About Rock Climbing

Some Guidelines

1) The less you care about numbers, the more fun you will have and the better you'll climb.

2) Try hard to climb like it's easy. Climb safely and gracefully.

3) Learn and practice using gear at grades below your limit.

4) Learn and practice self-rescue techniques.

5) If you are impatient, progress stops. Be patient and you will improve quickly.

6) We all over-reach sometimes. Back off early if you're in over your head.

7) Really spot people when bouldering, and wear a helmet when doing routes.

8) Treat auto-locking devices like ATC's, with break hand always on.

9) Enjoy the gym but go outside as much as you can.

10) The goal of climbing is not to get to the top, but to have fun outside with your friends. 

Note: The following destinations are not the places to first learn the skills needed to climb there. First learn the technical skills to climb safely. To do this, climb locally and often, with people who really know what they are doing. Do not be reluctant to take classes or ask someone to teach you. Anchor building, leading and self-rescue courses are great. Practice incessantly in safe environments, and ask yourself questions like: "What do I do if I drop my ATC?" and "What do I do if the rope gets stuck?" If you aren't totally sure you know what you are doing and what you'll do if things go wrong, don't climb. 

My Favorite Sport Climbing Destinations

1) Wild Iris (Lander, WY): Alpine meadows and aspen groves, free camping in a green city park, a warm and inclusive local community, generally well-protected 11's and 12's requiring precise sequencing.

2) Tonsai Beach (Thailand): Stunning towers over turquoise water, cheap cabins in the jungle, a festive and safe tourist-climber community, generally well-protected 10's through 12's, often with big cruxes on big holds, and of course deep water soloing.

3) Smith Rock (Bend, OR): A golden fin of rock rising from big sky sagebrush country, great campground with solar showers and slacklines, a funky and fun local scene, spicy enduro-crimpy 10's through 12's. Be ready for the runouts.

My Favorite Bouldering Destinations

1) The Buttermilks and Happy Boulders (Bishop, CA): Imposing granite boulders and friendlier basalt blocks in the shadow of the Sierras. Many high and hard problems in The Buttermilks, easier and lower problems in The Happies, but the best are V3 and above. Be ready for it.

2) County Park, South Ridge and Black Mountain (Idyllwild, CA): Classic fine grained granite boulders among the pine forests. Great camping at any of these. Plenty of moderate problems from V0 to V4, usually not too high.

My Favorite Traditional Climbing Destinations

1) Tuolumne Meadows (Yosemite National Park, CA): An alpine paradise of meadows, streams, rivers, and granite domes, great camping if you can get it. Adventurous multi-pitch classics from 5.5 to 5.11 abound but expect some runouts and complex route finding. Learn a lot before you go here.

2) Tahquitz Rock (Idyllwild, CA): An imposing dome towering above the valley. Great multi-pitch classics from 5.4 to 5.11 but expect some runouts and complex route finding. Learn a lot before you go here.

3) Joshua Tree (Joshua Tree, CA): A wonderland of giant golden boulders. Great camping if you can get it. Challenging and serious single pitch classics across the grades. Learn a lot before you go here.