Western North America

Climbing in Western North America

• American Fork Canyon

  Utah, USA · trad & sport · Limestone

  Peak estimates: June, September

  The Hell Cave is right there in the name.

• Big Cottonwood Canyon

  Utah, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Quartzite

  Peak estimates: May, September

  parking lot more competitive than the climbing

• Bishop

  California, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Granite / Volcanic

  Buttermilks — foothill bouldering: January, February, March, October, November, December · Happy / Sad Boulders — volcanic tablelands: January, February, March, October, November, December · Owens River Gorge — sport climbing: January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December · Cardinal Pinnacle — higher granite trad: May, June, July, August, September

  high balls

• Black Canyon of the Gunnison

  Colorado, USA · trad · Gneiss

  Peak estimates: May, September

  Even the approach wants you to bail.

• Boulder Canyon

  Colorado, USA · trad & sport · Granite

  Peak estimates: May, September

  climbing wall stapled to a highway

• Bow Valley

  Canada · sport · Limestone

  Peak estimates: July, August

  The limestone is endless. Your weather window is not.

• Bubbs Creek Wall

  California, USA · trad & alpine · Granite

  Peak estimates: June, September

  long everything. lots of bears.

• Bugaboos

  Canada · trad & alpine · Granite (alpine)

  Peak estimates: July, August

  Alpine granite. Your car needs a porcupine rack.

• City of Rocks (Idaho)

  Idaho, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Granite

  Peak estimates: June, September

  Granite playground, suspiciously wholesome camping.

• Clear Creek Canyon

  Colorado, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Gneiss / Schist / Granite

  Peak estimates: April, October

  Roadside bolts. Shout your beta over a truck.

• Cochise Stronghold

  Arizona, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Granite

  Peak estimates: January, December

  Bold and the beautiful.

• Devils Tower

  Wyoming, USA · trad & sport · Phonolite

  Peak estimates: July, September

  voyeuristic tourists below

• Donner Summit

  California, USA · trad & sport · Granite

  Peak estimates: July, September

  Granite classics. Highway ambiance

• Eldorado Canyon State Park

  Colorado, USA · trad & bouldering · Sandstone / Gneiss

  Peak estimates: May, June

  Your 5.8 lead has terms and conditions. G is PG. PG is R.

• Grand Tetons

  Wyoming, USA · trad & alpine · Granite / Gneiss

  Peak estimates: August, September

  The approach is your first alpine ego check.

• High Sierra / Whitney Area

  California, USA · trad & alpine · Granite

  Peak estimates: August, September

  You packed cams. The approach wanted lungs.

• Index

  Washington, USA · trad & sport · Granite

  Peak estimates: July, August

  Sandbagged. Probably wet.

• Indian Creek

  Utah, USA · trad · Sandstone (Wingate)

  Peak estimates: October, November

  Perfect splitters in every size. Every size hurts.

• Jemez Mountains and Jemez Valley

  New Mexico, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Volcanic (including rhyolite)

  Peak estimates: May, June

  Picking a crag counts as an expedition.

• Joe's Valley

  Utah, USA · sport & bouldering · Sandstone

  Peak estimates: March, November

  Roadside boulders. You still brought approach excuses.

• Joshua Tree

  California, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Granite / Monzogranite

  Single-pitch climbing and bouldering: January, February, March, April, October, November, December · Exposed multi-pitch trad — Lost Horse / Astro Domes: January, February, March, April, October, November, December

  the descents are sandbagged

• Lander

  Wyoming, USA · trad & sport · Limestone / Dolomite

  Peak estimates: May, June

  Hard pockets and wind.

• Leavenworth

  Washington, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Granite / Diorite

  Peak estimates: June, September

  Real granite. Fake Bavaria.

• Little Cottonwood Canyon

  Utah, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Quartz Monzonite / Limestone

  Peak estimates: May, September

  Granite slabs. scared gym feet.

• Lover's Leap

  California, USA · trad & bouldering · Granite

  Peak estimates: July, September

  Classic 5.7s. Modern queue management.

• Maple Canyon

  Utah, USA · sport · Conglomerate

  Peak estimates: June, July

  gym climbing with knee bars

• Moab / Castle Valley

  Utah, USA · trad & sport · Sandstone (Wingate/Entrada)

  Peak estimates: March, November

  Your summit photo cropped out the panic.

• Moe's Valley

  Utah, USA · bouldering · Sandstone

  Peak estimates: January, February

  The topout wasn't in your beta video.

• Mount Charleston

  Nevada, USA · sport & bouldering · Limestone

  Peak estimates: June, September

  Vegas climbers discovering jackets against their will.

