Iowa Limestone Rock Climbing by Patrick Mees

by todd | Aug 28, 2016 | World's Best Rock Climbing Areas

Buy Iowa Limestone here and save money versus purchasing from within our app via Apple or Google. It’s exactly the same guidebook, but offered at a lower price on rakkup.com.

Carolyn Coffey on the OS of Flash 5.11b

Finding rock climbing in the Midwest is not easy. Believe it or not a nice little area can be found in Eastern Iowa next to corn and hog farms near the town of Monticello. Three separate areas: Pictured Rocks, Indian Bluffs and Ozark Wildlife combine to form an area referred to by many as Wild Iowa. While unexpected, the climbing can be quite good and many leave satisfied that a stop wasn’t a waste of time.

Khadija Shahid at Windy Point 5.11a

Formed in ancient seas 2-300 million years ago, the Silurian Dolomite was revealed by erosion and contains some incredibly formed features. One might encounter pockets, crimps, combos, slopers, jugs and even fossils on route. While the Iowa climbing history predates the surge of bolting in the early 1990’s, it was the advent of the sport climbing revolution that was responsible for many of the rock climbs in Iowa. Over 100 bolted sport routes offer most styles of limestone climbing from technical slabs to steep jug hauls from 5.6 to 5.12. Trad climbing can be found as well near the pocketed faces but the Iowa Limestone guide will focus almost solely on sport climbs. Wild Iowa can provide a nice fix for regional climbers who can’t make longer drives to more popular/larger areas.

Emilie on Schoolio 5.9

Fall and Spring are the best seasons to climb at Wild Iowa, considering the cold winters and the humid summers. Occasionally, one can get a blue bird day in winter that is warm enough to enjoy South facing climbs. Also, many hard core climbers brave the humidity and insects to get some pitches in during the summer months. That said, the best days are found once the stifling heat abates in September -November or during the Spring season in late March – May. It should be mentioned accessing the areas in winter can be difficult. There is a gate that blocks car traffic to Pictured Rocks during the winter months, however foot traffic is still allowed.

The impetus for this guide came simply from meeting travelling climbers over the years,that had no idea how to find entire areas or what the climbs were rising before them. What better way to aid these climbers than to combine a GPS map to all climbs with the best descriptions of the climbs available. We sincerely hope you have fun climbing Iowa Limestone and that this guide aids your enjoyment!

Learn more about Patrick Mees here.

Smoke Hole Canyon Rock Climbing: Reed’s Creek – Summer Fun and Winter Sun by Mike Gray

by Mike Gray | Jul 26, 2016 | World's Best Rock Climbing Areas

Buy Reed’s Creek

South of Smoke Hole Canyon and the town of Upper Tract, Reed’s Creek Road intersects with the old Petersburg Turnpike, after winding down from the shoulders of North Fork Mountain through meadows of cows and sheep, steep ridges surrounding proud old family homes and weathered barns, clusters of doublewide trailers and modular housing and the occasional vine-covered ruin of a log cabin.

Cindy Bender (now Gray) pulls welcome buckets on Welcome to Reed Creek (5.7)

The road is busier than it once was, but there are days, late summer evenings and pristine winter afternoons, when the sound of a tractor is more common than that of an automobile, and there is a sense of timelessness, the smell of honeysuckle, livestock, strains of gospel music and southern rock in the air.

This is Reed’s Creek; a series of south-facing arêtes and dihedrals and a high-quality selection of sixty sport and trad lines on featured metamorphic limestone, with a reasonable approach hike, a serviceable trail and ample parking, just off State Route 220 in West Virginia’s historic Pendleton County.

Trevor Albert cuts loose on Ryan Eubank’s Golden Horseshoe (5.10b/c)

Guides from Seneca Rocks first put bit to stone to the walls of Reed Creek in 2002 and 2003, creating Welcome to Reed Creek, One Page at a Time, and Catfish Strangler, the original Boneyard Routes.

The routes were good and the stone was fine, but there were other crags and other callings, and they moved on to new horizons.

Although visited once or twice by some local legends, the crag languished for years, hidden behind the thick summer canopy, layers of old fence, greenbrier and No Trespassing signs, until I found the three original lines on a scouting expedition in 2008 and was blown away by the untapped potential of the other walls.

Unknown climber stretched out on the crux of Catfish Strangler (5.10b) Photo by Mike Gray

The following week, I made my way to the Cheat Potomac Ranger Station, where records indicated that the land was public. I wasted no time and began exploring and developing routes, starting with the 5.10 Reaching Conclusions, the premier line on the Reach Wall.

