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Climbing, Adventure, Gear & Choss
Contest Post – Road Tripper’s Dilemma
It’s been some time in the making, but I’m happy to announce a new monthly contest here on the Splitter Choss. Each month, there will be a featured post with a series of questions that you can comment on to be entered into a drawing for a chance to win some sweet gear. The contests will start on the first of the month, and close on the last day.
We are kicking things off in style with two, $200 gift certificates to Sterling Rope, so this time around there will be two winners.
And this month’s topic: the Road Tripper’s Dilemma. A recent thread on MountainProject, where folks could go on and trash talk their least favorite climbing areas (pretty lighthearted and funny actually!), got me thinking about climbing road trips. What I’m curious about is:
What do you look for in a climbing trip? Are you wanting to experience new places? Climb lots of routes? Project a couple classics that you’ve heard/read about?
If you are used to a certain style, does that translate to your road trip? If steep sport routes are your thing, can you have fun at places like Josh or Smith, where you might be wondering where someone hid all the “real” holds? Do you stay in the comfort zone, or use road trips to go outside the box?
Leave a comment, win some gear. This month’s prizes are generously brought to you by Sterling Rope. Be sure to click their ad below and check out their sweet ropes! (The Ion2 happens to be my all time favorite rope, so I might be a little biased.) Good luck!
One entry per person. Winners will be picked by random drawing. Folks affiliated with Splitter Choss aren’t allowed to enter, more fine print, blah, blah, blah.
57 Responses to Contest Post – Road Tripper’s Dilemma
Bulldog Creek Dog Walk (IV WI 4+)
Hayden Carpenter and Tom Bohanon recently repeated an obscure ice climb on the south side of Mt Sopris. Given a brief mention in Jack Robert’s ice guide, Bulldog Creek Walk is described as being 100 meters of WI 4. What they found was seven pitches of ice in a remote setting that makes for one […]
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I just look for a change of scenery and some new routes. Since I’ve only climbed in MN and WI it doesn’t take much for me 🙂
Sounds like a solid plan to me!
There’s so many great established areas at this point, I’m not normally looking to tick some classic. Clean rock and quality line. Ideally not a huge crowd of people.
I go on 2 types of road trips (usually one of each a year):
A) I want to get a couple of a good friends and go somewhere that is totally different than I’ve been before. I’m a Squamish climber (ie. granite cracks and slabs). Earlier this year I went to Indian Creek. First time on sandstone and in truly splitter cracks (found out how to actually jam :D). I didn’t climb anything particularly hard but, had a fantastic experience with new scenery and a new type of climbing.
Something about getting out of my comfort zone and trying something new is extremely appealing.
Or
B) I want to get one good partner and go try something hard that is somewhat familiar. I went to the Bugaboos to try some harder long routes on alpine granite. The climbing felt familiar but, the experience of being in a new place working something hard (for me) is amazing. The next trip I plan like this is to Yosemite (though, I’m told I’ll get spanked, at least it’s granite!).
It’s super rewarding to go somewhere and really send a tough route and come back with torn hands and a good story.
While writing this I realized that I’m happy to road trip anywhere as long as I’m going with or meeting good people that I get along with. That’s really what makes road tripping worth while.
I’m looking for a great time with good friends, first and foremost. Secondarily, new terrain and new routes to try hard to on-sight. Convenient, free and scenic car camping is a huge bonus.
I go on two types of climbing trip – The first is the “high octane” trip, where it’s usually just me and a partner and we try and climb as much as we can, at our limit. This is fun, and usually works best when we only have 3-5 days. The other one is the more chill alternative, and it’s what happens when I’m going with a group. There’s a lot more hanging out, climbing some easier stuff so other people in the group can toprope, etc. I really enjoy both types though, and I think it’s important to maintain a good balance between the two.
I focus on routes that I think I can onsight. I stay away from projecting on a road trip or even a crag I have been to a handfull of times. I look for the most classic lines within my onsight grade so I can get a lot of mileage.
Somewhere different! I live in New England and climb a lot of granite. Areas with different rock types or even just different common features are always super fun. Generally I stick to stuff around my flash limit and try not to get sucked into projects. When I have limited time in an area, I’d rather do more routes than spend a lot of time working something I may or may not send.
It depends. Some areas offer geography that’s unmatched anywhere in the American road tripper’s range, with Yosemite being the obvious example… nowhere else in the Lower 48 will you go and climb walls of that size. Some are absolutely perfect spots for learning and/or training a certain technique, a la Indian Creek. I could easily spend the rest of my life road tripping to those two spots, but a huge part of climbing is also the experience of challenging yourself in new areas. especially those that offer a style or type of rock you’re less familiar with. Also, it’s easy to forget to mention the “adventures” that can be had travelling to and from these spot, as well as getting familiar with the local communities and characters there…
I would look for a cool place that I’ve never been before, with lots of routes that I could either onsight or redpoint. I would look for projects closer to home. I also would love to get to know the people and culture of each place I visit, and not just limit my experience to the crag.
