Where can a 5.8 climber go on a road trip? [back
to top] [FAQ contents]
Trippy Climbs - 5.8 and Under by Dave Knorr
See also:
Road Trip 5.8 and below
Short term forecasts:
Accuweather
home page
Records and averages:
National
Park Service
Is there a climbing gym in my area? [back
to top] [FAQ contents]
US climbing gyms courtesy Phoenix Rock Gym
I'm going to Hawaii. Is there any climbing there? [back
to top] [FAQ contents]
From: Don Rolph
When I was much younger, we put in some new routes on the cliffs at
Waimanalo near where the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club has its
cabin. The prime focus was a waterfall clearly visible from the main
road. The rock is soft. We used soft iron pitons for protection.
Route is probalby 5.5 or so.
My continuing story is that if you find a good hold while rock climbing
in Hawaii, take it with you. You may need it later.
From: Bill Folk
There's some climbing on O'ahu: bouldering on the beach at Waimea Bay, and a
couple of small crags. If you are just going to be there for a few days, I'd
say don't bother, stick with the beach.
From: Bob Johnson
in 1994 i spent three months living on the beaches of kuaii and the big island and found good bouldering on both islands.on the north shore of kuaii there is good cave bouldering in "king kuios(sp) cave" as well as in the "blue room" also out on the nepali coast trail there are some hidden boulders. on the south side of the big island there are scattered boulders (on the beaches) and i dont remember the names. ive heard from numerous people that the only real roped climbing is on maui.
From: Jeff
I was out there this past November. I wasn't looking to climb specifically, but most of the rock I tried was brittle and the consistency of a cheese grater. I can't imagine taking a fall on that stuff.
From: KD Leka
There is a small route on the north short of O'ahu, I *think* there's
one 5.10+ on the big island somewhere. Problem: all of those neat
pinnacles are made of extremely crumbly, rip-your-hands-to-shreds
a'a, or a kind of lava. I wouldn't trust anything bolted into the
stuff, and one would seriously tear fingers & skin to bits.
From: Don Rolph
On the north side of Oahu near the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club
cabin in Waimanalo is a set of routes typically about 5.4 which were
climbed extensively in the late 1960s. the rock is crumbly, but careful
coice of route results in modestly clean rock with reasonable
protection. The favorite was the waterfall which is clearly visable as
a deep cleft on the left as you look up from Waimanalo toward the
cliffs. It is the las major gully before the long face extending toward
Makapuu. You might ask Dick Davis of the Hawaiian trail and Mountain
Club about it.
From: Randy Wild
There is not much climbing in Hawaii. Mostly because much of the cliffs are actualy
fused volcanic ash which is not very stable. My experience is on Oahu where there are
a few bouldering spots with good quality lavarock. At Black Point near diamond head
crater there is an outcrop of lava rock on the beach that has a one pitch traverse with
a 5.9 crux. This is a fun traverse. It needs to be done in the morning befor the black
lava rock gets too hot. It also needs to be done at low tide to avoid getting your shoes
wet. One can spend a morning doing all sorts of stuff there.
Another good place and probably better is out on Makapuu. Go to the Makapuu lookout and
park your car and walk up the cliff edge past the old WWII bunkers until you find an outcrop
of acceptibley solid rock. Its about 30 ft tall at the highest point. Its face has moderate
climbs (up to 5.10) and there is a fun open book that when soled seems very exposed because
a fall would result in a bounce that would take you over a 200ft cliff into the rocks and
water below. Also i will add the view here is spectacular. There is more bouldering
on the back side of Makapuu. To get to it you head down the hillside towards Sandy beach.
Go out to the point where there is a large rock that looks like a duck and take the
fishermans path along the water edge and head out for about 20 minute walk and 3rd class
until you come to large tidal pools. there is an old lavatube that filled with lava and
the rest has eroded away. This is solid rock and there is enough to fill a day to do.
One thing to keep in mind out there is that even though it may seem that you are a long
way obove water, there are occasional waves that will come up to the lower pools. So you
should go during low tide to ensure safety. I used to think that staying on dry rocks
was enough to stay dry but i learned the hard way. I and a friend of mine were practicing
aiding over an over hanging crack about 20 ft away from wet rock. And at least ten ft up
from water level. I was belaying him when i looked up and there was a wall of water
towering at least ten feet obove me. There was so much water that it knocked me off the
belay stance and all i saw for an instant was the rope disapearing into water. Fortunatly
my parter had just put in a bomber pin so he was safe and did not get pulled off. We
decided to call it a day and left before the tide got much higher.
