I vote for Red Rocks or Colorado for the following reasons:

1. They offer excellent climbing and bouldering. So both Gerry and Miguel will be happy :-)

2. They are both pretty easy to get to. Flights to Vegas and Denver frequently go on sale. The climbing areas are within 1 hour from the airport. Also, the crags are pretty close to where we would stay (although the approaches can be pretty hardcore in Boulder canyon)

I would pick Red Rocks between these two, since you know…I am partial to the apres-climb activities there :-) As for timing, how about march??

Red Rocks was great and all… but if I’m only going to have one major climbing trip in a year, I think I want it to be different from last year. So I would lean towards CO. Time of year doesn’t matter much to me, as long as it’s far enough in the future that I can save up some $$$.

I like Bishop, CA. They have plenty of sport climbing down in the Gorge, but you can’t beat the super awesome granite boulders. I’ll have to save up $$$ too, so planning way in the future would be key.

BC Squamish is awesome too. Their sport climbing routes are either real technical slabs, or super hard 5.12’s. But TONS of trad routes and you can’t beat the bouldering. Problem is, it rains alot.

I never been to Joshua Tree or Colorado, so I’d vote for those too.

My folks are always asking when we’re coming out to Vegas again. I know most of us have been there, but it’s cheap, and close, and somethign doable in March, shoot I’m here right now, you guys should get out here!

Maybe we should do more than just one trip???!! I would love to go back to red rocks again at a better time of the year. I would also love to head out to Bishop for something new.

Btw, it took me a really long time to find this post. I was looking under the “climbing community” posts…looking through the “events”,”news”, and “forum” categories but found nothing. Then I searched for “bishop” and also found nothing. Then Andy told me to look under the “FP Climbers” group. So I looked under the posts in “events” and “news” first…and finally found it under “forum”...Just some feedback.

I think more than one trip would be stellar especially if one is cheap. I would be game for both another red rocks trip and bishop. I am also going to throw out Joshua Tree or Obed just out side of Knoxville,TN.

the Obed Wild…that would be a nice cheap that’s not too far away, and more affordable. found some links: 1, 2

I have the guide book if any one once to look it over. There are a few places around there we can check out. When I was in Knoxville I went a few times.

Gerry and I were talking and we think based on our crew’s various likes, skills, etc. Joshua Tree would be the place of choice. Bouldering, Sport, similar to Vegas we could break into groups. We were thinking sometime in early April. Let’s get everyone’s schedule and get this thing rolling!

Hmmm… it’s been a month, maybe time to revisit this? Max, I did some reading about J-tree. Sounds like there’s no sport, there are only “routes with bolts” if you get me. I think a Vegas trip might still be ideal, even thought we went last year. Also, it’s getting to be time for the Red again. I’m thinking mid-March. And if anybody’s interested, I want to do at least a week (maybe two?) at the Red sometime in late spring… maybe two weekends and the week in between.

I wish i could go for a week of climbing, unfortunately, some of us gotta work for a living. ; )

I will definitely join for a weekend trip though.

What about somewhere like Yosemite or Rumney?

AFAIK, there’s no sport at Yosemite, and the bouldering is less than ideal, but I don’t think Bishop is far from there. Rumney would be lots of fun, although again, I’m not sure about the bouldering situation. Especially in the middle of summer though, somewhere like Rumney would be sweet. Any local experts or just more knowledgeable people want to weigh in?

And I (unfortunately) have to work for a living as well, and with no paid vacation. So a week at the Red would hit me doubly hard… but I bet it will be worth it. I’m starting to drool just thinking about it.

Southern Illnios Jackson Falls bouldering trip anyone? Lets say March? We can go get burly on the fine rocks of Illinois.

J tree sounds cool. I’ve read a few articles about it and it looks sweet. A week in the red? When? I could do a longer weekend, but a week might be tough. I would also love to go to Bishop. Basically, I’m going wherever I’m told. How bout that?

I have from the 21st (fri) to the 30th (sun) off if anyone wants to go to Vegas any time around then I might be there or depending on the weather I might try to stay down at the red and camp at miguels if anyone’s interested in meeting up or going around those weekends, let me know.

I can also take some time of around 3/21 – 3/30. Spring break right? Since I mostly work at schools, my schedules more flexible around school holidays. I can do a long weekend or something. Let me know the plans so that I can book plane tickets.

