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fanederhand
Nov 14, 2005, 5:29 PM
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Registered: Nov 28, 2002
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Best Trad area is a tough one to accurately nail down because there so many variables ... there are single pitch areas, multi-pitch areas and then there are areas that are alpine in nature.
1. for single pitch TRAD climbing in the winter it is hard to beat TWALL near to Chattanooga, TN.
2. for Alpine, multi-pitch and just great scenery Yosemite is the place. But several places in the Rockies compete quite well with Yosemite for their Alpine flair. Rocky Mountain National Park for one and Grand Tetons for another.
3. For a place that has night life to go along with a great TRAD, Red Rock, NV is great.
4. For a great TRAD area that is close to where you can actually live and have a job and are very accessible. ELDO and Boulder Canyons near Boulder, Colorado and the Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons in Salt Lake City, UT are great places (5 to 10 minutes from town).
5. For real adventure and real hard climbing that is akin to Yosemite but without the crowds (dare I spill the beens?) there is a great big wall location in the western part of Colorado called the Black Canyon.
6. Honorable mention:
City of Rocks, ID; Zions and Moab, UT; Red River Gorge, KY; New River and Seneca, WV; Whitesides and Linnville Gorge, NC, Windriver Mountains both Titcomb Basin and Circ of the Towers, and lastly the Gunks.
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stevo
Nov 14, 2005, 5:32 PM
Post #52 of 91
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1. Indian Creek
Amazing cragging, you leave the main supercrack area and its all yours. Great scenery, camping, weather, gotta get back
2. Gunks
A little crazy with people, but such fun climbing, even though it starts to repeat itself.
3. North Conway area
Pretty sweet climbs, but camping is not the most convenient
I have to make it to the Black Canyon.
We should make one thread for alpine and one for Canada.
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renohandjams
Nov 14, 2005, 6:04 PM
Post #53 of 91
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Yosemite
Donner
Lone Peak, Ut
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mistymountainhop
Nov 17, 2005, 3:01 PM
Post #54 of 91
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In reply to: THE EFFIN TETONS! duh. Dorian
Tetons are choss.
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sonso45
Nov 18, 2005, 4:41 AM
Post #55 of 91
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Best trad (near me) is
yosemite
Cochise
Red Rocks
Indian Creek
Paradise Forks
J Tree
Wind Rivers
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pt
Nov 18, 2005, 4:50 AM
Post #56 of 91
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In reply to: 1. Indian Creek Amazing cragging, you leave the main supercrack area and its all yours. Great scenery, camping, weather, gotta get back .
Not anymore. Almost every crag is swarming with people these days. And the camping areas are turning into ghettos.
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phile
Nov 18, 2005, 5:55 AM
Post #57 of 91
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In reply to: In reply to: 1. Indian Creek Amazing cragging, you leave the main supercrack area and its all yours. Great scenery, camping, weather, gotta get back . Not anymore. Almost every crag is swarming with people these days. And the camping areas are turning into ghettos.
Gotta agree with pt. I was there for the first time over Halloween weekend, and while it wasn't yosemite-style crowded, there were definitely some lines! Still an amazing place.
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punk_rocker333
Nov 18, 2005, 6:02 AM
Post #58 of 91
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In reply to: How about Idaho, 1. City of Rocks National Reserve 2. Castle Rocks State Park "There is much more than just potatos here"
Glad to see that Idaho (COR and Castle specifically) got a couple mentions. I guess its biggest weakness is that it is isolated and difficult to get to compared to many other climbing areas. Not too many crowds though.
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thetroutscout
Nov 18, 2005, 8:00 AM
Post #59 of 91
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What about Big and Little Cottonwoods?! Here in SLC, I'm 15 minutes away from granite, limestone, quartz, and sandstone.