Another spot that has bouldering is Hanauma Bay. Here there is ash fused together with
lavarock bits. It is somewhat loose but the problems are of good technical quality.
From: Charlie
The huge rocks on Waimea beach offer excellent bouldering, (eg. 20'+ hand
cracks with a nice sandy landing).
Other rock on the Oahu Pali can look somewhat good in places (eg. Sacred
Fall's valley) but I wouldn't trust it with natural pro. It looks like
it'd rip out. There's plenty of it though, tall and steep!
See also:
Hawaii's Rock Climbing Source
I'm
going to [place]. Is there any climbing there?
Gunks.com Favorite Routes (5.0 to 5.10)
Best Climb in Seneca Rocks, West Virginia (5.4 to 5.8)
Recommended Routes At Seneca (5.6 to 5.9)
Seneca Rocks descent and ascent tips (5.4 - 5.10a)
New Southeast Leader (easy leads in Tennessee)
Easy climbs in Yosemite
Sahara Terror- Tahquitz (5.8 and under)
Climbs for beginners in CA / NV
(bolted climbs under 5.8)
Little Cottonwood on Friday - Recomendations? (5.5 - 5.8)
Garden of Gods easy stuff (5.4 and up)
Shelf Road (under 5.10)
What will the
weather be like at [place] on [date]?
Intellicast
home page
The
Weather Channel home page
Weather
Underground home page
USA
Today Climate for Major Cities
USA
Today Climate for National Parks
Weatherbase
Washington Post Historical Weather Database
Rock gyms (mostly Canada and the US) courtesy Climbing Magazine
UK climbing walls courtesy UKClimbing.com
UK climbing walls courtesy the BMC
Gyms in Europe and Asia courtesy RockClimbg.org
Climbing Source - Hawaii
Extreme Sports Maui - indoor climbing wall
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Browse ODP's By Region Climbing Directory (web sites dealing with climbing in a specific area)
Browse ODP's Trip Reports and Photos (personal home pages about climbing)
Browse all climbing sites listed in ODP
Climbing Source (US)
Rocklist (worldwide)
Rock 'N Road (book, North America)
World Topo Page (worldwide)
North American Classic Climbs (North America)
UKClimbing.com (UK)
See also:
I'm going to Hawaii. Is there any climbing there? on Tradgirl
Should I rap or walk-off from Royal Arches? / How do I do the North Dome Gully (NDG) descent? [back
to top] [FAQ contents]
From: Dave Hill
The last pitch of the climb is a 5.4 traverse straight left. Not hard, but
no pro. It might be wet at this time of year. The NDG is not as bad as its
reputation. People get into trouble when they try to descend too early.
From the top of the Royal arches climb, you have to hike a fair bit to the
east (right) along the rim. Hike until the point where it looks like you
can go down and there is a faint trail. Then hike further. I'm
serious...you have to hike further than you think. If you descend at the
right spot, it is not bad. No rappels, just a long hike down. If you
descend too early, it gets sketchy.
From: Dingus Milktoast
The NDG does not require raps. If you're thinking of
rapping, your off route! Read the directions in the Yosemite
guide carefully. Make a copy of them and take them with you.
The descent generally goes as follows:
From the top of the Arches head right long the rim of the
Valley along climber trails to the very top of Washington
Column (allow an hour for this maneuver). At one point you
will come to a gully *BEFORE THE TOP OF THE COLUMN*. This is
not the NDG and leads a few hundred feet down to a 1000 foot
drop off. Don't make the mistake I did many years ago and go
all the way to the drop off to discover your error; very
disheartening.
At the top of the column, find climber trails heading toward
the base of North Dome. Follow them. Eventually the trail
makes a right and follows the rim for a half mile or so to
the gully.
The NDG gully runs from beneath the north face of North Dome
all the way to the valley floor... it's a watershed, not a
little ditch. You will know it when you get to it. DON'T
DESCEND TOO SOON! The infamous death slabs await anyone
foolish enough not to heed this advice.
Once you're in the gully (it's at least 50 feet across with
a small trickle or creek in the middle), cross it and
immediately start following trails down. About 500 feet down
the gully the trail recrosses the gully and then makes it's
way down a giant slabby area towards the base of Washington
Column. Near the base of the column it enters the oak forest
for another 500 - 800 feet of elevation, down to the Mirror
Lake trail. Turn right on the trail and follow it back to
the hotel.
