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zoltan
Dec 26, 2006, 2:07 PM
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Hello everybody,
I started climbing in Europe, on limestone, which is my favorite.
Now I am in the US, and trying to figure out if there is any good limestone climbing here...
I am in California right now but will probably head over to NYC soon...
So do you know of limestone in these areas, or any others, for that matter, in the US?
Thanks, Zoltan
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troutboy
Dec 26, 2006, 2:25 PM
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I'm sure others will chime in with some local, smallish crags, but the only one I can think of that truly resembles the Euro limestone is Wild Iris, Wyoming. 1-pitch pocket pulling on excellent rock. Summer crag only - 9,000 feet asl or so.
If you want to venture outside the US, Potrero Chico in Mexico is your best bet for fine limestone climbing. Mentioned second only because it does not fit your criterion of being in thre US.
TS
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timm
Dec 26, 2006, 2:36 PM
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A few that come to mind are:
Clark Mountain (CA)
Mt Charleston and smaller areas outside of Red Rocks (NV)
Shelf Road (CO)
Rifle (CO)
Sinks Canyon and Wild Iris (WY)
Jacks Canyon (AZ)
(This post was edited by timm on Dec 26, 2006, 2:36 PM)
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uasunflower
Dec 26, 2006, 3:05 PM
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Utah has one of the biggest rock varieties out there in the US - American Fork canyon has good pockets on awesome limestone, but it's rather black, not grey like in europe. I think Maple is also limestone (?). It's still a drive from Cali though.
You'll have less luck on the East coast - but if i were you i would diversify, Gunks is a jewel, if you want sport, hit Rumney...
(This post was edited by uasunflower on Dec 26, 2006, 3:06 PM)
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moss1956
Dec 26, 2006, 3:52 PM
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Le Petit Verdon, aka "The Pit" near Flagstaff Arizona is similar to the Limestone in Central Europe... but drier. I liked it. I have never been to Virgin River Gorge but I hear its primo. I have been to Jack's Canyon, its limestone with a lot of sand in it, so its pocketed like limestone but frictiony like Sandstone.
Wild Iris is the pocketed type of limestone like in Europe, whereas Sinks Canyon doesn't really have pockets. These two crags are near Lander Wyoming, so if you go to one you can go to the other. Basically when its hot you go to Wild Iris and when its not you go to Sinks Canyon. I have never been to Ten Sleep Canyon in Eastern Wyoming but I hear its great.
Eastern Wyoming has Devil's tower which is one of those rights of pasage trad places. The rock is strange, it is related to Basalt... but it isn't. Geologists can't actually agree on how the tower came into being.
Following through on the northern route there is ample, runout, granite trad in western South Dakota. Followed by fun top roping and trad on quartzite at the Blue Mounds and Palisades in Western Minnesota and eastern South Dakota.
There is a lot of limestone in Colorado, the big ones are Shelf Road which has a lot of moderates, and Rifle which is basically too hard to climb for me. The cool thing in Colorado to my mind is Eldorado Canyon which features traditional climbing on hard sandstone. The weird thing about Eldo is that it is predominately face climbing where you just use the cracks for protection.
In Iowa, where I live, we have 3 limestone crags. They are not in any sense destinations, but if you are crossing the country on 80 they are a good place to stop. Pictured Rocks which as a lot of moderates, Hoot Bluff which consists of a dozen primo 11s and 12s with some other stuff, and Indian Bluffs which has about 70 routes total, but they are not in any way cataloged. The rock in Iowa is very similar to Frankenjura.
To the north in Minnesota is Barn Bluff which is more limestone and in Wisconsin there is Walnut River which has the hardest climbing in the midwest, and Devil's lake which would be nice except it is a destination for people from Chicago, so its really busy.
It might be good to expand your horizons though. If you stay off of things that are low rated, both granite and sandstone have things in common with limestone. I find slabby 7's and 8's to be absolutely scary and unpleasant, however once I get up to 10s I am having a good time again. That said:
Red Rocks has great sandstone sport. If you go to the Black corridor and climb the right hand side as you walk in you will have a great time. The Pier is good too.
My favorite crag in whole world is City of Rocks, which is granite. If you get on the higher rated sport climbs or do traditional crack climbs its unbeatable.
The biggest crag in the US is no doubt the Red River Gorge in Kentucky. This is sandstone, but there is still plenty of overhanging stuff. Also if you go the southern route there are lots of crags in Southern Illinois and in Tennesee and West Virginia that you could link up on such a trip.
On the East Coast it is mostly trad climbing on stuff other than limestone, but that can be good too.