Agree with all the folks just looking for something different…first trip to a new place is a great time to just check out the rocks and the area, then maybe figure out some fun ways to challenge myself or do some classics.
Going home! I recently moved, and have been missing my climbing partners and our old haunts like crazy!
Agreed. I learned to climb on Oahu, and the only climbing there is 30 fixed 100 foot routes. But the views, the climb and the people can’t be beat.
Two different things motivate my road trips: granite cracks and limestone pockets. The former is trad, and the latter is always sport. The former is a summertime escape from the heat. The latter is an escape from winter or just enjoying prime fall climbing. (Third place is an annual trip for abuse and car camping in beautiful Vedauwoo. It’s sickness I know. Gotta do it.)
I often focus on bouldering if traveling solo, or how rad a partner I can nab. If the community of great people, or just person, wants to go somewhere I am always excited to go, because regardless of the climbing, there will be an enjoyable time.
It all comes down to having fun with people you love in beautiful places. However, once there, of course, it’s better to climb 4 star routes than routes with only one. If you drive all the way to Devil’s tower you might as well climb Durrance or if you’re in Moab you’ve got to do one of the super-classic towers not just “random crack 239”. But for me, It is great fun to get in as many new classics than to project one or two. Projecting is for at home. Getting as big a taste of this exotic place that you may never see again is for road tripping.
Somehow the climbs that I’m very psyched to do seem way too hard and/or scary for me, so mostly I’m looking for possibilities to improve my climbing… doing some fun climbing in the process. It’s usually mediterranean islands to improve the actual rock climbing technique and become stronger, and yosemite or the alps to go higher longer bolder and gain all that experience you need to be able to tackle difficult objectives safely. I love the nature and good company, definitely, those are very important components of the experience, but I think the main motivation for me has been learning and training.
If it’s just me and a partner that climbs at the same level, we spend our time climbing must-do classics and routes around our onsight limit. If I’m with with a group or a partner that doesn’t climb as hard, I try to just get lots of mileage in on easy moderates – I want them to have a great experience climbing.
Good friends, lots of climbing early in the day and around 3:00 my thoughts turn to campfire and beer and friends. Getting a lot of routes in and maybe a super classic route that makes all the failures of the day pale in comparison.
For me it’s about the escape. Over the past few years, so much of my life has become routine … and that’s expected when you are raising a family. But sometimes I just need to escape the mundane. And a road trip with a friend is the perfect remedy. Laughter, beer, challenges, isolation, good music … all of it added up make a good trip.
My girlfriend and I are a couple years into climbing, so we are still figuring out what we like best on road trips. What has worked well for us so far is to get on some quality easier routes for the beginning of a trip and then turn our attention toward climbs at our limit. This mix of mileage and projects seems to work well since our “home crag” is a 4.5 hour drive.
I chase the weather. I haven’t been climbing long enough to appreciate a particular type of rock. I’ll spend a week at a choss pile with a big grin on my stupid face. But I have a kid on the way now and I’m TERRIFIED of slowing down (this article helped, thanks https://www.splitterchoss.com/2010/04/09/9-tips-for-climbing-camping-with-a-kid/). But I can’t bring junior if he’s going to freeze.
The first time in a new area, it’s all about finding my place; my way around, my limits. Onsighting easy grades to get a feel for the rock, the area, the people, the style, the ethics. The second trip and beyond are much more productive; finding new and classic obscurities, trying harder routes, generally pushing the boundaries a bit more. Of course, on an extended stay in one place, this can come over time in one trip. But that’s what it’s all about, expanding my skill set to be a true 5.xx climber on every rock in every condition.
I do certainly find myself trying things that are normally not “my style” on long trips. I am climbing all the time! I have plenty of time to work a project, or belay slave all day. Things that I would never waste time with on a busy schedule. It’s a great freedom being on a road trip, having no time constraints and moving with the weather/seasons. If you have a “thing” back home, I think the road trip is the best time to break away from that! Round out your climbing repertoire! Try something new! Work on your weaknesses! Climb with someone better than you! Climb with someone worse! Maybe even party so hard that you can’t climb the next day! Break out of the box!