FYI, I just opened up Gerry’s rope bag to check if I had his draws… it definitely smells like the Red. Not sure what it is, the dirt, the rock, whatever, but it has that smell. Now I’m freaking out a little bit because I want to go so bad.

Max and I are currently planning to head down there from 3/21-30. We’d love to see anybody that could make it down for either weekend, or both. Warning though (Dimi, I’m looking at you), it’s probably going to be cold at night and we’re going to camp. I don’t care, I’m stoked as shit.

Oh, and who actually does have Gerry’s draws? Not sure what kind they are, but I’ll try to find out.

I’m pretty sure they’re black diamonds with orange beaners and a black dogbone.

I have Gerry’s four draws. Never even used them last season.

Cheap and easy, and a change of pace for most of you, is Jackson Falls. The bouldering is top-notch sandstone and difficulties vary from end to end! All of it is within a well-defined 1-square mile basin. Everyone is cool. Everything is classic! The surroundig rock barriers are all bolted. Sure there’s easy stuff but most of it is 11s and 12s with a few gem 13s. And thew camping is free!

There’s also a once secret bouldering site near Carbondale that I never hear anyone in the gym talk about. But I don’t want to spray it in public. But I’d tell you about it in person. And I have directions. It is on private land. Access issues were at one time resolved. But I don’t know the current status.

From my personal experiences:

- Joshua Tree: there is some sportclimbing but the routes are fairly scattered about and some are a little runout (this isn’t inclusive of the ‘bolt protected trad’ climbs). Lots of easy to hard trad. 3-4 hours from LAX (with low traffic). Orange County is closer. Ontario is even closer. Palm Springs is ever closer. Vegas is about 3 hours.

- Squamish: 1 hour from Vancouver, 4 from Seattle. Awesome sport, (multipitch) trad, and bouldering on granite all in one place. Best months to go are July and August because, though it’s the hottest (not all that hot), they’re the months that see the least precipitation.

- Bishop: best bet is to fly to Vegas and drive 4 hours to Bishop. Vegas will have much lower rental car rates and flights than most alternatives. Tahoe is another decent option to fly into (4hrs?). SF is 7.5 hrs

- Rumney: abundant great sportclimbing but not all that much bouldering. I don’t remember seeing camping. Can be wet in the summer and the blackflies are bitches. About 1 hour North of Manchester (2 from Boston).

- Obed: good sportclimbing and the Lilly Boulders are there, too (see DrTopo for a topo). About a 9 hour drive from Chicago.

- SoIll: bouldering at Jackson Falls is decent. Lots of good sportclimbs. Draper’s Bluff has decent boulering, too and has trad + sport (and a few 2-pitch sport routes). The “secret” bouldering area near Carbondale isn’t quite so secret and access isn’t so resolved. Any boulders under/past the power lines are CLOSED (includes the Turkey Jerkey and Red Sea boulders). It’s unadvisable to go when the area is open for hunting seasons/weekends and the landowner’s home is on the property (so if you go, Leave No Trace, don’t be loud, and be polite to people you come across). About 5 hours drive from Chicago.

other sport/bouldering combo options to consider:

- Austin, TX (granite bouldering at Enchanted Rock and limestone tufa sport at Reimer’s Ranch)

- Horseshoe Canyon Ranch (near Jasper, AR. easy to hard sport routes and lots of bouldering). 9 hour drive from Chicago.

- New River Gorge (lots of world-class sportclimbing and lots of bouldering @ Hawk’s Nest & Cotton Hill). 10 hour drive from Chicago. 4 hour drive from Washington DC

- Tahoe area (Donner Pass has sport, lots of bouldering)

- Chattanooga area (Foster Falls for sport, Little Rock City & Rocktown for bouldering). 10 hour drive from Chicago.

Mike

Hee-haa.. For the V-Jackalope, of course, there is the other idea of heading east of Vegas… The Virgin River Gorge has some of the best limestone in the US with beefy routes. Also, if you head out further, you’ll hit Zion which has sick/scary sandstone, with unimpressive bouldering. But, what a beautiful combination for a trip!

Also, you guys should consider what type of rock you want to get on… (e.g. quarzite, rhynolite, welded tuff, cobblestone, limestone, sandstone, grit stone etc.. ) in addition to the place. I’m saying this because I’m not the hugest fan of balancing on quartz monzonite nubs and high-ball boulder problems. Doesn’t the sandstone in Indian Creek with perfect cracks sound more soothing albeit reclusive?

Why not compromise and climb at smith rock?

Jon