January - March, where would you go?

[builttospill]

Assuming money wasn't an issue (i.e. airfare is no big deal, but weren't not rich either), and time wasn't an issue, where would you go for alpine climbing in January, February or March. I may have a chance to do a long trip during that timeframe, but it kind of falls outside my normal plans for summer climbing.

 

The Ruth Gorge comes to mind in the later part of that timeframe (March, April, May). Patagonia might work? (don't know, never looked at a trip there seriously). The Cordillera Blanca seems to be out. Ecuador might work? But is there much alpine climbing there, or more snow and glacier slogs?

 

I'm not looking for standard-setting climbs, just good, long, moderate alpine routes on ice or rock. Up to 5.9 or 5.10, WI5. Preferably with a reasonable chance of success (this might eliminate Patagonia). A variety of moderates/easy stuff would be good too.

 

Any other places I should consider that I haven't mentioned? The Alps? The Coast Range? The Cascades? Kind of a shot in the dark, but I figured I'd ask around.

[mattp]

New Zealand would be a good choice. The Alps are awesome and there are some other interesting things like tramping some of the coastal treks and a cool volcano park on the North Island as well.

[builttospill]

That's not a bad idea. I don't know anything about the mountains there, really.

 

Also, I should have mentioned that when I say 5.9 or 5.10 rock, that's in "summer" conditions. I'm not real interested in climbing hard rock in a Cascades winter. That just sounds miserable, personally. But moderate stuff would still be fine.

[Le Piston]

Most of the climbing in Ecuador is volcanos...so glacier and snow slogs. The main ones are Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. You might check them out if that sort of climbing interests you. If ice climbing is your thing, what about the Columbia Icefields in Canada?

[t_rutl]

yes...new zealand...mt. cook, tasman, aspiring...rock climbing galore...surfing and scuba too

[j_b]

It's the dry season at Mt Kenya, which offers varied moderate climbing on rock and/or ice.