Of course I also love to head to the Creek and smash my favorite zones for 3 days. Or, even Rifle if I only have one day off of work. It’s all good! It’s all rock climbing! Milage will always make me the happiest. Moving over vertical rock is a fantastic feeling, and there are countless beautiful places to do just that. I can’t wait to see them all!
Climbing trips are all about seeing new sites and jumping into new situations. I’m a pretty mediocre climber, so I’m going to drool all over the guidebook/MP.com and get psyched about a route or two, but then just wander around with open eyes and look for things that scream at me to be climbed. Might be one route, might be ten. (Ok, not ten; I don’t think I’ve ever climbed ten pitches in a day.)
I love road trips that take me to new styles of climbing. Blank sandstone slabs, overhanging limestone (not too overhanging, I’m weak), vertical granite… I think they all make me a better climber, so I try to get a taste of as many as possible. This usually means being outside my comfort zone.
Climbing trips to me are all about change of scenery and meeting new friends. I’ve met so many awesome climbers from across the country (and Canada) on twitter so wherever I go it’s all about new scenery and new friends. I probably wouldn’t be projecting anything on a trip (it would really suck to not send it and not be able to go back to it), but I’d probably try to hit up as many classics in my ability range as possible.
I love how many people have commented that it’s more about friends and being with cool people on the trip. I agree completely. Our road trip destinations are usually based on family vacations or trips to spend time with friends. We usually look for fun climbing but stuff that is in our wheelhouse – nothing too epic. Even on our trip to Thailand, we only climbed about half the days, and the highlight of the trip was meeting climbers from all over the world and making wonderful new friends.
I make a few trips each year to Ten Sleep, WY. It’s close to where I live, there’s always good people to climb with, and the routes are stellar. My husband and I make an annual trip to Red Rocks in the fall, it’s nice to escape impending winter in Montana and to get to the desert for awesome routes, great food, and time together. Road trips are all about great company, different/better climbing than you have at home, and trying new things.
For a truly memorable road trip, it all starts with an idea. . . something slightly beyond what seems reasonable in the given amount of time. Next, you need to convince someone, just one person, other than yourself, to get on board. Sometimes, you even need that other person to convince you that your half-witted trip idea is actually a good idea. This whole process works best when it happens spontaneously, while sitting around drinking beer. In general, the more beer consumed the better the road trip will be. Once you have a partner, the fun factor is always increased by getting a few more buddies to join in. Finally, if your total driving time outweighs the total climbing time, and you go for it anyways, you are guaranteed an epic trip.
Personally, I distinguish between a road trip and commuting. If you climb at a crag more than twice a year, then you are just commuting. Even if you’re driving seven hours each way, every other weekend, that’s still commuting. A proper road trip takes you out of your comfort zone. It exposes you to new destinations and fresh perspectives. The type of rock matters less than the state of mind.
Don’t get me wrong, commuting is fun too. Road trips are the ultimate.
I’m doing my first big road trip here next year and am just looking to experience some of the big classic climbing areas that I’ve never been to out west. I’m not like a stellar climber by any means, so I’ll just be looking to hit up some of the classic stuff within my ability, improve my skill and technique, experience lots of different types of climbing, scenery, and styles, and hopefully meet a lot of cool people along the way!
For me, a climbing trip isn’t about climbing the longest, hardest routes. It’s about finding a line that gets us psyched, in a place we’ve never been before. It’s about meeting people on the road who share our passions and our stories. It’s about sitting in a car for hours with my closest, smelliest friends, searching for that perfect gas station hotdog. It’s getting lost and finding a secret camp spot, or some dive bar that’ll become trip canon and “awesome for all the times.”
I’m an east coast climber- Last month, my buddy and I flew across the country, rented a car, and climbed all over northern California. We hit Lover’s Leap in Tahoe, then spent a few nights in Camp 4 climbing around Yosemite. We ended up in San Francisco, where we found a sport crag on a nude beach. The time I spent with my best friend, and the adventures and challenges we faced throughout the trip are as memorable as the classic lines we climbed.
It changes for me, but usually it’s to try different styles of climbing on different rock types. I generally hope to climb as many routes as possible, and maybe find a “trip project” to try and finish up before the visit is over. Plus, a huge focus is just the chance to spend time with friends, sleep outside, and get away from the daily routine.
getting the chance to experience new styles of climbing and see new places!
I like to start out onsighting a bunch of climbs, trying to push my (embarrassingly low) onsight grade. But at a certain point, the redpoint climber in me kicks in and I inevitably find myself falling off some classic climb I have no chance of sending on the trip, but having a blast anyways.
Well, since I’ve been on the road for almost a year, I’ll answer from that perspective.