The trail is mostly class 2 with the odd class 3 move here
and there. Expect to cross some low angle slabs between the
column and the gully proper. With some good route finding,
you'll do OK. Allow a minimum of 3 hours from the top of the
Royal Arches, 4 if you end up back tracking along the way
(most first timers do).
That's why the raps may be the better option. But if you plan on climbing much in the Valley, the NDG
needs to become your friend at some point. No time like now.
We've all been initiated to it's, er charms.
Take a head lamp and extra batteries, maybe a wind shirt and
an extra power bar, pants not shorts and a lighter in case
you get lost and benighted on the rim. Do not try to find
the gully in the dark; heartache and perhaps something worse
will be your reward.
From: Jim Leininger
The rap station starts at the top of the route. The first set of
anchors sits below a huge boulder with a couple trees on top, you can't
miss it since this is the anchor you would use to do the final pitch of RA,the infamous 5.4 traverse....
From here, you need to swing out to your left (as you are facing into
the rock while rapping). The 2nd rap staton is NOT directly below the
first, and if you go straight down and by-pass it, it will be a bitch to
get back up to it, especially if you don't have ascenders or at least something to prussik with...
From the 2nd station, it is pretty much straight down to the huge
ledge, which will normally take 5 raps. There are some interim rap stations, so you can do it with either a 50m or a 60m rope....
Once you reach the big ledge, tend to keep to your left as you face
out into the Valley below. Most of the stations from here on down are
from tress, so there are plenty of slings to make them obvious....
From: Val LiCon
Rap the Royal Arches????????
Common you've got to be kidding...
The descent down North Dome Gully is the crux of the climb.
If you don't do that you can't claim to have climbed the thing!!!!!!!
From: Ron Heinsman's Royal Arches TR
I know numerous people avoid rapping at all expense, but I'd recommend rapping the Royal Arches Rap Route over the North Dome Gully. But do finish the route even if you are planning to rap it. If you still want to hike down, "stay high and keep traversing" until you are obviously in the sandy gully. Then say your prayers and start sliding down. And make sure you have a few hours of light left before you start down.
From: Spencer
Can't miss the first set of anchors, since you climb right by them. But why
bother, North Dome Gully is a breeze - my advice is to walk off.
From: John Black
I did Royal Arches last weekend and found the rappels had been slightly
altered.
After the first five (which lands you on the big terrace) you can
either rap or scramble down to the top of a large (130') cliff.
Rap this.
Now, you used to walk down to a tree with slings and rap from here, but
these slings are gone. It turns out it's an easy walk down to another
tree (dead tree) which overlooks the 3rd pitch of RA. There used to
be slings here but instead there is a 3-bolt anchor. 50m ropes will
_just_ get you to the next ledge (which is on the RA route) although
your ropes will get wet here in early season.
Then you resume the normal routine: walk straight south to a tree and
rap to the ground.
From: Geoff Jennings
I've done the NDG descent twice in the last 3 weekends, it's certainly doable,
but calling it a "breeze" is a bit of a misnomer. It's fairly long, steep, and
loose in spots. Finding the start is NOT that obvious, there are tons of BAD
false trails up there. Walking off the *Manure Pile* is a "breeze", walking
off RA, while not impossible, is certainly not trivial. For anyone who needs
beta on where the bolts are on RA, the walkoff is not likely to be easy.
From: Rex Pieper
Having JUST done the grunt downt he NDG for the first time a few
weeks back, I want to say that it's no where near as bad as the
rumors make it sound. Yes, there's some sections of loose,
unconsolidated rock and dirt, but if you take your time and go slow
it's no big deal. I think the descents off of Leaning Tower and El Cap
are FAR sketchier. The NDG is nothing to fear just something to
respect.
From: Matt Buckle
I'm sure you'll read the
same thing everywhere else, but don't start going down too early. Keep
traversing north, once you get to the gulley, it is pretty obvious. And the
correct trail has lots of cairns, ignore the ones which make you contemplate
"is that a cairn or a naturally occurring stack of rocks?".
From: Arthur Vyn Boennighausen
The North Dome Gully is so much easier than the Death Slabs that you
cross on the way that it will be obvious your are at the gully..... Anything
that looks like climbing is the wrong way...... You should bring comfortable
shoes to wear across the Death Slabs and down the North Dome Gully..... If
you try and wear climbing shoes from the top of the Washington Collumn to
the base your feet will be hurting. A lot of times the traverse across the
Death Slabes is marked by climbing webbing tied to trees but do not depend
on this being the case as people decide to remove the webbing at times.
