Grand Ledge MI?

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Gunkie

Trad climber

East Coast US

Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 10, 2010 - 10:44am PT

OK, I'll be in Grand Rapids for business next week and might have to drive to Bay City. It looks like Grand Ledge is on the way. I always like to tick another area off the master list and I've never been to Grand Ledge. Any tips or suggestions before I throw down some V0- boulder problems?

TIA.

EDIT: THANKS FOR THE HELP! EDIT to avoid the bump.

Dolomite

climber

Anchorage

Jun 10, 2010 - 11:24am PT

Mosquito repellent.

Prod

Trad climber

Jun 10, 2010 - 11:32am PT

Could rank up there with some of the worst crags in the world. If you ever get to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan I can point you in the direction of some decent to good climbing.

Cheers,

Prod.

Gunkie

Trad climber

East Coast US

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 10, 2010 - 11:58am PT

Could rank up there with some of the worst crags in the world.

Just makes the destination that much more intriguing. My travels have taken me to some of the worst crags in the US; and there's lots of them. I've also ended up at some real hidden gems that are *way* better than Stoney Point or Livzey Rock or Mickey's Beach or Cat Rock or the Austin Greenbelt or Carderock. What makes these places interesting are the locals who take pride in their projects at these little areas. I've always had great experiences visiting these places and meeting the locals except for one place in AZ near Flagstaff.

And I'll pack my mosquito repellant in my 1 qt clear travel zip bag.

SF Bouldering circa 1993... already getting widow's peaks & 1st gen Mythos.

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Jun 10, 2010 - 12:05pm PT

In that case put Table Mountain on your short list when you visit the Denver area.

ß Î Ø T Ç H

climber

from the Leastside

Jun 10, 2010 - 02:52pm PT

Seems to be alot on the 'net . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tL9xcTZJsg&feature=player_embedded and a PDF here http://backyardclimber.com/?page_id=220 . Post up after your trip .

Bill Sherman

Mountain climber

Culver City, CA

Jun 10, 2010 - 03:12pm PT

There was also a mini-guide in a Climbing magazine from 1990 or 1991. I don't remember off-hand. It's a short wall that's maybe only 40' tall but there are probably around 75 routes there. There are also some interesting boulder problems around. There was a V2 I still never figured out. Most of the climbs are short and pumpy.

It's on sandstone and as a city park it requires that you top-rope EVERYTHING. NO LEAD CLIMBING!!! They will fine you and/or take your gear if they catch you leading. There are enough locals from the surrounding neighborhood that walk around the trails that they'll call the local LEO. They also require that all top-rope set-ups have padding to protect the rock and trees, again under penalty of fines if you don't comply but a piece of carpet or a t-shirt qualify.

There are a few fixed anchors above the most popular routes but some require webbing around trees to set up the anchors.

The references listed above are good guides to the area. There is also a printed guidebook but it's a low budget 20 page guidebook. You can find routes from 5.4 to 5.13 there.

Most of the people that climb there are very friendly and if you show up with just a harness and shoes you'll most likely get invited to hop on a rope without even asking.

If you can get in touch with the Michigan State University Outdoor Club, you have a good chance of finding partners. I'll see if I can still get in touch with some of them and set you up.

Bill

EDIT: The listserv is the best way to get a hold of members of the club and find people to go out climbing. Here's a link to get you to it: http://www.msuoc.org/members/memberlistserve.html.

adatesman

Trad climber

philadelphia, pa

Jun 10, 2010 - 03:46pm PT

There's a guidebook here: http://glc.cheapholds.com/Docs/GL_Guide.pdf

I picked up a printed guide dated 2001 at an REI outside Detroit back when I lived out that way (called "A Climbers Guide to Grand Ledge Michigan, 10th ed by TEO Press), which might still be available. It appears to have a lot more routes than this online one (97 vs 58). I'd offer to mail it to you, but I don't think it would get to you in time (and it's a bit too big to scan and email).

-aric.

EDIT- somehow missed the bouldering part... Not much of that in the guide I have or the one I linked above. From what I'm told (I never actually made it there) it's easy to set up anchors on top, so rope soloing would be a fairly easy option.

Gunkie

Trad climber

East Coast US

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 16, 2010 - 05:36pm PT

Finally visited Grand Ledge MI today. Looks like a fun place to top-rope at, but not a great bouldering area. It is a very well cared for climbing resource. Only met one guy, who wasn't even climbing, and got a bomb of a story. It's always interesting to visit these smaller, local areas. I always have a good experience. Will post the story and more pix later. Now need to drink beer.

