Best College Town for a Climber?

[korup]

I think a little town named Bozeman *might* just have a little ice.... and trad and ski sickness. And very, very cute girls, and a rocking co-op.

[Off_White]

Years ago (maybe they still do?) Playboy had an annual article rating the top party colleges for those who like to drink. They always excluded the UW at Laramie, declaring that it was an amateur competition and those people were professionals.

 

 

[AlpineK]

How about BCC or Bellevue Community College. Just think you're right next to I-90 which is the gateway to everywhere. Those on the inside refer to BCC as USC or University South of Crossroads.

 

I hear there are drytool nights up out of North Bend, and I've been ice climbing up at the pass. You're also close to Bellevue Square.

 

Think about it and make the right move.

[John Frieh]

Are you trying to graduate or slack off/flunk out?

 

I'd say go the best school you can get your ass into! If it turns out there is climbing to be had nearby that's great but not climbing for three/four years is a small small sacrifice to make considering how much climbing you will do once you get out.

[ryland_moore]

It depends on what type of climbing you want. For ice, Montana St. is prolly the best. For mountaineering, Western WA is prolly better than Seattle. But if you want rock climbing, then that changes everything. Colleges in the SE and NE have far better access to rock in close proximity to school. Hell, Sewanee (aka University of the South) where I went to school has its own climbing guidebook for over 100 sport and trad routes on campus! Plus you have T-Wall, Sunset, Foster Falls all within 1 hr. or less, Red River Gorge is 3 hr.s (probably the best sport climbing east of the Mississippi and cool gorges and granite domes in N. Carolina and n. Georgia like Linville Gorge and Looking Glass - about 3-4 hours from campus. We even had ice form on campus two out of the four winters I was there and our geology professor ditched class with us to climb it. Climbing season lasts all year, but the skiing sucks. Also U. of new Hampshire will give you awesome sport climbing at Rumney plus amazing ice in NH and VT. The Gunks aren't too far either. This is your chance to explore. You can always move back to the PNW after school!

[JosephH]

The University of Edinburgh, Scotland - dodgy ice climbing all over the place.

[Kat_Roslyn]

Are you trying to graduate or slack off/flunk out?

 

I'd say go the best school you can get your ass into! If it turns out there is climbing to be had nearby that's great but not climbing for three/four years is a small small sacrifice to make considering how much climbing you will do once you get out.

 

That's terrible advice! Don't waste your youth! Good plan with finding a college and a place to live where you want, it is all about location, and weather and how much fun you have. It is not like you will be studying 24/7. If you want to live in Colorado and can't afford out of state, go to a CC until you get residency.

[crazy_t]

The residency thing is pretty straightforward in CO, I did it at CU. I think it takes 1 year (maybe 2); just get a job and go to a CC if you want also. Then the tuition was really reasonable (although the cost of living overall in Boulder is not low- rents etc.).

 

My college experience was a multi-year affair including "time outs" for a winter at a ski resort, climbing seasons and the like (I was always working though). At one point I lamented my extended career to a fellow CU student who looked at me and said (with no irony) "It's not a race, man!"

 

 

Edited October 30, 2007 by crazy_t

[DRep]

Well I graduated trad school in Index and now im gonna graduate from MSU this year with a bachelors in Ripping Pow and a minor in ice climbing. I think I might go to grad school in AK!!!

Edited October 30, 2007 by dave repnik

[KingsMM]

thanks for the info guys! right now i'm going to Central Oregon Community College. I'm very interested in Fort Lewis College. Seems like they don't cater to transfers very well. Maybe transferring to a Colorado community college first then transfer again to Fort Lewis after a year is the way to go???

[cj001f]

Good plan with finding a college and a place to live where you want, it is all about location, and weather and how much fun you have

 

Why fucking bother with college then? Just spend $80k travelling around the world for 4 years instead

[DRep]

or gain education can you. parents money you mooch. climb and ski everyday you will.

[JoshK]

When I was at CU boulder it was well known that 5-years was the normal graduation, not 4. I knew people that had been going there even longer. You are not in a rush to leave college when you live in Boulder. As for Durango, etc. and the other Colorado towns, just understand that in terms of size they are all vastly smaller than Boulder, which is also very near denver. If large (for the mdiwest at least) city access is important, along with a much larger selection of hang-outs, than Boulder is the place to be. It all depends on what you are looking for. Out of state tuition is definitely over the top expensive, but living for a year in CO to get residency, as mentioned, isn't too hard and it saves assloads of money.

 

Overall I would say if you can't have lots of fun in Boulder you are either a.) dead or b.) on your death bed.

 

-josh

[wfinley]

So you're saying Boulder is fun as long as you're a Trustafarian?

 

 

[svilar]

Durango (Fort Lewis) is unquestionably the best. Ouray, Silverton, and even Durango itself have ice. The best part is the desert (Indian Creek and others) are only a couple of hours.