From: George Bell
The North Dome Gully has a fearsome reputation, but you'll be fine if you just keep traversing farther than you think. If you start down too soon it is big trouble, also don't do it at night if you don't know the route.
From: Ed Huckle
I have heard of many horror stories of people getting
off route in North Dome Gully, especially at night, dehydrated, etc.
after doing the South Face or the Prow. Climbing Washington Column is
the perfect recipe for arriving at NDG at night. This could be avoided
by scoping out NDG before you get yourself at the top of the column at
night. I think it would always be a good idea to spend some effort on
scoping the descent as well as the route.
See also:
Photo Gallery for Royal Arches Area on Supertopo.com
Where's the best place for a climber to go to college? [back
to top] [FAQ contents]
From: egutmann, 4/21/1995
some
things to remeber are that you won't be climbing all the time. I am almost
certain you will spend more time at the college then at the cliffs, so first
choose which college you like the most.
From: Pico, 5/17/2002
not sure about New Paltzs degree programs but for everything but high
elevation mountaineering SUNY New Paltz is a good bet as well.
Gunks for rock and a little ice (5 mins)
Catskills for ice and skiing and some paddling within 30 mins
Daks for ice, rock, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, paddleing,
whitewater, shit every possible activity known to man (2-3 hours).
Of course there is UofV and UNH as well. Vermont is not to far from the Daks
and plenty close to both the Gunks and NH. Any university (what are there 50
or so) in boston could be a good pick as well.
personally washington would be my choice. but....
From: Sloth, 5/17/2002
usm is very close to north conway and the whites, but you've
got to appreciate bugs and rain and otherwise wanker weather.
From: Teji, 4/18/1995
cambridge is a good place to live in and you can pretty much climb all year
(maybe except November where new lines havn't formed yet). apart from
having great book stores and good pubs around Harvard (36 Dunster, The
Kong, The Plough, the Cambridge and Boston Brewries). I suppose simmilar
accsess can be obtained from Brown or Yale....but, cambridge is a lot more
cosmopolitan !!!
here are some other benefits:
Access to (better known) Crags:
Gyms:
Winter Climbing:
Harvard has an Outing and Mountaineering clubs that are great places to
organize
weekends, fix up rides etc. additionally if you belong to HMC, you can book
the harvard cabin (for ice climbing), by phone....
From: Lanier, 4/19/1995
First off, while the climbing in New England
may not be as good as that in California, it is easier to get to and
pretty varied. Within 25 minutes of Yale there is loads of Traprock and
because of its dark brown color you can *rock* climb all year long here
(sunny days only!), though ice climbing is also available within 30
minutes. There is also a good gym here within 15 minutes (Yale has as yet
no climbing facilities itself). Further off are the Gunks (<2 hours), New
Hampshire (2-4 hours depending on where you go), Mass (1-2 hours
depending), ... As far as drive time, this WAY beats that 3 hour traffic
ridden commute to J-tree! If you want history, look up the YMC's early
20th century exploits. That's the story. At this time of year, I get out
of my 12-1:30 class and can still get in 5 hours of solid climbing before
dark. Good luck!
From: jblumen, 4/20/1995
As an ex-Ivy Leaguer who moved to Utah for climbing, education,
and work (software), Salt Lake City is the best place for all three in the
U.S. If you intend to study math or computer science, the Univ. of Utah
far surpasses my alma mater for the quality of its undergrad programs.
From: Nolan Wall, 4/19/1995
If you decide to consider some non-Ivy's, Boulder and University of Utah are
your best choices (for climbing, that is).
I'd have to agree with that choice. Forget all that "*only* one or two hours
away" crap. At the U of U, you have Parley's, Big Cottonwood, Ferguson,
Little Cottonwood, Bells, and (especially) Amercian Fork all within minutes.
If you really do want to do one or two hours of driving, you can throw in
Logan and Rock Canyon as well. Winter climbing could be better, but AF and
Little Cottonwood usually have sufficiently warm areas; plus Virgin River
Gorge and Red Rocks are close enough to head to for the weekends. There's
also tons of bouldering and three gyms. Many of the nation's top climbers
live in Salt Lake, not without good reason.
From: Nieskowitz, 5/17/2002
Don't know how good the graduate computer science program is at
Boulder, but you can't beat the location for climbing... year-round
cragging, excellent summer and winter alpine, awesome ice climbing to
the west...
Vermont, where i grew up, has really good ice climbing if it's in -
and is close to Quebec ice, which I've heard is also great - and
pretty extreme winter mountaineering for the size of the mountains...
UVM's a good school... The Gunks are pretty close for summer
cragging...
