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haggail
Sep 16, 2004, 12:17 PM
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Hi ; Anyone knows of a good ( <=> cheap ) place to buy climbing gear in Washington DC or the surroundings (like Gaithersburg)? I need shoes and a harness..
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rockclimbergabor
Sep 16, 2004, 1:47 PM
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Haggail, There is a gym called Sportrock in Alexandria, VA where you can buy shoes (not the best selection) and maybe harnesses. There is also an Earth Treks gym in Columbia, MD that has a pretty good shop. If you need more, you should go to another Earth Treks in Timonium, MD (1 hour drive in good traffic from Bethesda) where you can buy anything you need. Here are the adresses: Sportrock: 5308 Eisenhower Avenue Alexandria, VA 22304 703-212-7625 sportrock.com Earth Treks Columbia: 7125-C Columbia Gateway Drive Columbia, Maryland 21046 (410) 872-0060 earthtreksclimbing.com Earth Treks Timonium: 1930 Greenspring Drive Timonium, Maryland 21093 (410) 560-5665 earthtreksclimbing.com
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mischief8
Sep 16, 2004, 2:13 PM
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If you go to rei.com you can go to store locator and put in your area code and mile radius you want to drive, it will give to all the stores within the that area. I know there is one in fairfax, baileys crossroads and in rockville, md. daniela
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cantdog
Sep 16, 2004, 2:14 PM
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There are a few folks who work at Hudson Trail Outfitters who can help you...tell me where you are and I'll let you know which shop to visit.(I used to work there...)
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ben87
Sep 16, 2004, 2:41 PM
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there's a hudson trail on wisconsin ave -- good store, though not the cheapest, in general. However, I've noticed that retail price of technical climbing gear doesn't vary that much in stores. They should have a good selection though, and be able to make a good recommendation There are two REIs in the DC metro area. One in Baily's Crossroads, in VA, and one in College Park, MD. To really get a cheap price, you'll probably have to look for a sale or buy online. Gyms can be a good place to buy, too. It helps the gym make money, which helps them stay open, which helps you climb. Earthtreks is a GREAT gym and should have a pretty good selection. a little out of the way though.
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brianc
Sep 16, 2004, 2:50 PM
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In reply to: There are two REIs in the DC metro area. One in Baily's Crossroads, in VA, and one in College Park, MD. Three actually. A new one in Fairfax,VA as well. Re: HTO (and I've had this conversation w/ cantdog) - seems like they largely gave up on climbing a few years ago. They still stock items and have staff members that know what they're talking about but it seems like more of a legacy - they're typically understocked in terms of quantity and variety. My .02 anyway.
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cantdog
Sep 17, 2004, 2:07 AM
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yeah, the friggen fairfax store doesnt even have any screw lock pear shaped biners. Just those quickturn lock ones.... I cant remember the last time we got a resupply of 1inch webbing either. Those red CAMP ice axes are still there brian if you are interested.... But the springfield store has a few knowledgeable folks(both managers) and a good selection. kinda weird for being in springfield mall, not exactly the climbing crowd. REI in fairfax blows hard. Dont expect to find anyone who knows what they are talking about. Someone needs to open a serious gear shop in DC staffed by good folks. No more HTOs who pay 6.00 an hour, or REI/walmarts. brian...let me know if you want to do some climbing up here this winter, I'm biting the bullet and buying ice tools.
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cragmasterp
Sep 17, 2004, 2:24 AM
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Take a trip to Seneca and shop at the Gendarme, a climbing museum of sorts. They usually have an excellent selection of gear, and the store is a great little gathering spot after a day on the quartzite fins. Score some shoes and take home some great memories as well.
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brianc
Sep 17, 2004, 9:24 PM
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In reply to: Those red CAMP ice axes are still there brian if you are interested.... And still marked at full price I'm sure. ;)
In reply to: REI in fairfax blows hard. Dont expect to find anyone who knows what they are talking about. To be honest, I really don't expect anything out of anyone in a gear shop - be it REI, HTO, or whatever - I'll do my own research thank you very much. I have more faith in my ability to discern BS on the net (e.g., doing searches against the person posting the advice) vs. a one-time meeting w/ the local staffer. Might be lots different if there was a local shop that I frequented.
In reply to: brian...let me know if you want to do some climbing up here this winter, I'm biting the bullet and buying ice tools. I will. Funny b/c I was talking about you last night - have a friend that lives in Portland and I was talking about abusing you as our ski source. ;)
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cantdog
Sep 17, 2004, 9:57 PM
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Haha, yeah..I've got my AT setup here already. I'm hoping to get some turns in by the end of october. I was hiking last weekend scoping lines out on saddleback and mt abrams, outside of kingfield. Get a tow in by a 'biler and then skin up the summit trail, and there are tons of north facing slide paths and some summit slabs that would be tasty. Make sure you dont come up during january though...I'll be in montana and interior BC chasing storms. :D
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haggail
Sep 18, 2004, 2:28 PM
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Registered: Oct 10, 2003
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Thanks a lot to all those who answered !
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