I mostly pick my locations based on where friends are, what people have recommended to me, and the vibe of the camping and day-to-day life. Usually I can find whatever sort of climbing I need to work on my weaknesses once I get there. For me, climbing is all about visiting new places and meeting new people — as long as I’m getting mileage on the rock I tend to improve.
However, it’s really fun every so often to go someplace way outside your comfort zone that’ll force you to do something new. I went to Indian Creek with a good knowledge of trad but terrible crack climbing skills, and I loved it. And then I went back to comfortable sport climbing for a while. Next spring I should probably get out to The Valley or Vedauvoo to push myself some more… or who knows, maybe some desert aid climbing this winter! Novelty is key!
I’ve moved around a bit growing up so I’m always hankering to get back to those crags where I started climbing. Interestingly enough that’s mostly the midwest. Since I live in Salt Lake there’s also the 2-4 hour drive option that allows you to spend most of the road trip climbing. I could start listing but you guys know what I’m talking about.
There are a lot of factors that go in to picking a destination to travel to. The first, and most important, thing for me is to find somewhere that is in season. The best climbing in the world won’t do you any good if you are tentbound by storms for the entire trip. In the winter, I’m looking for a warm and sunny desert spot to get away from the snow, in the summer I’ll be looking for relief from the heat. A lot of times, going to a place with some nice weather (like escaping the March gloom in New England by driving south) is enough reason of its own for a trip.
Once that is taken care of, I generally look for places that will help me to grow as a climber. I find that the best trips are those with a learning curve for a new place, a new style, and new skills. What sort of area I end up at will depend on what I feel like I need to work on at a given time. A few years ago, I had a desire to learn to climb harder cracks, so I went to the Creek for a while. Last winter, I realized I needed to get better at crimpy, bouldery sequences, so that led me to take a trip to Bishop. Note that this doesn’t always entail going to an area with a style that I am weak at. Sometimes I go to a place that will exploit my weaknesses (like going on a bouldering trip), while other times I will go to a place that will allow me to see how far I can push at a style that I am good at (like going to Maple to climb enduro routes with vacation grades).
In the end, it really just comes down to what you are psyched on at a given moment.
I like to plan my climbing trips not by how challenging the climb is but how beautiful it’s going to be. I can work on technique in the gym but the scenery is the reward for outdoor climbing.
One of the things I love the most about the road is visiting obscure local’s crags. Everyone has been to Red Rocks. Really, you climbed Epinephrine? BFD. Places everyone’s heard of are great places to wait in line, to follow tick marks and chalk, to feel just a bit greasy, jaded and generic. But when you roll up to some minor chosspile and there’s two people there and they cannot believe that you drove all the way from wherever to climb on their little clump, the stoke is all that matters. It’s short, it’s humid, there’s only five climbs- perfect! Those two are there because they LOVE CLIMBING. “Hey, lemme show you this one cool line over here. Really, you guys came from________ ?! You guys have a place to stay?” When was the last time you got that from a local at the Cookie?
I love leaving Montana and going someplace else and realize how great the climbing is in Montana. Going to Bishop or Red Rocks is great but it makes me how great the place I live is. My favorite crags are 30-40 minutes down the road but you gotta get a change every once in a while and stand in line for a climb
What my wife and I look for in a road trip has changed a little since we had a baby. We used to enjoy moving around to different areas looking for diversity and different experiences; climbing long multipitch one day and short sport or bouldering the next. Now we are happy to stay in one place for longer and establish a bit of routine. And we stick to the bouldering and single pitch stuff so our daughter can come to the crag and we can all play together. The best part of our road trips is still just waking up every morning with only one question to answer : “what will we climb today?”.
Road trips give me the opportunity to bring friends to places they have never climbed before. Gives them exposure to something other than the same old local crag. Road trips also are a good conduit to meet up with old friends from across the country. Climbing road trips bring us back together for more fun times!
I have driven out west from the east coast twice for climbing road trips, one with limited time and the other relatively open ended. I had the most fun when we decided to do stuff that we previously hadn’t plannedon doing; climbing rainier, going up to Squamish on a whim, tagging tuolumne on the way back east. The best trips (and memories) happen when you accept and enjoy the unexpected.
First, I need to preface by saying that I’m a dirtbag. I don’t have a job. I climb. I have spent the last year and a half doing nothing else. This means two things: 1. I’m always traveling alone so I have to go to places that I can find partners then maybe convince people to go to smaller areas, and 2. my version of a road trip is taking 6+ months and hitting of many spots around the US. For practical purposes here, I’ll call a trip to one spot a climbing trip.