The following spring, Lyndon State College sensei Jamie Struck brought an eager crew from Vermont to create the lower trails around the Gypsies Wall and top-rope the line that would become Shaved Scamper. Long-time area developer and hard man Mike Fisher and NoVA’s Ryan Eubank soon joined the development push with routes like Second Rule, Shaolin Mantis, Little Purple Flowers, Hunter’s Moon and Grapevine Massacre. Cindy Bender was there from the start, with hot coffee and snacks, spending long hours on belay and building trail before dancing up some of the first ascents of lines like A Horse With No Name, Second Rule, Winterharvest and Fire On the Mountain.

Whitney Moss, reaching for hope on the crux of Disorientation 101 (5.11)

Following repeated questions of property boundaries, the author’s investigation into county tax records, deed descriptions, and MNF survey documents proved once and for all that these sweet crags were public land. Route development resumed immediately.

Pennsylvania climbers Michael Stewart and Randy La Force added excellent moderates like Dr. Taco and Superman, as word of the crag began to spread among locals and across the region.

Following the proactive precedent of Franklin Gorge, The First Spring Send-a-thon and Trail Daze event was organized and attended by Gray, Bender, Fisher, Eubank and a coalition of strong climbers from Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, as well as “locals” from Charlottesville and Harrisonburg. Trails around and leading to the Boneyard were improved and expanded, and trash was collected along Reed Creek Road. The National Forest resurveyed and marked the boundaries along the private property line, making it easier for hunters and climbers to avoid trespassing.

Brian Brydges, cruising through a sweet April day on Little Purple Flowers (5.9)

Today, Reed’s has over 40 routes, in a wide variety of grades and styles, from Mike Fisher’s 5.7 funfest dihedral Second Rule and my own trad 5.7 SuperNatural to technical challenges like Fisher’s 5.11+ Shaolin Mantis, Eubank’s burly 5.11 Grapevine Massacre, and Michael Farnsworth’s 5.12 cave line Harlem. Newcomers Chris Beauchamp and Tyrel Johnson have been adding bold trad, mixed and sport lines like Invasive Species and Mare Imbrium.
(Tyrel has been instrumental in continuing the tradition of trail work and stewardship, and tireless the editing process; hiking trails, correcting errors, and tweaking all the details of the app.)

The project Cold Day in Hell, originally bolted by Eubank, has yet to see an ascent, despite repeated tries by strong 5.12 climbers who say the grade may be as high as 5.13.

Sunny winter days and shady summer mornings, easy access, great lines and an incredible setting, just off the beaten path; Reed’s Creek has something for every climber.

South Africa Cape Peninsula Rock Climbing by Tony Lourens

by todd | Mar 4, 2016 | World's Best Rock Climbing Areas

Buy or rent Cape Peninsula here and save money versus purchasing from within our app via Apple or Google. It’s exactly the same guidebook, but offered at a lower price on rakkup.com.

Jamie Smith piecing together Frank (31/8a+), The Mine. Photo Micky Wiswedel

Introduction
The Cape Peninsula is renowned for its world-famous landmark, one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature – Table Mountain and the Table Mountain chain. This rugged mountain chain creates an undulating ridge, which forms the backbone of the Peninsula, starting from the striking front of Table Mountain that overlooks the city, running through the beautiful and exposed Silvermine Reserve, over the cave-riddled Kalk Bay mountains and ending in the Cape of Good Hope Reserve at Cape Point – the very tip of the Peninsula.
Fortunately for climbers in Cape Town, the Cape Peninsula is blessed with a string of great crags giving very diverse climbing from short powerful routes on the bulging quartzite crags of Trappieskop and Peer’s Cave, the ever-popular faces of the Silvermine crags, to the very steep and mega-pumpy crags of The Mine and The Hole. As far as grades are concerned, there is something for everyone. Crags like Lakeside Pinnacle, Lower Silvermine and Higgovale Quarry are popular among beginners and for those who want a relaxing day at the crag, while Silvermine Main Crag and Fawlty Towers takes one up a notch or two. Whatever your desires, there are many routes on quality sandstone, just waiting to be caressed by your fingertips. Just go out and get ’em!
For a guide to all the trad climbing on the Cape Peninsula get Cape Peninsula Select – A guide to trad climbing in the Cape Peninsula.