From: DL, 5/3/1995
It's really a simple question. The University of Colorado at
Boulder has "several lifetime's worth" of climbing within walking
distance. Nuf said...
From: Garry, 5/17/2002
How bout Fresno State. Close to Yosemite and lots of Peaks and some ice.
From: Nathan Sweet, 5/17/2002
UNR? (U of Nevada Reno) Dunno about the master's program, but the location is
good.
From: Michelle Koh, 4/24/1995
As a Stanford student, I must comment that I love Stanford and think it's
a great place to get an undergraduate or graduate education. If climbing is
a very high priority for you, you may have a problem if you don't have
a mode of transportation.
As a previous poster mentioned, there is some good building climbing around
here, especially at the quad and the Memorial Church (climbers never kicked
off, but nobody climbs it on Sunday). There are a few climbing gyms within
about 30-40 minutes, the best one being Planet Granite. The school has
outdoor programs which include some rock climbing and has quite a few
people who climb a lot.
Castle Rock is reputedly decent climbing, and fine for a day climb, but
tends to be crowded. There are several other lesser known sites also that
provide decent climbing slightly further away. Of course, you can always
drive down to Yosemite, which at a couple of hours away is great for a
weekend climb!
From: Jim Stewart, 5/1/1995
University of California, Riverside.
Climbing sites within 7 hours drive: Anywhere in California. (Yosem)
World class climbing, and a great CS dept. to boot.
From: Rajesh Kumar, 4/21/1995
You should consider CALTECH. If you are going in for science or
engineering, it probably will give you one of the best educational
experiences. From my experience though, you may not have enough free
time to climb much :-} Joshua Tree is about 2-2.5 hours from Pasadena.
Pasadena is also livable although falling within LA county.
For quality of life, it is difficult to beat the Pacific Northwest.
Portland,Oregon or Seattle can provide you with Smith Rocks, Mount Hood,
Rainier, Jefferson, Adams + THE GORGE for windsurfing. You can play year
round rock climbing, snow/ice climbing, snowboarding, telemarking,
windsurfing and surfing. I don't personally have much of an idea about
universities here though.
From: George Marsden, 12/17/1999
While I can not vouch for the academics at the U of A (I went to
school elsewhere), Tucson has year round climbing opportuities that
are hard to beat. Easy sport to runout death trad routes, this area
has it all. The only things missing are copiuos(sp) bouldering and ice
From: Chris Cataudella, 4/28/1995
also try the University of Wyoming, i did (i am from Rhode Island)
there is world class climbing all around us, veedauwoo, sinks canyon, wild
iris, eldo, the flatirons, the wind rivers, the tetons, and many more.
From: Harrison Dekker, 4/18/1995
Consider Duke also. There are two local indoor walls (within 15 minutes).
Moore's Wall is two hours away and New River Gorge is 4-5 hours. Unless
you are already leading 5.13 there are enough routes to last you for an
undergraduate and graduate career.
The weather is usually conducive to climbing except during the grim, humid
summer months but your schedule will allow you to bail during those months.
From: Jeremy Pulcifer, 12/27/1999
So, instead of "which school is in close proximity to climbing", he should
ask him/herself, "Whch climbing area has the best schools".
Get yer damn priorities straight.
Locations and Partners: Page 1 2
Most of the information in this FAQ was originally posted on rec.climbing. If you would prefer to have something attributed to you removed from this FAQ, please contact us.
Picture of the North Dome Gully (from the top of Washington Column) with the descent route marked in red on John Black's website.
A Cosmic Descent -
Pain and Salvation in the North Dome Gully
by Dingus Milktoast aka Craig Harris
Why Didn't We Rap? by Steph
Heat Epic #2: A Royal Lack of Water by Indi Young
Crow Hill, Quincy Quarries, Hammond Pond, College rock (local, within 1
hour)
Rummney (~2 hours)
Ragged Mtn., Cathedral, Cannon, White Horse, The Gunks (2-4 Hrs)
New River Gorge (~13 Hours, I am pushing it here, but we do get a few trips
there in a year)
Boston Rock Gym
New Englands superb offerings are a mere ~4 Hrs away e.g. Frankenstein, Mt.
Washington, Lake Willoughby...(it was worth coming here just to do Odells
in full Konditions!!!)
within 2 hours: Taquitz and Suicide.
within 1.5 hours: Joshua Tree.
within 1 hour: The Beach.
within .5 hour: Big Rock at Lake Perris.
within 5 minutes: Mt. Rubidoux
winin 1 minute: Box Springs.
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