My favorite climbing trips are the ones that are long. I don’t get people who have the time and choose to visit 8 different places in a month. Give me a month or two in ones spot and I thrive. I start off getting to know the place, visit lots of different walls, and do lots of climbs that will go in a try or two. I’ll start building projects and after a few weeks switch to project mode and spend the second half busting ass for the one or two climbs that really inspire me.
As for the kind of climbing, I love to try new and unique places. So far since June 2011 I’ve climbed all over including Yosemite, the New, Bishop, Smith, Wild Iris, and Kalymnos. I love checking out smaller places like Shagg or Blacksmith too when I can find partners. Either way, it’s always great traveling, meeting new people, and checking out new areas. Life is all a great adventure.
When I started climbing, I focused on trips to bigger name places like the creek, zion, and devil’s tower. And while I would still be psyched to spend time at any of those places, I really like checking out the smaller areas too, generally as stopovers during larger trips.
This last spring I went on a big trip (southern utah, yosemite, etc) but I also stopped at a few small-medium crags like the Owen’s River Gorge, LCC, and Maple.
I guess for me it really comes down to the camping scene/aura, partners, and then location and quality. If an area only has few decent routes, I’m still inclined to stop there as long as it’s not terribly far off my intended path; I’ll just stay for a shorter time. I actually have fun (sometimes type II) of exploring a new area trying to orient yourself (usually with little to no beta) and trying to find the damn rock!
What i most enjoy about road trips is experiencing the local culture of an area. Typically I gravitate to the classic climbs which are typically reflective of the local flavor, as they were usually established early on in the area’s history. I also am always looking to do routes new to me or at the very least, new to my partner.
This past summer my boyfriend was a climbing ranger on Rainier and I had a job near Mt. Hood. Since we live in Maine, we decided to drive across the country together to get there. Now I’m not sure that starting out I would have called it a “climbing trip,” but it certainly turned into the best climbing trip of my life. We got to climb in so many different, beautiful places and meet so many interesting people along the way. Since we had no real agenda and had all our gear in the car, whenever we found ourselves with an opportunity to climb, we did. We weren’t always climbing as hard as we could–in fact most of the time, we weren’t, but we had so much fun just climbing together. I’d say that’s what I look for in a climbing trip now–no agenda, new places, new faces, and beautiful scenery.
I’m specifically looking to sample what are the best and classic lines across the country. Why? To experience and understand historical routes, great movement, great position. Certainly, being in places similar to my style of climbing is nice and easy, but I think it’s more interesting to explore and try to learn new rock, new friction, new communities of climbers. My trips are built around having new experiences in the Climbing world, and finding the best (ie most beautiful lines, most interesting movement, etc) experiences that my ability allows.
I like to road trip to climb at a new crag, take a vacation, and see new and beautiful places with friends. I like to climb routes that have been highly rated, to maximize the experience, but it’s really about getting out there and exploring.
I go on trips to climb moderate classics because that’s what I’m good enough to do. But, it’s also really important for the area to be pretty. I personally find J-Tree / Sierra backcounty gorgeous.
Anytime, anyplace,anywhere, alone, with old friends, or meeting new ones; it’s all good. 🙂
I like to have one backcountry trip planned…a classic line that involves a hike and camping out. The rest of the time I like to spend cragging…classic crag or obscure,trad or sport…anything new.
As I get older I am more into trips to new areas and experience different routes. However going to areas I have been to before brings back good memories and great conversations around the campfire.
I just want to climb, it could be the same old route over and over or something new and challenging. Having a good time with friends on the wall, nothing better. Comfort zone/ outside the box. Sending or getting shut down. I just love to be away from the office.
I love climbing road trips! I love to explore new places, and climbing road trips let me both see new places and experience the place through being on the rock. I think I tend to be aware of the type of climbing to expect at a new location (read: guide book and Mountain Project addict) so I’m not surprised if a crag is all steep sport or run out slab climbing. The point, for me, is to try classic routes that quintessentially define that location.
Side note: I LOVE STERLING ROPES!!
Climbing trips feel like adventures to me, especially when I am going to a new area. I enjoy visiting new places, meeting new people, and having fun with my partners. Besides setting the goal of getting there and returning home, I don’t have other expectations about how much I will climb or what projects to complete. Since I usually get lost driving to a new destination and again on the approach, at the end of most trips I am just glad to have explored a new area and spent some time outside. Of course, it is always pretty different when I go to new places with friends who are familiar with the area… then it sure is nice to climb throughout the whole trip!
I am used to sport climbing, but I enjoy getting practice at other types of climbing. I gently push my comfort zone anytime I climb on trips, because the fun dies to push too hard.
I look for a high density of moderate routes with a few hard ones.
Thanks for all the great feedback everyone, the contest is now closed and winners will be announced shortly!