^^ike
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flamer
Nov 18, 2005, 9:02 AM
Post #60 of 91
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Registered: Oct 22, 2002
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In reply to: In reply to: In reply to: 1. Indian Creek Amazing cragging, you leave the main supercrack area and its all yours. Great scenery, camping, weather, gotta get back . Not anymore. Almost every crag is swarming with people these days. And the camping areas are turning into ghettos. Gotta agree with pt. I was there for the first time over Halloween weekend, and while it wasn't yosemite-style crowded, there were definitely some lines! Still an amazing place.
Yup....try taking a shit in the main camping areas....oops! Nope, can't dig there...or there...or there....or.....
josh
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woodse
Nov 18, 2005, 10:54 AM
Post #61 of 91
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Registered: Sep 25, 2001
Posts: 625
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Heres the correct answer:
The Creek
Yosemite
Little Yos
Chochise
Joshua Tree
The Black
Ophir(dont' look we don't want ya)
LCC
and any other area with tradition, ethics, history and routes put up by hardmen who have no idea what spring loaded camming device's are!!
woodsE
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stevo
Nov 18, 2005, 9:35 PM
Post #62 of 91
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Registered: May 28, 2002
Posts: 99
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In reply to: In reply to: In reply to: In reply to: 1. Indian Creek Amazing cragging, you leave the main supercrack area and its all yours. Great scenery, camping, weather, gotta get back . Not anymore. Almost every crag is swarming with people these days. And the camping areas are turning into ghettos. Gotta agree with pt. I was there for the first time over Halloween weekend, and while it wasn't yosemite-style crowded, there were definitely some lines! Still an amazing place. Yup....try taking a s--- in the main camping areas....oops! Nope, can't dig there...or there...or there....or..... josh
I knew I had a knack for finding the quietsest place at the busiest crags, but I can apparently find the best shit holes and best camp spots as well. I usually had the crags to myself, but then I would keep on driving if I saw poeple there. Camping, I did have to drive by some freaks, but my spot was okay with great views. But overall the place sucks, don't go there.
Interestingly I usually judge how good my season was by how many different crags I shat at.
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aussieclimbingfreak
Nov 18, 2005, 9:51 PM
Post #63 of 91
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Registered: Jul 13, 2004
Posts: 19
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Taipan Wall
Arapiles
oh you mean in the USA?? We'll when i get over those two, i'll let u know :wink:
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pipsqueekspire
Nov 18, 2005, 9:52 PM
Post #64 of 91
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Registered: Nov 3, 2003
Posts: 222
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Why do the Gunks keep coming up? It may be good climbing but anyplace you have to pay to climb seems like a GYM to me thus the gunks are no longer TRADITIONAL climbing! Therefore they are disqualified!
It just pissed me off that I had to pay to jump around a few rocks!
One of my faves that has not been mentioned is Seneca! Great vibe FUN climbs and a sense of adventure only 200 yards from a cold beer.
My other faves includes any desert tower, tons of places in the sierra that no one has mentioned and of course my home crags of Jtree and Tahquitz
-pip
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elron
Nov 18, 2005, 10:13 PM
Post #65 of 91
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Registered: Sep 20, 2003
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In reply to: Why do the Gunks keep coming up? It may be good climbing but anyplace you have to pay to climb seems like a GYM to me thus the gunks are no longer TRADITIONAL climbing! Therefore they are disqualified! It just pissed me off that I had to pay to jump around a few rocks!
Ugh, does this deserve a response? Ok, I'll bite. The Gunks are one of the best places in this country to climb trad. In addition, they are one of the best places in this country to learn trad. No where else that I have climbed has such incredible multipitch trad routes inthe 5.4-5.8 range.
Why do we pay? I think that the $15/day (or whatever it is) is a small price for such a great resource.
If I'm not mistaken, the previously mentioned trad areas located in National Parks all have an entry fee as well
Kevin
edit: maybe that previous post was tongue in cheek, and i just got trolled :)
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pornstarr
Nov 18, 2005, 10:34 PM
Post #66 of 91
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Registered: Sep 25, 2002
Posts: 824
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uhhhmmmmm....."tradding" sucks here in NC.
don't bother, this place blows.
all the other places mentioned thus far are MUCH better, IMHO.
carry on.
