsewhere...it's one long summer with a few chilly days/hours? yeah. 2.5 hours from jtree 5 hours from bishop (high sierras if that tickles your fancy) 6 hours from mt. lemmon **factor in whatever the drive to flagstaff winter mountains within range surf (and the bums that go with) **used to be able to have a keg on the beach, but that has passed there's more locations on a previous reply...see above.

San Diego is a great town, granted, and has a ton of good climbing, especially with some of that backcountry stuff being developed. I'd give my eye teeth to have Mt. Woodson in LA's backyard. But it's not 5 hrs. from Bishop. Bishop is about 4.5 hrs. from LA, and SD is a good 2 hrs. south of LA. You do the math.

And besides, you mention Mt. Lemmon but not Idyllwild?!

Edit: P.S.: Has anyone mentioned Bishop? Not the cultural hub of CA, but the climbing and scenery can't be beat. I suspect the job situation might be grim, but there's enough climbers there who seem to find a way. Mammoth Lakes would be awesome as well but, again, employment issues.

I've lived in Flagstaff and currently live in Durango...

Flagstaff is MUCH harder to find a job... housing is also less available for cheap. On the other hand the climbing in Sedona is A+ and the proximity to Vegas and the VRG make it Tits!!! Close good climbing and the gym saved my winter.

Durango is less than half the driving time required to get to Indian Creek tho... and Mill Creek is good for a long weekend of sport climbing and Rifle is still manageably close...

Both towns are RAD and have a great thriving climbing community... although very different the two. There is no climbing gym to speak of in Durango... the college one and a couple of woodys around town so if it's a cold snowy winter, you may as well ski... Silverton and Wolf Creek are about 1-2 hours away. If you are psyched you can get outside all year for some rock scaling... In both places I have post holed through waste deep snow for dry steep boulders.

Good Luck... either is a great choice... I loved my time in Flag and I don't see myself leaving Durango for real anytime soon.

Look, I caught another one!</q
why are you fishing? this is a climbing forum. when you spu your mouth about something you apparently have no knowledge about, take your rebutles. buck up, and acknowledge your short comings. Do you think you know more about the SLC area, then those who enjoy living here?

Jhernand wrote:Salt Lake is not as bad as cam head makes it out to be. Yes the Mormon religion is visible in salt lake, but that is nothing to take SLC off your list. Contrary to popular belief (camhead) bars do exist in this town. Strong statement saying there are none in town. I means its not NYC, but the local bar scene is not too bad. In fact there are a lot of good bars in town, and good atmospheres. Don’t like the weak beer UT has… well SLC has bars that serve regular strength beers. Look… slc does have its downsides, but all in all it is great. You have some of the best climbing around, and only minutes form the city. Not to mention Indian creek, and Moab a short dive down the road. Red Rocks, and city of rocks in a short drive… plus if you ski or snowboard SLC has numerous resorts within 20 minutes of downtown. Oh… and as far as the religion goes… think about it this way… they go to church all day on Sunday so getting on the slopes, crags on “gods” day is super easy.

Here. Here. nothing better then Rocky mountain high. sunday afternoon in the Utah mountains is all the religion I need!

TracyEllingson wrote: why are you fishing? this is a climbing forum. when you spu your mouth about something you apparently have no knowledge about, take your rebutles. buck up, and acknowledge your short comings. Do you think you know more about the SLC area, then those who enjoy living here?

in other news, the form says "where are you from" not "where have ever lived your whole life and where did you grow up and learn to climb and seriously, after all the jokes upthread you still are pissed about the utah remark?"

I grew up in Small Fake City and could not wait to get the hell out. The climbing and skiing are world class however. I would not trade my upbringing for any other.

A good buddy of mine, Brendan Brinkley, once said, "Were it not for the Mormons, SLC would be just like Boulder"...

