What are the single most trafficed climbs in the country?

Ever drive by Swan slab in the Valley?
Ever seen the 14 people waiting for After Six?

Easiest route at Jtree of Red Rocks just because they have so many climbable days.

FrankPS wrote: Is that the east face route on Whitney? Or a Temple Crag route?

Nope and nope. Not a hard route either, but you can't pull your car up to the base of it, so there's that.

Adam Burch wrote: Nope and nope. Not a hard route either, but you can't pull your car up to the base of it, so there's that.

After all we've been through together, you're not going to tell me?

What about Jam Crack in the Valley? That one has seen ALOT of ascents.

almost every time I pull up at the lower Needles Road, there is a rented car or a car with out of state plates. When I ask "what ya hear to climb?"

The answer is always the same.... White Punks on Dope

Adam... got any more "Rad" photos you wish to share?????

Guy Keesee wrote: Adam... got any more "Rad" photos you wish to share?????

I always liked this one of me and birdie

This kind of deviates from the question of "single" most trafficked climb. But Black Corridor in Red Rocks has always been a highly trafficked wall in general any time I've made a visit there. Of course that's not too surprising with its back to back moderate climbs and offering of shade from the desert sun. I know it gets some hate for the junk show it can be, but I have fond memories of it. I remember ducking under the tree into the corridor on my first trip there feeling like I just walked into Narnia or something.

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Mostly by ColoRADo residents of course.

Crowd Pleaser, Owens River Gorge - or maybe one of the other warm-ups on Negress or Great Wall of China. Constant high-turnover traffic for many months of the year, and locals traffic early am and late afternoon in mid summer months. Strong contender vs. 5-Gallon Buckets at Smith - how much traffic does that get mid-summer?

Bastille Crack won't be a contender, frozen for months, and slow parties jamming it up keeps the rate down.

Wings of Steel?

+1 for NOT the Bastille Crack. Goes days upon days over the winter with no ascent. I wouldn't be surprised if a moderate across the canyon on the (SW facing) Wind Tower such as wind ridge or calypso gets more annual traffic than the Bastille Crack.

Greg Barnes wrote:Bastille Crack won't be a contender, frozen for months, and slow parties jamming it up keeps the rate down.

Yeah, I think you're right. But after my first trip up the Direct Route of the 1st Flatiron and being passed by about a dozen soloists (I'm not exaggerating, and I was pretty amazed) I'd guess it might be a contender. Of course it's closed part of the year due to raptor nesting, but it seems to get regular traffic even in the winter. So close to town, long easy after-work exercise for those comfortable soloing 5.6

Mike Morin wrote:I contend that Canal Zone in Clear Creek Canyon in Colorado is the busiest crag in the US. I did, an albeit brief, use survey there a few years ago and counted 100+ visitors per day on weekends. There are only 20 or so routes there...

Only a hundred? It's shoulder to shoulder all the way across the frontside of Smith, year round. That shit is crowded. My vote for busiest route is Five Gallon Buckets

Ryan Palo wrote: Only a hundred? It's shoulder to shoulder all the way across the frontside of Smith, year round. That shit is crowded. My vote for busiest route is Five Gallon Buckets

I don't live in Bend so I'll trust your assessment of how busy it is at Smith to a point. However, I have spent a couple of weeks there and have never seen use levels to the degree that you're suggesting. I have no doubt it gets slammed some weeks, but my personal experience suggests that you may be exaggerating the frequency slightly. I'll put the millions of people on the Front Range + Easy, Accessible, and Free Access up against 5 Gallon Buckets.

Some thoughts on this:

The climb probably isn't multi-pitch. Being multi-pitch makes ascents take longer, and cuts out a lot of potential climbers.

The climb is very likely near a major population center. If it is reachable for after-work climbing this is a plus. If it is reachable by public transit, this is a plus. If it is within 20 minutes of the city, this is a plus.

If there is a small/limited selection of nearby climbs, this will concentrate ascents.

If the climb is relatively easy, this will make for more ascents.

If the climb/crag has easy access to the top for setting up TRs, this will increase the number of ascents. (Nothing like a boy/girl scout troop setting up a TR to up the ascent count on a route.)

Do boulder problems qualify as climbs?

If boulder problems, then one of the warm-ups on Rat Rock in Central Park (NYC) is probably in the running for most ascents.

Otherwise, looks for a (probably minor) urban crag that is the local outdoor-gym.

Mike Morin wrote: I don't live in Bend so I'll trust your assessment of how busy it is at Smith to a point. However, I have spent a couple of weeks there and have never seen use levels to the degree that you're suggesting. I have no doubt it gets slammed some weeks, but my personal experience suggests that you may be exaggerating the frequency slightly. I'll put the millions of people on the Front Range + Easy, Accessible, and Free Access up against 5 Gallon Buckets.

Ryan is not exaggerating. I only live about two hours away from Smith and I for the most part refuse to go there because of the insanity.

Jonathan Cunha wrote:Wings of Steel?

+1

""Do boulder problems qualify as climbs?""

Nooo Noooo way....Good God Man, what are you thinking.

And Burch, thanks you for another RAD photo!!!!

Let me guess the location.

North end of Third Lake?

Guy Keesee wrote: And Burch, thanks you for another RAD photo!!!! Let me guess the location. North end of Third Lake?

They're so rad. Up next is one of me on the toilet.

First one was in the Minarets, and bird one was in the north fork drainage, was up there for a little late season ice. Don't remember seeing anyone up there either, even though neither one of these areas is a secret.

Too far to drag a pad, I guess?