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NA_Kid
Big Wall climber
The Bear State
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Not sure about the rest of actual 4WD owners out there, but i sure am damn happy i own a 4WD, with a locker, with skid plates, with large tires, lifted, with a winch, with bumpers, and a comfy drivers seat.
I could not have it any other way
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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I once took a 68 Datsun 510 sedan to the TOP of the 4wd road going into the Crestones. Everybody that saw it there thought I'd helicoptered it in. Of course when I got back to Gunnison, the mechanic that looked at it said I needed a new clutch and that the "toe-in" was out 2 1/2 inches, the worst he'd ever seen. I wore out a fairly new set of tires just on the 120 mile trip back
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Rhyang can certify that I almost got my FWD Volvo wagon stuck in mud on a bluebird day dispersed-camping outside of Yosemite.
No, your Volvo was definitely stuck. Took four guys pushing to get it unstuck.
Bluebird day ? It was near midnight .. not easy to see anything. That should teach you to drive carefully offroad :)
That area has plenty of areas without mudbogs. I've bivied there a lot. But for those of you who don't get out of the city much .. beware >:)
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miwuksurfer
Social climber
Mi-Wuk
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I think if you aren't skiing or ice climbing 2wd is sufficient with decent clearance. Beyond that just bring your mountain bike if you don't want to hike the extra bit of the ways in.
And yes, Murcy could probably get his vovlo to 90% of the climbing areas in the US, but who doesn't want a European Military Transport Vehicle.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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I love a good 4X4 and am completely sold on AWD for every day driveing but BINTD I went a shiton of places with 2wd.
rental sedan into black velvet, Honda civic into county road 16Z down by durango.. rental sedan all the way out to thr rim of Torro Weep on the Grand caynon...
I used to have a Syncro Vanagon and that 4X4 was as agressive as any that i have ever experienced includeing my F150 W Chains. Problem was it caused VW anxiety on long roadtrips w/ full toolbox..
MY dream rig is a Sprinter for sheerheadroom and useable space but the lack of 4X4 makes me want Dingus's rig.. seems like the cargo van has a lot less room than a sprinter but heck, you can not have everything....
Crestone needle is real rough, Airport tower was pretty rough and Cleopatras Chair real rough. Those are the only 3 spots that I remember where a rental car with Extra insurance would not get you there ;)
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
WA, & NC & Idaho
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Totaled my honda CRV when I hit an Elk last year.
Drove everything, subaru outback is the best current AWD, and has 8.7 inches of ground clearance, 29 mpg highway.
I ended up buying a toyota 4-runner as Elk insurance, great vehicle, but kinda wish I had bought the out back. Subaru/honda CRV is MUCH better in the snow IMO.
A well drivven out back will get you to 99% of us climbing areas!
-e
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Archie Richardson
Trad climber
Grand Junction, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 6, 2011 - 06:48am PT
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And just EXACTLY where did you find an approach to EP that uses a VEHICLE??
Rokjox -alert as usual. I dug out my logbook ready to prove you wrong. But it was the approach to Finger of Fate, not EP. I haven't spent much time in Idaho, but if that approach is representative a 2wd just won't cut it there. I actually felt like I was abusing my poor Blazer...
BTW, I just added EP to the list of places I can still access if I can't get a 4x4.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Many. I would love to tell you but then I would have to kill you.
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Just one of the areas a 4x4 comes in handy.
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Archie Richardson
Trad climber
Grand Junction, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 7, 2011 - 05:36am PT
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Tough lookin' rig, Batrock.
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ddriver
Trad climber
SLC, UT
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No bugs allowed:
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Archie Richardson
Trad climber
Grand Junction, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 8, 2011 - 04:44pm PT
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Whatta canyon!
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gonzo chemist
climber
from CO Springs at the moment...
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Turkey Rocks, in the South Platte? Or maybe just anything high clearance would work there.
what about Big Rock Candy Mountain? also in the south platte.
I guess individually those don't count as areas, so much as just "formations."
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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You'll want HC/4X4/Locking Rear Diff if you wanna get into a lot of the really good obscuro routes in SoCal and Utah and greater Flagstaff. Last 2WD car I owned was in 1993, and I'm never going back. When I was living in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona I slipped into 4X4 very often.
Rockjox is right -- stay in 2X4 until you are into, or about to get into, a recovery situation. Like trying to get out of the Henries after a rainstorm. Even then there are no guarentees. When Bentonite clay gets lit up with snow or rain you're pretty much hosed.
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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As others have said, the issues are greater than just 2wd, 4wd and AWD, there is ground clearance and tires to contend with, and most importantly if you're staying on the pavement, or leaving the pavement.
If you don't go off pavement, then 2wd with all season tires, supplimented with chains and realizing you'll have to stay off the roads in some winter conditions will suffice.
If however you venture off pavement, higher ground clearance and all terrain tires are a wise choice, adding a locker in the diff is even a better choice, 4wd is the best. Even though you you may have rarely used the 4wd in your blazer, you had a much more capable off road vehicle than an AWD sedan or wagon due to the ground clearance and likely the tires you had on the blazer.
The fuel efficiency difference between 2wd and 4wd, or 2wd and AWD really isn't that great for the same type of vehicles with the different drive trains, figure 2mpg tops. But, when comparing a truck type vehicle to a sedan, then yes the larger heavier truck with it's larger heavier engine and drive train is going to have dramatically worse mileage than a sedan, or sedan based suv/wagon.
Personally I can't see living in an area where you spend a signifigant amount of the year in winter driving conditions and not having AWD or 4wd. I've done so for a few years, you do what you have to do.
You can head out a nice dry dusty dirt road to a climbing in your sedan, and have a thunderstorm arrive before your departure. What got you out there, might not get you back.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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I'm with dee ee.
But I will say that it is 49% vehicle and 51% driver.
I've seen Mondeau take 2WD where new Jeep owners foundered.
Used to be only one way in here, and it was burly.
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kev
climber
A pile of dirt.
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stay in 2X4 until you are into, or about to get into, a recovery situation.
Crawl in 4x4 to avoid getting into or near a recovery situation. Getting
into 4x4 isn't always instantaneous. Sometimes it takes a second or two of driving for it to engage (at least for a 4x4 tacoma), and sometimes requires
going back to neutral and retrying the engagement. Don't think I want to try that on top of being near a recovery situation.
But yeah most peeps don't need it where they go. But for those of us who do it isn't really an option unless we really want to curtail some of our locations.
EDIT:
Plus we all know I won't agree with RJ ;)
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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There's a great old photo of Fowler at the base of Monster Tower on the White Rim Trail. Looks like they drove a beater ol Chevy Malibu or some such out there. Assuming the oilpan was still intact, dude had skillz.
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Dapper Dan
Trad climber
Menlo Park
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Getting to a rock climbing area is not the only reason to get a 4x4 . I love checking out old mining roads , forest service roads , mountain passes, in my old Toyota. Add a locking diff in the rear and you can do even more . I also sleep in the back with the g/f about 30 nights a year . I get about 20 mpg . I do wish that was better....
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Karen
Trad climber
So Cal urban sprawl Hell
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Dapper Dan, what year is your Truck? My Toyota looks to be the same year (93) as yours, unfortunately the timing chain went kapoot and took out the engine. Loved that truck and would have never been able to do all the things I did without it.
Truly got my use of the 4X4.
Now that I have a 2-wheel drive that has zilch clearance can no longer camp in the areas I was able to access in my truck. Bah!!!!!!!!
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