Summer planning ideas

[Eric K]

So the wife and I are once again starting to plan our summer trip and we are looking for ideas. Here is what we are looking for...

 

Someplace that will be good end of July till early August.

A good spread of difficulty (one of us projects 5.10 the other 5.12)

Mostly single pitch

Free or cheap camping

Enough stuff in the area to keep us busy on rest days

Not in WA

 

We did Lander/Wild Iris last year and loved it! We would like to try someplace new and not somewhere we can get to on a long weekend like City of rocks, Squamish, Smith.

 

Canmore area looks really cool, also I know Colorado has loads of climbing but I don't really know where to start. Any suggestions?

 

Eric

 

[Pete_H]

I've heard really good things about Tensleep in Wyoming but haven't climbed there myself.

 

Hard to beat the variety and quality of the Tahoe / Truckee area like Donner and Lovers Leep. But obviously more people and camping not as chil.

[Pete_H]

If you can swing it, go to Yurp though. Exchange rate is great right now.

[num1mc]

I've heard really good things about Tensleep in Wyoming

http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/tnb-unsolved-mystery-the-ten-sleep-shooting

[Eric K]

Thanks for all the info so far. I think the cost of plane tickets Europe is about our whole budget for the trip so that won't really happen this year.

 

Any opinions on Canmore or Maple Canyon?

 

Eric

[murse11]

Maple is awesome. Just climbed there for a few days, will be heading back for some more. The camping youll want to try to reserve, and there's no water available at the camping area. But the climbing is rad. Tons of shade for the hot days, plenty on the sun if it's cool. Super friendly (~5.5 feet) bolting. Plus, it's super unique. Everything from slabs to huge caves.

 

I spent a week in tensleep last year and it was some of the best cragging I have done. Vertical to gently overhanging, with some

Steeper stuff here and there. Friendly bolting. There is a a wealth of climbing in the 5.10-5.12 range, and the grades are a bit soft. Pockets pockets pockets, super fun climbing, and there's a range of elevations to choose from (4500 to around 9k at the lake view crags, and some

At 10k feet I Belive higher up the highway).

 

Ten sleep or maple, can't really go wrong for awesome sport climbing.

[genepires]

I am not really a hard sport climber so I can not personally speak to that but canmore has plenty of great stuff going for it.

 

Someplace that will be good end of July till early August.

-very good weather

 

A good spread of difficulty (one of us projects 5.10 the other 5.12)

-I have a bow valley rock guidebook with plenty of good looking hard sport on EEOR and Yamnuska. Plenty of crags all over the place. There is also a guidebook for the Ghost area. May be free camping down there.

 

Mostly single pitch

-I wouldn't say the majority is single pitch but the multi pitch stuff should be on your radar. The ones I did are awesome. I can only imagine that the harder stuff would be even better and cleaner. not sure about the ghost area.

Lake Louise is mostly single pitch and good quartzite.

 

Free or cheap camping

- not free but prolly reasonable.

 

Enough stuff in the area to keep us busy on rest days

-yes. great hiking and scrambling peaks. the drive up the icefields is beautiful. Awesome Rec Center that canada is well known for.

 

Not in WA

-check

 

To me, the great beauty of canmore and banff is the alpine climbing. The long trad multi pitch, glacier walks and alpine ice sheets is my usual wet dream and banff and surrounding area deliver that. Also a little secret - Bugaboos is nearby. YUM.

This kind of thing may not attract you but maybe when you get there, she will bend you to her ways.

 

 

 

 

[Eric K]

Thanks for all the your responses. I would love to get my wife up on some long multi pitch/alpine stuff but she is still pretty new and has not taken that plunge yet.

 

It looks like it will be between

Maple

tensleep

Canmore

 

I ask the wife and see what she thinks since I'm cool with any of these.

 

Thanks again for the help

Eric