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wzrdgandalf
Nov 19, 2007, 4:36 PM
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Ok so my little brother and father are moving to Tucson Arizona and this leaves me a little sad because I havent been able to fully indoctrinate my little bro (13) into climbing yet. There is a bunch of really good bouldering here in the southeast and Ive taken him out to boulder a few times. I am trying to find out any good general info on the climbing scene in Tucson. Does anyone have any good info for me or where to look? Are there any good climbing areas close to the city, Is the majority of climbing there bolted, trad, or bouldering, and for my own personal reasons.... How far away is it from El potrero chico and yosemite (drive times, or is it not feasible to do those drives)? Thanks alot for any help.
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jcaz
Nov 19, 2007, 6:13 PM
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Tucson has a lot of great climbing, Mt Lemmon, Cochise, etc...do a search and you should find what you are looking for.
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bskaggs
Nov 19, 2007, 6:43 PM
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It would be quite a drive El Potrero Chico (15+ hrs), You would be closer to drive to Hueco Tanks and boulder (est. 4.5 hrs). Red Rocks is about a 6 hr drive. Flagstaff has some awesome bouldering. Hope this helps...
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erclimb
Nov 19, 2007, 6:45 PM
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i love az, and tucson is awesome...mt. lemmon has great sport and trad climbing and offers year round opportunities...cochise is only an hour away, and has fantastic multi-pitch...sedona 3 hours; flagstaff 4 hours; grand canyon 6.5 hours
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zonie
Nov 19, 2007, 7:18 PM
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As a start, you might want to send your bro to the local climbing gym http://www.rocksandropes.com/ He'll have a chance to meet some of the locals and the staff is very friendly. They have walls for both bouldering and roped climbs. Good luck...
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climbsomething
Nov 19, 2007, 7:24 PM
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wzrdgandalf wrote: Are there any good climbing areas close to the city, Very subjective. If you're into big trad (and I am not) then Cochise Stronghold is about an hour and some and will be pretty much all you ever need. Mt. Lemmon offers ample cragging, but it's not for everybody- it's fairly old-school; trad and transition stuff are more common than sport as we've been spoiled by it. But it provides a better backyard than most people will have, and offers good respite in both the summer and winter. The mountain also has some pretty vistas that are worth the trek alone. Milagrosa Canyon has some great, 5.10-5.12 sport climbing. Winter only. This little crag deserves to be better known but parking is kinda sensitive. The bouldering is what it is. For locals, it'll do.
In reply to: Is the majority of climbing there bolted, trad, or bouldering, Trad, sport and bouldering, in that order. The gym is pretty nice too. It's huge (at least, the roped section) and the route setting is pretty thought-provoking. And, last I lived there (which was a year and a half ago) you got two gear shops. Sweet.
In reply to: and for my own personal reasons.... How far away is it from El potrero chico and yosemite (drive times, or is it not feasible to do those drives)? Well, you can make a road trip to any destination, but Potrero Chico and Yosemite are Really Far Away. They're not feasible drives for regular or long weekends. The best destination spots within a reasonable (say, 7 hours or less) drive are Hueco, JTree, and Flagstaff Misc. Maybe Vegas and Zion too. In sum, trad climbers will probably be happiest in Tucson, IMHO. But even picky sport climbers will find something fun.
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wzrdgandalf
Nov 19, 2007, 7:52 PM
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I am not into trad right now, but will be starting very soon. I am thinking I will try and convince my dad to take him to the climbing gym as much as possible so that he can get a good basis for climbing and then I can take him out when I visit AZ. Are there any destinations within an hour of tucson? Is there potential for bouldering in the area, but it just hasnt taken off yet? One thing I am worried about, is that my brother will become a gym rat. Do people make it out fairly often at the gym? I think it would be great to have my bro head out with some tradsters and get him into the good stuff early. I think its hard for me to really even fathom the size of the southwest. I have over 40 different places that I can climb within 5 hours of driving. I cant wait to visit them and go climb.