Could be worse, what if the city were overrun with Southern Baptists??? No Dancing! NOOOOOOOOOO

how come now body mentions any co mountain towns. Breck for instance has a strong climbing community, high altitude training, with in reasonable driving distance to all the good spots, and a uncrowded climbing gym. not to mention vail is 30 minutes in the winter? Unless you need the comforts of city life i think there are some better choices in colorado

Nate Brown wrote:I grew up in Small Fake City and could not wait to get the hell out. The climbing and skiing are world class however. I would not trade my upbringing for any other. A good buddy of mine, Brendan Brinkley, once said, "Were it not for the Mormons, SLC would be just like Boulder"... Could be worse, what if the city were overrun with Southern Baptists??? No Dancing! NOOOOOOOOOO

Then thank God for the mormons.

I used to live in Boulder, now Santa Cruz, CA. For my money, Tucson, hands down. Cochise Stronghold, Mt. Lemmon, untracked possibilities in the Chiricahuas........ Much better weather and a much more beautiful town than Phoenix. You're probably not a birdwatcher currently, but if you move to Tucson, you will be; arguably, western America's finest, single birding destination. There are probably natural resource opportunities to the southeast with the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (yet another draw to the area) and the surrounding Sonoran Desert (desert doesn't get any better).

For convenient year-round climbing there is only one place I can think of that even comes close to Boulder, and its in Colorado too - Canon City. Canon City doesn't show up on a lot of peoples' list, but has one of the best micro-climates in all of Colorado. I have climbed at Cactus Cliff (Shelf Road) numerous times in the winter - even once, the day after a big winter storm. South of Canon is Tanner Dome - beautiful, under-appreciated, multi-pitch granite sport climbing. Lots of alpine opportunities in the Sangres. And the cost of living.......what cost of living!

Take your pick, but if you move to Tucson please leave me some contact info, so that when I move there in a couple years, I'll have some climbing partners waiting for me when I get there!

Just left the preceding post and then read COEveryman's comments. I must concur with everything he said. If you are heart and soul a climber, DO NOT leave Boulder. I used to get up before work and climb Freeway (2nd Flatiron, nice 4th/easy 5th solo) for a morning starter and then be in the office at 7:30am, work for eight hours, after work, be at Eldo finishing the day with 2-3 pitches there. That's the Flatirons and Eldo, and then there's Boulder Canyon, Lumpy, Table Mountain.............

I'm still moving to Tucson when I retire, but it would be Boulder if it weren't for Front Range winters and rheumatoid arthritis......why I left in the first place.

I've noticed most of these suggestions have been in just a few states so I might throw another one out there to mix it up a bit...Leavenworth, WA. The only criteria it doesn't fully meet is a mild climate, but for that just head east, anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes to get on dry and warmer rock. Then again if you ski or climb ice you're once again covered by having stuff 5-10 minutes away. But literally, 4 miles down one road gets you to endless granite bouldering, cracks and slabs. Also you have acess to alpine rock, and 40 minutes up the highway is some great sport climbing.

Some one may have mentioned this before... here is a previous discussion on the Arizona and NM section - mountainproject.com/v/arizo….

and I vote for Tucson, AZ.

Fat Dad wrote: San Diego is a great town, granted, and has a ton of good climbing, especially with some of that backcountry stuff being developed. I'd give my eye teeth to have Mt. Woodson in LA's backyard. But it's not 5 hrs. from Bishop. Bishop is about 4.5 hrs. from LA, and SD is a good 2 hrs. south of LA. You do the math. And besides, you mention Mt. Lemmon but not Idyllwild?! Edit: P.S.: Has anyone mentioned Bishop? Not the cultural hub of CA, but the climbing and scenery can't be beat. I suspect the job situation might be grim, but there's enough climbers there who seem to find a way. Mammoth Lakes would be awesome as well but, again, employment issues.

I've made it from Bishop to San Diego in 5 hours...but it was later (no traffic) and we were movin' relatively quick the whole way (80-85).

There is some excellent convenience to outdoor opportunities in Ogden, UT (I have lived her most of my life solely for the recreation). By Utah standards though, I would give the climbing a C+/B- although that scale is skewed due to Ogden being in...well...Utah. Better locations abound within a short drive from the Den of Og including the City, Logan, the Cottonwoods, AF, Maple, Joes/Triassic, etc and I often find myself driving to those places instead which is both good and bad to have that access.