Oliver Kruger doing the Trance Dance (23/6c+), Silvermine Main Crag. Photo Garrreth Bird

Access
The entire Table Mountain chain falls under the jurisdiction of the Table Mountain National Park and a Wild Card will get you free entrance into Silvermine, as well as any other reserve on the Peninsula as well as throughout the Western Cape and the country, depending which cluster you purchase. For Cape Town residents who do not have a Wild Card, there is also the option of purchasing a My Green Card. This is an annual card, which allows the holder 12 free entries into any Cape Peninsula reserve, including Silvermine. Okay, so all this just gains you entry. To actually climb (sport climbing only), you will also need to purchase an Activity Permit. This permit is valid for one year and allows you to climb anywhere on the Cape Peninsula. But if you are a member of the MCSA, then you will not need an Activity Permit. Remember to carry your MCSA card. For further information or clarity on all this card stuff, contact Table Mountain National Park on +27 (0)21 712 7471 or tablemountain@sanparks.org. For all access updates and information, you can also call the Mountain Club of South Africa (MCSA) on +27 (0)21 465 3412.

Naureen Goheer cranking through the first crux on A Gift of Wings (28/7c), The Mine. Photo Micky Wiswedel

Weather and when to visit
The Cape Peninsula generally gets all the weather systems before the rest of the Western Cape, and often more severely than the inland areas. In saying that, the Peninsula is still a year-round climbing destination, but can be rather wet and miserable if you are unlucky enough to pick a rainy period for your holiday. To be safe, plan to visit during the long summer months. It may get hot, but there are always shady crags to climb on, and you will be able to enjoy the beaches, the awesome summer evenings, and take advantage of long daylight hours.

Prof. Steven Bradshaw pulling off some chemistry on his as yet unrepeated test piece, Hey Jupiter (34/8c), Underside, Cape Peninsula. Photo Guy Holwill

Accommodation
Although there are one or two campsites on the Peninsula, camping is not recommended. These campsites are far from the city, and it’s generally not safe to leave tents and camping stuff unattended while out climbing for the day. Depending on your financial position, there is a wide range of backpacker lodges, guest houses, B&Bs and hotels scattered throughout the Peninsula. Generally, the closer you are to the city and the Waterfront, the more you will pay for accommodation. A popular backpacker lodge among visiting climbers is Green Elephant in Observatory. Contact them on +27 21 448 6359 or greenelephant@iafrica.com. They are close to the City Rock indoor climbing gym and also to the trendy Lower Observatory Main Road, which has some good cafes, pubs and restaurants. Observatory is a short drive from the city centre and V&A Waterfront. For more information on accommodation elsewhere on the Peninsula, contact the Western Cape Tourism office on +27 21 426 5647 or info@cape-town.org.
 

Learn more about Tony Lourens here.

Cody Rock Climbing by Mike Snyder

by Mike Snyder | Feb 4, 2016 | World's Best Rock Climbing Areas

Buy or rent Cody Rock Climbing here and save money versus purchasing from within our app via Apple or Google. It’s exactly the same guidebook, but offered at a lower price on rakkup.com.

Cowboys, Buffalo Bill, Museum of the Rockies, tourism and Yellowstone – Cody, Wyoming is home to Western tradition and beautiful yet rugged scenery. Minutes West of town is the Shoshone Canyon hosting nearly all of the rock climbing. The diversity of geologic formations in many of the canyons found in Wyoming features Sandstone, limestone/dolomite and granite and the Shoshone Canyon is no different. Bouldering, sport climbing and traditional gear routes offer climbers a variety of challenges and mild weather with over 300 sunny days per year assure you can climb almost any day year round. With a population under 10,000, Cody has a small but dedicated local climbing scene and with so few visitors, you’ll never wait in line or have to share a route. Oh and did I mention the ice… Yes, cody is a little slice of climbing heaven.

Bryant Hall starting up Any Color You Like 5.13b in The Lower Canyon

The Island is Cody’s most accessible crag and attracts the most visitors. This alcove of multibillion year old granite has more than 50 modern well protected sport routes and a few gear climbs all of which are very high quality. A five minute completely flat approach makes this a favorite for locals and visitors alike. This area is stacked with memorable moderates such as Feeling All Right (5.8), Search (5.8), Bitch With A Broomstick (5.8) and many others. There are also classic 5.10’s such as Community Service (5.10b), Pea Green Limousine (5.10c), Illegal Dihedral (5.10d) and Big Ben (5.10d). Try Light Tension (5.11a), Balls (5.11b) or Black Wall (5.11c) and for something a little harder, The Horn of Plenty (5.12a), Certain Damage (5.12b) or Redhead (5.12d) will test your crimp strength. The nearly 200 foot high walls currently offer only single pitch climbs however, Spider Pig (5.12b) is a 3 pitch bolt protected multi-pitch that tackles the tallest part of the Tunnel Wall.