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cowpoke
Nov 18, 2005, 11:11 PM
Post #67 of 91
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Posts: 142
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In reply to: Crag Y on the Kanc. Nothing else comes close.
"Amongst the most difficult to approach and obscure cliffs in the Kancamagus Highway area..." and that's saying something! Come on though, don't you think Woodchuck comes close? I once spent 3 hours hiking around the woods looking for Woodchuck with some hoser, only to discover a 200ft moss pile with some granite attached every 20 feet or so -now that's traditional climbing! Yosemite, Red Rock, Eldo etc be damned.
And another thing: Vedauwoo is my home crag and all, but best in USA???? come on now.
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flamer
Nov 18, 2005, 11:47 PM
Post #68 of 91
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Registered: Oct 22, 2002
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In reply to: No where else that I have climbed has such incredible multipitch trad routes inthe 5.4-5.8 range.
Guess you haven't been many places??? It there anything in The gunks higher than 200ft?
josh
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cowpoke
Nov 19, 2005, 12:07 AM
Post #69 of 91
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In reply to: In reply to: No where else that I have climbed has such incredible multipitch trad routes inthe 5.4-5.8 range. Guess you haven't been many places??? It there anything in The gunks higher than 200ft? josh
Josh, your post makes me wonder what factors go into the making of a "best trad area?" I would agree that height is one factor as well as route quality, route quantity, and overall beauty of the area. It seems like many trad areas that folks have listed here hit on three of those four criteria, but few bat 1.000. What other criteria should be used? history? weather? wide range of route difficulty?
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raymondjeffrey
Nov 19, 2005, 1:13 AM
Post #70 of 91
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Registered: Mar 2, 2004
Posts: 361
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Red ROCK (no 's')
Needles of California was cool, long but easy hike.
Got my ass handed to me in Yosemite.
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blitzkrieg_climber13
Nov 19, 2005, 2:26 AM
Post #71 of 91
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Registered: Mar 22, 2005
Posts: 288
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yosemite
J tree
indian creek
Top 3 in my book
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gunksgoer
Nov 19, 2005, 5:17 AM
Post #73 of 91
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Registered: Sep 27, 2004
Posts: 1290
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In reply to: Why do the Gunks keep coming up? It may be good climbing but anyplace you have to pay to climb seems like a GYM to me thus the gunks are no longer TRADITIONAL climbing! Therefore they are disqualified! It just pissed me off that I had to pay to jump around a few rocks!
Hmm, obvious troll but ill have to bite. First of all, assuming you have a job, you are already paying to climb in national parks. Its called taxes buddy. Plus, your not only paying for Yosemite and Jtree with those NP taxes, but your also paying for Flat Field with Grass National Park in some random rockless place that you dont care about.
$80 a year sounds pretty reasonable to climb in a nice place compared to that. If its not worth your money, by all means stay out! Overcrowding is too common! Go scramble over your free chosspile!
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ambler
Nov 19, 2005, 4:28 PM
Post #74 of 91
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Registered: Jul 27, 2002
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In reply to: In reply to: Crag Y on the Kanc. Nothing else comes close. "Amongst the most difficult to approach and obscure cliffs in the Kancamagus Highway area..." and that's saying something! Come on though, don't you think Woodchuck comes close? I once spent 3 hours hiking around the woods looking for Woodchuck with some hoser, only to discover a 200ft moss pile with some granite attached every 20 feet or so -now that's traditional climbing! Yosemite, Red Rock, Eldo etc be damned.
But Crag Y is the real deal, as only those who've found it can tell.
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cwegener
Dec 14, 2005, 6:36 PM
Post #75 of 91
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Registered: Dec 19, 2003
Posts: 5
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I will agree with all the others and would add:
Red River Gorge
New River Gorge
Yes they have a lot of sport climbs but the trad lines there are as stiff as anything elsewhere. A lot of those climbs don't get lead much and when you do you know you've done something.
Regards,
Chris
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