The bouldering is fun but it doesn't take long to run out of problems and then find yourself longing for LCC or Joes. Graffiti and Trash abound in the boulder fields due to the convenient access which draws riff raff from town in force. Route climbing is fun with a good variety from the concentration of sport cragging at the Schoolroom to scattered trad climbing throughout the valley to longer alpine rock climbing such as that found in Willard Spires or one might fit Macabre/Mezzanines into that category, to mention a few. Ice climbing is here but scarce and pales in comparison to Provo.

I rate the skiing, mountain biking, and hiking way higher for rec. opportunities. Some good stuff for sure but the convinient mountain access is riddled with property issues that are rearing their ugly heads as owners want to profit from the outdoor recreation publicity, much of which they have generated.

In terms of places to live, well, that is its weak spot. I view many of the magazine pieces on the Den of Og as marketing and propoganda. Take it all with a grain of salt. They are trying to get you to buy something. It's easy to show a few glossy photos and hit one or two talking points without mentioning some of the ills. Officials never seem to get ahead of the gang problem. The job market is limited, even when the economy was better. Hospitals are good. Housing market can look attractive and cheap but so many people end up working in SLC which is a bit of a commute on a daily basis and therefore a substantial transportation cost and major pollution concern for the Wasatch. Also, in terms of real estate, the promoters of Ogden are pushing for rather large, expensive homes to be built literally at the foot of the climbing and biking. History and common sense shows that this does wacky things to your cheaper property and trail access.

I dont have kids so I can't speak to that but I have a dog which is like my kid. The city strongly enforces leash laws and seems to make buckets of revenue from citations while not actively promoting responsible dog ownership or providing 'dog parks' and safe streets to walk. This includes portions of the boulder field and its approach. Beware of citations and Krylon toting adolescents.

I think Ogden is well suited for college students. WSU is a good school. Spend your four years here, get an education, climb/ski/bike the shit out of everything and then bolt (or use the degree to improve the town).

If all of what you have seen of Ogden is a picture of neon lights and fancy restaurants and the nightlife of 25th st and then a sweet climbing pic, then that is a very, very small microcosm of Ogden. Step just out of frame of either of those glossy photos and it is a different story altogether, yet here I am.

Lastly and most importantly, it is an EXTREMELY bad idea let your local politicians (mayor especially) fucntion as an advocate for your climbing and other recreation, especially when they are not active participants. Derive whatever conclusions you want from that but something about strange bedfellows applies.

Chris Miller wrote:Good question! My girlfriend and I have also been shopping around for a new place to live. So far Tucson seems like a great option, but I am very interested in hearing some more opinions.

hey chris--

Tucson is great, but getting around is not as easy as it might seem, so you have to be very careful where you live in order to have decent access to both mt. lemmon and the interstate during getaway hours.

and it can get hotter and wetter during the summer than you might expect-- windy point is about like jtree, but w. greater chance of t-storms.

personally, i'd go to flag in a second if i had the chance. easier to get out of the snow in winter, than it is to get out of the heat in tucson.

but tucson has a better art scene, the university had some nice resources, if the legislature hasn't already shut them down, and the so az hinterlands have stacks and stacks of untouched winter season rock.

So I should definitely not move to SLC. I'll just cross it off my list then, I wouldn't want to even bother to visit. And I definitely won't ask for any pms for a weekend of climbing so I could see the choss for myself.

There are hundreds of towns across the U.S. that can provide a climber with a lifetime of new routes to do.
So little time, so many destinations.
I relocated to The Front Range after high school.
I'm sure I could have had an equally enjoyable and productive climbing career on California's east side, Wyoming, Utah, Washington, Arizona, Black Hills, the southeast, the northeast, etc.
If I move away from here, I'd likely select a climate where I wouldn't have to shovel snow or drive icy roads.
I have family south of Tucson is the Green Valley / Suaharita area.
I've climbed at Mt Lemmon a couple of times and thought it was a great area.
I'd love to climb the prominent West Ridge of Elephants Head, and Cochise Stronghold in The Dragoon Mountains has always been on my hit list.
Matt, with so many places to choose from, I think you have to take all of the other non-climbing factors into account before making decision on where to move your life.