 

My sister spent two years going to school there and never paid out of state tuition. She started at Central WA and did some sort of transfer that never required high tuition. Check it out.

[wayne]

Colin went to Chamonix for college , why cant you be like your big brother ?

Edited November 11, 2007 by wayne1112

[backclipped]

I guarantee it's not SUNY Plattsburgh, unless you're super into the exercise in self deprecation that is ice climbing. I think once Bend gets a four year school, this snotty little town will be a contender: in town bouldering/climbing, a peppering of "local" crags, 30 min from Smith, the Central Cascades, 10 hours to Yosemite, Mammoth/Bishop, eight hours from The City, six hours to the northern cascades.....Central Oregon is indeed central.

[akicebum]

Forget about it. No contest here.

 

BOZEMAN, MT

 

Not your typical liberal arts screw off in the woods school. With more science oriented majors students that attend school there are generally more focused and motivated than in other areas. They'll actually show up before 8 am to go climbing. Crazy I know.

 

You have Hyalite for ice and the Gallatin for rock. Great partners, small town and great skiing.

 

Bozeman is a great place for a climber to live and go to school with so much good climbing so close. Wake up early jam up the spectre and then go to class, it doesn't get much better.

 

Boulder, Durango, and all of the other schools that have been mentioned are just fine. There are way more people which means way more bullshitters and hassles to contend with in the hills.

 

BOZEMAN.

 

[leviticusjones]

Fort Collins

Cheap housing and in the weather shadow of Longs Peak. When Wyoming, and Boulder have crap weather, more likely than not FTC is still climbable. Horsetooth res. is five minutes away and you are close to front range ice, Lumpy's and much more. It is also a great lifestyle town

[DRep]

stickin with bozangeles.

[Serenity]

Fort Collins

Cheap housing and in the weather shadow of Longs Peak. When Wyoming, and Boulder have crap weather, more likely than not FTC is still climbable. Horsetooth res. is five minutes away and you are close to front range ice, Lumpy's and much more. It is also a great lifestyle town

 

Yeah, move there. You can rent my house.

[sparverius]

Forget about it. No contest here.

 

BOZEMAN, MT

 

Not your typical liberal arts screw off in the woods school. With more science oriented majors students that attend school there are generally more focused and motivated than in other areas. They'll actually show up before 8 am to go climbing. Crazy I know.

 

You have Hyalite for ice and the Gallatin for rock. Great partners, small town and great skiing.

 

Bozeman is a great place for a climber to live and go to school with so much good climbing so close. Wake up early jam up the spectre and then go to class, it doesn't get much better.

 

Boulder, Durango, and all of the other schools that have been mentioned are just fine. There are way more people which means way more bullshitters and hassles to contend with in the hills.

 

BOZEMAN.

 

I hear that dudes with dogs and pickup trucks outnumber girls 2:1 in Bozeman.

 

Bozeman is not a prime spot if adventures on glaciers are high on the priority list.

[powderhound]

 

 

My two cents if I were to do it over after just finishing at Bozeman.

Reno, NV: its close to Tahoe and they have more then enough rock and ice to keep you busy, plus your near the Serrias

 

Flagstaff, AZ: Rock climbing all year around, no ice, sweet canyons, and close to zion, and lots of other desert destinations

 

Grand Juntion, CO: besides durango the only place I would consider living in CO. it is within spitting distance of indian creek and I think it is not to far of a drive to the ice park Boulder is great is you drive a range rover, and love sharing with WANKS, lots of WANKS.

 

New Paltz, NY: Sweet little college town right next to the gunks with some ice, and a little bit of a drive to the Daks which are sick for the EAST.

 

Bosie, ID: Good Rock, close to sawtooths, and they have a bit of ice just ask dean lords.

 

Bozeman, MT: Ice is incomparable, chicks not so great, skiing is sick, single pitch cragging is okay. UNLIMITED alpine arena. Six hour drive from bozeman to: devils tower, city of rocks, salt lake city, lander. 3 hour drive to: cody and jackson wy. Pretty centrally located area to hit up some great areas around the rockies.

 

go for a little road trip and figure out which city fits you the best, because all the rock and ice in the world isn't going to make you happy if the town is full of A-holes, yuppies, traffic, and things like cheap rent, good food, consistent good weather go a long way. Plus have the major you want.

[KingsMM]

Anyone heard anything about Western State College of Colorado in Gunnison, Colorado? Looks like a great location for sure. You got the black canyon, mtn, ice...

[DRep]

WOW powderhound, its too bad all those cities weren't combined into one huge mega climber college town, still don't think you can beat bozeman, because it has everything except a ton of glaciers. and btw the ratio is 55/45 guys to girls, not 2/1, still sucks but what can ya do?

Edited December 31, 2007 by dave repnik