For The Love Of Climbing!

[Gamine]

Sport climbing! Trad! Ice climbing! Bouldering! Any other climbers out there?

Even though I live in the world's most polite nation where there are plenty of incredible climbing opportunities, I'm planning a trip to Murica for sometime this summer/fall and I'd love some feedback on your favourite bouldering or sport climb routes. Specifically for Utah, if possible please.

Also, did you guys catch that the first ice climbers have ascended Niagara Falls?

Pair of Ice Climbers Are First to Ascend Frozen Niagara Falls

 

[kyuuei]

I'm in Texas and there's a ton of hot spots around Austin, San Antonio outskirts and El Paso is full of mountains and opportunities. The east part of Houston is flat, but starting around the midline and Fredericksburg and such, it starts to get interesting.

The green belt is tons of hiking and room for free climbing opportunities. Mckinney state park had bouldering specific sites. There was a ton of awesome stuff all over the place along those outskirts where it gets hilly in North/west outside of austin areas.

El Paso is where it's at if you wanna really see some canyons and stuff. Carlsbad isn't so far away either so you can duck into a cave too and it's on many world top 10 lists.

Texas is also pretty cheap to be in too, so you can take your time there.

 

[gromit]

Im in Denver. When my elbow heals I hope to get into climbing more/again.

 

[heal1079]

I have been to Nepal for adventurous sports like hiking and climbing.

 

[Showbread]

I LOVE climbing. I haven't brave enough to try real outdoor climbing yet, but I climb in a gym about 3 nights a week. I got a pair of La Sportiva climbing shoes for Christmas this year and I am in love with them.

 

[Gamine]

I'm in Texas and there's a ton of hot spots around Austin, San Antonio outskirts and El Paso is full of mountains and opportunities. The east part of Houston is flat, but starting around the midline and Fredericksburg and such, it starts to get interesting.

The green belt is tons of hiking and room for free climbing opportunities. Mckinney state park had bouldering specific sites. There was a ton of awesome stuff all over the place along those outskirts where it gets hilly in North/west outside of austin areas.

El Paso is where it's at if you wanna really see some canyons and stuff. Carlsbad isn't so far away either so you can duck into a cave too and it's on many world top 10 lists.

Texas is also pretty cheap to be in too, so you can take your time there.

That sounds pretty wicked. To be honest I have never ventured to Texas before.
Are there any particular routes or climbs you'd recommend?

 

[Gamine]

Im in Denver. When my elbow heals I hope to get into climbing more/again.

Get better soon! What do you climb mostly? I have this dream where I sell all my worldly belongings and live in a van, travelling the world to climb. Is Denver a nice place to visit?

 

[Gamine]

I LOVE climbing. I haven't brave enough to try real outdoor climbing yet, but I climb in a gym about 3 nights a week. I got a pair of La Sportiva climbing shoes for Christmas this year and I am in love with them.

That sounds awesome I'm super excited for you to try them outside this summer. I have La Sportivas too (mine are about mid-level aggressive) and they're super sticky on rock, and were pretty decent this last summer on some slab climbs. Do you have a preference between bouldering and top-roping at the gym?

 

[kyuuei]

That sounds pretty wicked. To be honest I have never ventured to Texas before.
Are there any particular routes or climbs you'd recommend?

I cannot recommend climbing so much only because I don't climb. Yet. It is on my list of things to get tf done in my life though. I think Id prefer bouldering if I was going to venture to what I'd eventually like, but the reality is is that I've only climbed a handful of times in gyms. And Im not good at it there.

Anywher along the greenbelt in Austin is going to satisfy, I'd say. It's halfway between El Paso and East Texas, Austin is full of things to do, and there are a ton of hot spots.. so you can make a day road-trip out of things, starting at Natural Bridge Caverns (Near San Antonio), and hit up a ton of watering holes and hiking spots all along the outskirts of Austin, go into downtown for the night, then emerge for Green Belt and Zilker park the next day.

These are all water exhibits because I'm obsessed with water and hiking.
Asheville, NC has a TON of amazing hiking ranging from light hikes to near vertical areas to see the upper falls. As lame as it sounds, romanticasheville is a website that has an amazing wealth of information on things to do in the area for anyone--romantic or not.

If you want my opinion, the BEST place I ever went to for outdoor sites and hiking ever was the Grand Canyon. Just outside of it, over 100 miles away from the national park, when I booked a trip to Havasu Falls. It was a (really expensive) whim based on a single picture I saw of one of the falls. I got maybe 6 hours of sleep in 3 days, was on horseback 3 hours a day getting there and back, and only had shreds of daylight to see what I wanted to see. It was the best best place I ever went to, and I'd like to go back when I can go play more and do it some justice. Make sure you see the Grand Canyon Caverns too, it's literally on the way out.

Anyways, the list we did on a weekend trip out there to Austin:

Natural Bridge Caverns
McKinney Falls State park
Jacob's well in Wimberley TX
Krause Springs
Hamilton Pool Preserve
Greenbelt Austin
Zilker Park and Barton Springs

honorable mentions I wish we'd done:
Enchanted Rock
Balcones Canyonlands
more of Round Rock
The Salt Lick BBQ
some exploration of Dripping Springs
Some research ahead of time of events in Austin and stuff to do there so we could have done more legit partying downtown.

 

[Gamine]

Anyways, the list we did on a weekend trip out there to Austin:

Natural Bridge Caverns
McKinney Falls State park
Jacob's well in Wimberley TX
Krause Springs
Hamilton Pool Preserve
Greenbelt Austin
Zilker Park and Barton Springs

honorable mentions I wish we'd done:
Enchanted Rock
Balcones Canyonlands
more of Round Rock
The Salt Lick BBQ
some exploration of Dripping Springs
Some research ahead of time of events in Austin and stuff to do there so we could have done more legit partying downtown.

Have I told you lately that you absolutely rock? (Pun intended)

Thanks for the recommendations lady! I'll have to give you a shout if I come your way and I'll drag you outside for climbing Way more fun than indoor I promise!