• Mount Lemmon

  Arizona, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Granite

  Lower mountain · roped climbing: January, February, March, November, December · High elevation sectors · roped climbing: June

  Drive uphill until the temperature stops trying to kill you.

• Patterson Left

  California, USA · trad & sport · Granite

  Peak estimates: May, October

  Rappel first. Question your choices later.

• Red Rock

  Nevada, USA · trad & sport · Sandstone (Aztec)

  Sunny lower crags — trad and sport: January, February, March, April, October, November, December · Higher, shaded canyon walls — multi-pitch trad: March, April, May, September, October, November

  Parking is pitch one.

• Rifle Mountain Park

  Colorado, USA · sport · Limestone

  Peak estimates: June, July

  Strong climbers discovering they're average.

• Rocky Mountain National Park

  Colorado, USA · trad, bouldering & alpine · Granite

  Peak estimates: July, August

  Alpine granite. Thunder called last orders.

• Sedona

  Arizona, USA · trad & sport · Sandstone

  Peak estimates: March, November

  Chossfest don't come here. Wink.

• Sequoia National Park

  California, USA · trad · Granite

  Peak estimates: August, September

  Yosemite but better.

• Shelf Road

  Colorado, USA · sport · Limestone

  Peak estimates: April, October

  Pocket climbing. Your feet came as spectators.

• Sinks Canyon

  Wyoming, USA · sport & bouldering · Dolomite

  Peak estimates: June, July

  pockets

• Skaha Bluffs

  Canada · trad & sport · Gneiss

  Peak estimates: September, October

  Wine country

• Smith Rock

  Oregon, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Volcanic welded tuff / Basalt

  Main welded-tuff faces — roped climbing: March, April, May, September, October, November · Lower Gorge basalt — shaded roped sectors: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October

  birth of US sport climbing

• Squamish

  British Columbia, Canada · trad, sport & bouldering · Granite

  Chief long walls — multi-pitch trad: June, July, August, September · Short roped cragging — trad and sport: May, June, July, August, September · Forest bouldering — Chief base sectors: May, June, July, August, September

  World-class granite when dry. Everyone becomes a meteorologist.

• Suicide Rock

  California, USA · trad & sport · Granite

  Peak estimates: May, October

  The approach already called your bluff.

• Tahquitz Rock

  California, USA · trad · Granite

  Peak estimates: May, June

  Historic granite multipitch; the grades remember the 1950s.

• Ten Sleep Canyon

  Wyoming, USA · sport · Dolomite limestone

  Peak estimates: July, August

  vacation grades

• The Elephant's Perch

  Idaho, USA · trad & bouldering · Granite

  Peak estimates: July, August

  boat approach

• The Fins

  Idaho, USA · sport · Limestone

  Peak estimates: July, August

  perfect pockets. 4 Low vehicle envy

• The Flatirons

  Colorado, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Sandstone

  Peak estimates: April, October

  Giant sandstone slabs; climb before breakfast, get lost before lunch.

• The Grail

  Arizona, USA · sport · Limestone

  Peak estimates: March, November

  Your warm-up is somebody else's season goal.

• The Incredible Hulk

  California, USA · trad & alpine · Granite

  Peak estimates: August, September

  windy AF

• The Needles (CA)

  California, USA · trad · Granite

  Peak estimates: June, July

  perfect granite. loud aircraft above.

• Trout Creek

  Oregon, USA · trad · Basalt

  Peak estimates: October, November

  Perfect splitters. Your stemming is not.

• Tubbs Hill

  Idaho, USA · trad & bouldering · Unknown

  Peak estimates: June, July

  Downtown lakefront bouldering with swimming as the sensible option.

• Tuolumne Meadows

  California, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Granite

  High elevation domes and boulders — around 8,600 ft: July, August, September

  It's 5.7. Your feet would like a grade reassessment

• Vedauwoo

  Wyoming, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Granite

  Peak estimates: June, September

  Your whole body is a bad hand jam.

• Washington Pass

  Washington, USA · trad & alpine · Granite / Gneiss

  Peak estimates: August, September

  Roadside alpinism. Still brought expedition-level excuses.

• Wild Iris

  Wyoming, USA · sport · Dolomite limestone

  Peak estimates: July, August

  hardperson pockets

• Yosemite Valley

  California, USA · trad, sport & bouldering · Granite

  Valley roped climbing — around 4,000 ft: April, May, September, October

  Your bucket list is everyone else's.

• Zion National Park

  Utah, USA · trad & bouldering · Sandstone (Navajo)

  Peak estimates: October, November

  big beautiful sandy