Gunkie

Trad climber

East Coast US

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 16, 2010 - 06:52pm PT

My visit to Grand Ledge MI on June 16 2010 [mini trip report]

So I've always wanted to visit this place ever since the previously mentioned R&I mini-guide that was published 20-some years ago. I've always enjoyed bringing shoes and a chalkbag along on mundane business trips. You never know what you'll find. In the pre-historic days, before the internet and even before BBS's, I would look up the local adventure / climbing store and ask some questions. That was how I found Paradise Forks in AZ in 1989 and promptly got vibed out of that place :) I was also turned onto boulders in NE Massachusetts, The Austin Greenbelt, Peoples Wall in LaJolla CA, and even a traversable man-made rock wall in St Joseph MO by simply asking around. I located many other places based on those R&I mini-guides. In addition, I've hit all the prime urban areas that are more famous to climbers than the local pro sports teams. It's always fun to visit these little local areas and I've mostly had very good experiences.

So today, I was hoping to run into a few locals and maybe TR a climb or two. Alas, it wasn't to be. This area had 1.5 inches of rain the day before and most cracks were seeping and it was 11 AM on a Wednesday... what was I thinking? No locals were going to be there. I pulled into the parking area and had my pick of spots. So I parked and walked down the right end [climber's left] of the crag.

The texture of the rock makes this place very climbable even in the heavy humidity. The holds out of the rain, under overhangs were chalked and were plenty dry. Everything else was moist. This is *only* a top-roping place with some bouldering. The bouldering is not great only because most landings are dicey. Rocks, mud, and sloping ground combine with poor footing for the first few feet of rock make bouldering without spotters or pads scary, especially for an old guy like me. I did do some bouldering, mostly starts of climbs. I did one hard [for me] traverse under the Doug's Roof area.

So I'm just enjoying the river rolling by and I'm sure I was talking to myself when a guy pops around the corner and scares the bejesus out of me. He's wearing a National Guard travel uniform. He apologizes for almost making me crap my pants and we talk a bit. He tells me that he's shipping out to the middle east this afternoon and he's from Grand Ledge MI. Grand Ledge is not just a crag, it's a nice little town between Grand Rapids and Lansing, just south of route 96. Anyway, he goes on to tell me that this will be his third tour and 25 years ago, when he was a Cub Scout, he climbed at these crags. And he hadn't been back for a quarter century. He felt the need to re-visit this place that he has thought about often over the years and has very fond memories of. He was oddly melancholy. I didn't know what to say except that I deeply appreciate everything he does for our country.

So the soldier continues on his way, picking through the boulders at the base and stopping once in a while to look at a low angle climb and reminisce about climbs done when he was 7 or 8 years old. As I'm watching, I'm strangely gripped with this man's life moment. I can only hope that he returns safe and has the opportunity to charge up some of these climbs.

That's it. That's all I got. I recommend visiting Grand Ledge, if you're in the Grand Rapids or Lansing area for business or visiting relatives, with shoes, chalkbag, harness w/belay device, rope, all the top-roping accoutrements and plan to share. Looks like this place would be a blast on a clear, dry, cool Friday evening with plenty of TRs to play on.

adatesman

Trad climber

philadelphia, pa

Jun 16, 2010 - 08:34pm PT

"if you're in the Grand Rapids or Lansing area for business or visiting relatives, with shoes, chalkbag, harness w/belay device, rope, all the top-roping accoutrements and plan to share. Looks like this place would be a blast on a clear, dry, cool Friday evening with plenty of TRs to play on."

That's pretty much how I recall it being described when I lived in Detroit. Nothing spectacular, but worth the visit if you're there anyway. Kinda wish I had checked it out, but we moved back to PA before getting a chance to head up that way.

Thx for the pix.

-a.

gumbyKing

Trad climber

Vancouver, BC

Jun 18, 2010 - 04:03am PT

Those pics make me nostalgic! Although all of my years climbing that drippy limestone was pretty poor preparation for my move to the granite out here in BC.

Alan Rubin

climber

Amherst,MA.

Jun 18, 2010 - 11:53am PT

Gunkie, thanks for the story and pix. I share your affinity for visiting obscure climbing areas when on the road--almost always carry at least my shoes and chalk bag when I travel. I've really enjoyed the experiences I've had and the folks I've met at such places. Even short climbs on poor rock in not the most esthetic environments can still be enjoyable, and, in practice, many of the obscure areas turn out to be quite worthwhile. I was moved by your encounter with the soon to be deployed soldier--3 deployments is surely too many---I can only imagine his thoughts and fears. Keep up your trips and reports. And, since you enjoy out-of-the-mainstream areas come on over to the western Mass crags sometime--not too far from the Gunks. We are having our 2nd annual Rendezvous on Oct. 2--so put it on your schedule, you won't be diassapointed.

puzzlr

Mountain climber

Seattle, WA

Sep 22, 2016 - 11:29pm PT

I enjoyed reading your post. I attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids in the mid 70s and we came out to climb at Grand Ledge every weekend. At the time the climbers that named many of the pitches were still there occasionally. I recently had a chance to go back and was surprised that it hasn't changed that much. The biggest difference is the areas built up with beams at the base of the climbs to prevent erosion. Here are a couple shots from 1975.