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jt512
Nov 19, 2007, 8:06 PM
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wzrdgandalf wrote: Are there any destinations within an hour of tucson? Dude, look at a map. Tucson is located at the base of a mountain. Yes, there is climbing nearby. Milagrosa Canyon is, for all intents and purposes, located in suburban Tucson. Jay
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climbsomething
Nov 19, 2007, 8:18 PM
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wzrdgandalf wrote: Are there any destinations within an hour of tucson? No. Well, that's not really true. There's the Homestead, which is about an hour (maybe a bit more). I don't know what your limitations are, but it requires high-clearance 4WD, and is limited in its offerings to beginners (though there are some sub-10s). But it's really, really good sport climbing, and if you're a moderate climber it will provide plenty of motivation to train. It's not a destination in that it's a widely known marquee destination a la Hueco, but that's only because a lot of people don't know about it. Total diamond in the rough. Oh, and the Stronghold IS a destination, if that's what you're into. I'm not, but I'm still pretty sure the place is incredible. It's almost kinda magical.
In reply to: Is there potential for bouldering in the area, but it just hasnt taken off yet? I don't know. Maybe. But if Tucson had the kind of bouldering Flagstaff has and was merely hiding it or hadn't discovered it yet, I'd be shocked. But I'm not on the inside, so *shrug* who knows?
In reply to: Do people make it out fairly often at the gym? I think it would be great to have my bro head out with some tradsters and get him into the good stuff early. Oh, they get out all the time. Tucson climbers really aren't gym-bound, as best I could ever tell. Like I said, Tucson has a strong trad core, and you can't replicate that in the gym.
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climbsomething
Nov 19, 2007, 8:25 PM
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But, re: destinations. Like I said, not really, if you define destination as a famous, well-known place. But there is a lot of local climbing, period. Lemmon is literally in town. Milagrosa is in town. The Stronghold is about an hour and some, depending on where in the Stronghold you go. Gates Pass (modest bouldering) is, essentially, in town.
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wzrdgandalf
Nov 19, 2007, 8:34 PM
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Perfect, that is what i was hoping for. I dont mind if something isnt a destination.
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communalrock
Nov 19, 2007, 11:17 PM
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anyone going climbing anywhere this weekend near tucson? any trips planned?
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deschamps1000
Nov 19, 2007, 11:24 PM
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Tucson has a ton of roped climbing very close by. A life's worth. Plenty of sport and trad cragging on Mt. Lemmon and adventure routes in Cochise. All of the bouldering around sucks. I should have sold my crash pad before coming here. The gym is great, with the outdoor climbers usually going Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
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sidepull
Nov 19, 2007, 11:39 PM
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Having recently been through the "is there any good bouldering in Tucson" I would have to say, "yes, but . . ." It's nothing like Flagstaff, in fact, it's nothing like Oak Flats. The bouldering in Tucson is great for what it is - small areas that "can" provide good circuits. If bouldering is your thing then you're going to be putting some miles on your car. The good news is that you're close to Hueco. The bad news is that you're further from Flag (in comparison to say Phoenix). PS - no way are you 6 hours from Vegas in Tucson.
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AZrockclimber1988
Nov 19, 2007, 11:40 PM
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communalrock wrote: anyone going climbing anywhere this weekend near tucson? any trips planned? Hoping to get down there this weekend or something. But have no climbing partner up for travel this weekend, they are all going to be fat beast after the turkey.
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climbsomething
Nov 19, 2007, 11:48 PM
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sidepull wrote: PS - no way are you 6 hours from Vegas in Tucson. Nor are you 4 hours from Flagstaff. Believe me, we've tried. Maybe if we had the Batmobile...
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potreroed
Nov 20, 2007, 1:52 AM
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Tucson has great climbing. After more than 10 years on the road, if I hadn-t settled down in El Potrero Chico, my first choice States-side would have been Tucson.