John Morrison working his way out the steep roof on Butch 5.12c at The Hideout Wall at the Upper Bridge Bands.

The limestone/dolomite bands run nearly the entire length of the canyon. While the quality varies based on the geologic sedimentary layer, there are certain bands that offer the pocketed greatness that makes Wyoming dolomite world famous. All of the ‘Bands’ are South facing and ideal in the Spring and Fall months and on Sunny Winter days. The East Bridge Bands offers a concentrated collection of climbs featuring crimps and pockets. Most are well protected sport climbs although there are also several easier gear protected trad climbs. Don’t miss Tidy Bowl Lid (5.8), Pocket Full of Pigeons (5.9), Tall Boy (5.10c), Chocolate Malt (5.11b) or Orange Whip (5.12a).

Jason Litton hucking the big throw on Stranahan’s 5.12c at The Single Malt Wall.

The Bridge Bands are one of the areas older crags and has a variety of routes done in different styles from traditional, to bolder lower angle slabs to more modern and steeper pockety sport routes. The crag has two tiers and offers single and two pitch climbs, although the second tier has a generous sized ledge extending over half the length of the cliff. Long moderates like Feels Like Summer (5.9) and Stilts (5.10a) contradict the puzzling, mind bending low angle climbs of the Mud Wall like Seam Dream (5.11a) and Chess (5.11d). Meanwhile the second tier Cowboy Wall offers pockety steeper gems such as Space Wrangler (5.10b), Blood Drive (5.10d) and Chief of Scouts (5.12a).

Kevin Wilkinson copping a rest on The Judge .13a in the Lower Canyon

Directly above the Bridge Bands is band of bullet hard dolomite with some of the best and hardest pocket routes in Cody. The soaring 1500 foot tall cliff has many layers of unclimbable rock though the Upper Bridge Bands is an anomaly of streaked brilliance in the middle of the cliff, featuring two dozen short and powerful routes spread between The Hideout and Bandit Walls. The hike is significant in comparison with Cody’s other short approaches but the views are breathtaking with the North Fork of the Shoshone and the Buffalo Bill Reservoir visible to the West and the town of Cody visible to the East, the price of admission is worth the effort. Perfect pockets abound on routes like In The Middle (5.11a), On The Run (5.12a/b), Butch (5.12c) and The Kid (5.12d) at the Hideout Wall. Just around the corner try Showdown (5.11a), Lone Bandit (5.11c) or Skoal Bandit (5.11b/c) to satisfy your pocket tugging jones.

Climber making his way into the Lower Canyon

The Bands extend to the West as well and other lesser developed gems exist for those willing to go for an adventure walk. Just For Kix, Popeye and Woodrow Walls have older routes and some spirited trad outings, although motivated locals have realized the potential for new routing and are installing fun new clip ups. Look for updates in these areas in the future. Meanwhile try Kickin It (5.10b), Psycho Holiday (5.11c) and Strong to the Finish (5.12c) to sample current crop.

Mike Snyder stretches out on Single Track 5.10d at The Single Malt Wall.

No climbing trip to the Shoshone Canyon of Cody would be complete without a visit to the Lower Canyon. With another ridiculously simple approach, the (closed to public vehicle traffic) paved road leading down into the canyon deposits you at the base of a nearly 1000 foot deep gorge with granite walls soaring up on either side. The river cutting the through this canyon provides moisture and a juxtaposition to the grandiose rock monoliths, offering great fishing, kayaking and even the rare river otter spotting if your lucky. Although the number of amazing sport climbs has grown exponentially in the past 5 years, traditional gear protected routes with an adventurous feel were the norm for many years. The rock climbs are spread out on both sides of the canyon with both splitter cracks and shiny bolts grabbing your attention as you explore. The Single Malt Wall holds the highest concentration of routes and perhaps the easiest access with many pitches beginning on or near the road. Crowd pleasers include Glen Morangie (5.10a), Single Track (5.10d), Bowmore (5.11a) and Oban (5.12b). Elsewhere in the canyon seek out the 3 pitch trad route Dee’s Freeze (5.8), a seven pitch sport route called Lemme Tell Ya Whats Cool (5.8), In Stitches (5.11a), Phoenix (5.12a/b), Goliath (5.13a) and Any Color You Like (5.13b).