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mattyp
Dec 26, 2006, 4:29 PM
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Magyar vagy? Honnan jottel Amerikaba? Melyik varos? A legjobb limestone itten Utahban talalhato.
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zoltan
Dec 26, 2006, 4:36 PM
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Igen, magyar vagyok, Budapestrol, de igazabol mar amerikai :)
(A felesegem amerikai, es kb 10 eve vagyok itt megszakitasokkal)
Te honnan jottel? Utahban merre vagy?
Zoli
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alexmac
Dec 26, 2006, 4:39 PM
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zoltan wrote: Hello everybody, I started climbing in Europe, on limestone, which is my favorite. Now I am in the US, and trying to figure out if there is any good limestone climbing here... I am in California right now but will probably head over to NYC soon... So do you know of limestone in these areas, or any others, for that matter, in the US? Thanks, Zoltan
When your in the NYC area, Ontario Canada has some interesting lime stone in the escarpment area.
PM me and I will give you some guide names of FA's for some routes (can look them up your self but can intro you to them)
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roadstead
Dec 26, 2006, 4:52 PM
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I will drive 2 days to climb limestone. In fact I'm heading to AZ to climb at a Crag called the Homestead. The drive will take over 24 hours and I don't have someone to climb with as of yet. That's how much I love Limestone. There is a lot of Limestone climbing out west it is just slow getting out and it's hard to find the info sometimes. Some route setters (unlike myself) don't spray about there New Crags till they are long gone. AZ will be the furture home of Limestone in the US. (if you ask me they have not even found all there crags yet) But Hell what do I know! If I can Help PM me.
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alexmac
Dec 26, 2006, 5:12 PM
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zoltan wrote: Hello everybody, I started climbing in Europe, on limestone, which is my favorite. Now I am in the US, and trying to figure out if there is any good limestone climbing here... I am in California right now but will probably head over to NYC soon... So do you know of limestone in these areas, or any others, for that matter, in the US? Thanks, Zoltan
Zoltan, when your in NYC get yourself the book
Climbing in the Adirondacks by Don Mellor.
Excelent book, not limestone but damn fine climbing all through New York state. I spent a week in Lake placid area climbing and fell in love with the area.
There is an excellent guide there http://www.highpeaksma.com/climb_home.asp who rabid about climbing and many years experience.
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timm
Dec 26, 2006, 5:16 PM
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roadstead wrote: I will drive 2 days to climb limestone. In fact I'm heading to AZ to climb at a Crag called the Homestead. The drive will take over 24 hours and I don't have someone to climb with as of yet. That's how much I love Limestone. There is a lot of Limestone climbing out west it is just slow getting out and it's hard to find the info sometimes. Some route setters (unlike myself) don't spray about there New Crags till they are long gone. AZ will be the furture home of Limestone in the US. (if you ask me they have not even found all there crags yet) But Hell what do I know! If I can Help PM me.
Is Homestead one of the new areas close to Jacks Canyon ??
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roadstead
Dec 26, 2006, 7:31 PM
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timm wrote: Is Homestead one of the new areas close to Jacks Canyon ??
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shazinky
Dec 26, 2006, 8:11 PM
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Howdy Zoltan this is Richie we just spoke on the phone...My e-mail is shazinky@hotmail.com
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screamer
Dec 26, 2006, 8:14 PM
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Rifle, Colorado. Sinks and Wild Iris in Lander. The St. George/Mesquite area...
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wyoclimber3
Dec 26, 2006, 9:27 PM
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check out the trinity aretes in northern california. theres an old falcon guide floating around out there that describes it fairly well. i think there was an article in the climbing rags on it recently too. kind of up near mt. shasta, geographically, but more towards the coast.
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mtengaio
Dec 26, 2006, 11:14 PM
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Utah and Nevada have remarkable limestone climbing areas – the West in general has limestone practically everywhere. Even here in southeastern Idaho we are blessed with limestone – much of which has yet to be developed!
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bigfatrock
Dec 27, 2006, 2:14 PM
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Lots of it here in Texas. The crag I frequent is Paradise on the Brazos. It's a newely developed area too so you will find choss on the lesser climbed routes. Another popular area is Reimers Ranch near Austin. Keep in mind this is all small crag stuff, nothing above 40ft or so. It is still nice rock though.
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cchildre
Dec 27, 2006, 3:33 PM
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The local stuff.
Enchanted Tower over in New Mexico. Anyone who has been will undoubtly put it on their A-list. The famed resoler Alf has called the Tower his favorite place to climb, having seen quite a lot of areas too. It is truly an incredible spot.
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