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sidepull
Nov 20, 2007, 3:47 PM
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potreroed wrote: Tucson has great climbing. After more than 10 years on the road, if I hadn-t settled down in El Potrero Chico, my first choice States-side would have been Tucson. Pardon my disbelief but, WOW, really!? Tucson wouldn't even enter my top ten.
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potreroed
Nov 21, 2007, 5:34 PM
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Please list 10 places that have very mild winters and very excellent climbing in a hip University town with a good standard of living (low crime, low pollution, reasonable housing costs, good job opportunities).
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climbsomething
Nov 21, 2007, 6:16 PM
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potreroed wrote: Please list 10 places that have very mild winters and very excellent climbing in a hip University town with a good standard of living (low crime, low pollution, reasonable housing costs, good job opportunities). Low crime? Good job opportunities? (So good I had to leave the city to find a job?) Low crime?! If you say so.
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azrockclimber
Nov 21, 2007, 6:21 PM
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wzrdgandalf wrote: Ok so my little brother and father are moving to Tucson Arizona and this leaves me a little sad because I havent been able to fully indoctrinate my little bro (13) into climbing yet. There is a bunch of really good bouldering here in the southeast and Ive taken him out to boulder a few times. I am trying to find out any good general info on the climbing scene in Tucson. Does anyone have any good info for me or where to look? Are there any good climbing areas close to the city, Is the majority of climbing there bolted, trad, or bouldering, and for my own personal reasons.... How far away is it from El potrero chico and yosemite (drive times, or is it not feasible to do those drives)? Thanks alot for any help. bro tucson has some of the best climbing in the country.... Mt.Lemmon. Cochise stringhold...AMAZING. and tons of other stuff... Living in Tucson would be my first choice in the US for climbing....if I had a choice... :(...Which I do not... you younger brother is in a climbing mecca in my opinion. Yosemtie is FAR.... 12 hours if I remember correctly... I've done it twice...
(This post was edited by azrockclimber on Nov 21, 2007, 6:34 PM)
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azrockclimber
Nov 21, 2007, 6:27 PM
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sidepull wrote: potreroed wrote: Tucson has great climbing. After more than 10 years on the road, if I hadn-t settled down in El Potrero Chico, my first choice States-side would have been Tucson. Pardon my disbelief but, WOW, really!? Tucson wouldn't even enter my top ten. you have to be kidding me... list ten better places so I can tell you why they are not better.... Go... Nevermind...you're a boulderer....
(This post was edited by azrockclimber on Nov 21, 2007, 6:35 PM)
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potreroed
Nov 21, 2007, 9:20 PM
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Sounds like Tucson has changed for the worse since I almost settled there 15 years ago. I'm sure the climbing is still good, though.
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akornylak
Nov 26, 2007, 5:03 AM
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I lived in Tucson for awhile, and now I am back in the Southeast. So here is the hype: Mount Lemmon, though out of style these days, is unique and bad-ass, IMHO, for trad, sport and adventure climbing, from beginner-friendly to 5.stupid. For a beginner, I can't think of too many other towns to learn how to climb in. Once he learns the ropes, all the ranges surrounding Tucson have amazing opportunities for real adventure climbing and exploration. Cochise Stronghold is world class and remote. Unlimited boulders to explore on and around Lemmon, Gates Pass, The washes, etc. (there is a little homely guide to get you started. It aint a destination, it's an experience though - contact me). Limestone sport climbing in an inspiring remote setting at the Dry, Homestead, etc. A short drive to Phoenix, Flag, Hueco. Man just moving your body around in southern AZ is a great day. Best. Weather. Anywhere. If your bro becomes a gym rat there, he should think about cycling instead. Well I take that back, Rocks and Ropes would be a great place to spend the rest of his days. You sound like a guy who likes to explore and have an adventure. There are very very few places you can do that anymore in the US that are so close to a livable town, like Tucson! Go climb! akorn
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