J Tree vs Moab vs Red Rock

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Trad climber

Calgary

Feb 25, 2018 - 04:46pm PT

Organized climbing events aren't usually much fun.
I prefer disorganized events any day

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Feb 25, 2018 - 05:07pm PT

Indian Creek...get your groceries in Moab.

StahlBro

Trad climber

San Diego, CA

Feb 25, 2018 - 05:22pm PT

If you go to JT around a holiday weekend, you will be sad. The crowds are disheartening these days. There are great new routes off the beaten path, but getting in and out of the park and camping are getting ugly. Jumbo Rocks is now reservation only. IC is probably a great option.

Melissa

Gym climber

berkeley, ca

Feb 25, 2018 - 05:45pm PT

If you would have more fun in Moab than IC, then you'd probably have more fun in Red Rocks than in Moab.

SteveW

Trad climber

The state of confusion

Feb 25, 2018 - 06:44pm PT

There's more to climbing Utah than just Moab.
Grand Staircase/Escalante NM, Bears Ears NM, Capitol Reef NP are all
great places to climb!

Gary

Social climber

Desolation Basin, Calif.

Feb 26, 2018 - 07:37am PT

Between those three during Easter I'd choose Christmas Tree Pass. You'd have it all to yourself. Some classic old school ground up routes. Wilkinson Sword is the most interesting 5.6 in the world. Trac II is exhilirating. Lots of bolts have been replaced. Lots of FA potential.

Batrock

Trad climber

Burbank

Feb 26, 2018 - 07:47am PT

Saline Wall. Pete knows where it is. Climbing and soaking, what more could you want.
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/Saline-Valley-The-Saline-Wall/t12709n.html

Ed Hartouni

Trad climber

Livermore, CA

Feb 26, 2018 - 09:21am PT

Cochise Stronghold offers the skin abrasion experience of J Tree with longer routes and no crowds,

San Rafael Swell offers both Navajo and Wingate (as well as towers) within short drives so ticking off the Moab and Red Rock climbing experiences is possible without the crowds.

But that's just my experience. YMMV

If you need people around, neither of these suggestions will work for you.

Off White

climber

Tenino, WA

Feb 26, 2018 - 09:45am PT

As noted, it depends on what you want.

Hard to beat Indian Creek for pure crack climbing, but you want to climbing well enough you consider 5.10 a warm up.

Moab area is going to be pretty great for adventure climbing, towers, and poking around.

Red Rocks has some of the best long moderate free climbs in the country. The sport climbing crags are pretty so-so, but the canyons offer something really special. Not so short approaches though, and best to start early in the day.

Josh is cool too, but these days I usually go there for the people I know rather than the climbing.

Whatever you do, tell us stories when you get back.

Fat Dad

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Feb 26, 2018 - 11:27am PT

Hard to beat Indian Creek for pure crack climbing, but you want to climbing well enough you consider 5.10 a warm up.

Good point. A lot of folks don't seem to know this going in. There are a few easier things, but you have to hunt for them. Another big consideration is the number of cams you have or can borrow. The only time I've been to Moab (or IC), I only had 2-3 of each size, which meant I couldn't really climb much of anything other than your short, oddball climb. Having said that, there are fun towers (Castleton, etc.) or stuff along Potash Road, where most climbs don't require a gear store worth of cams.

August West

Trad climber

Where the wind blows strange

Feb 26, 2018 - 01:04pm PT

I rarely go to Moab without a four wheel drive.

High clearance is more important than four wheel drive. Sure if it is muddy. But mud usually means rain and that usually means you aren't climbing. There is plenty to get to and do with a low clearance, 2 wheel drive rental.

Hard to beat Indian Creek for pure crack climbing, but you want to climbing well enough you consider 5.10 a warm up.

If the time frame is only 4 or 5 days and you can climb 5.9, you could stick mostly to friendly hand sized cracks and do ok. In my opinion. Sure you will have to search them out and crowds can always be a factor.

Having said that, there are fun towers (Castleton, etc.) or stuff along Potash Road, where most climbs don't require a gear store worth of cams.

I'm not sure I would recommend a tower without getting used to the rock by climbing at the Indian Creek first. The towers might have an easier rating but they seem to have a higher adventure factor. I suppose there are some well protected easy routes. Probably pretty crowded also.

tradmanclimbs

Ice climber

Pomfert VT

Feb 26, 2018 - 04:45pm PT

For some reason I have never been even remotely tempted to go to Josh..

RR on the other hand is fabulous!

Learned more about crack climbing in 2 days at IC than I had learned in the previous 14 years of climbing.

Lots of stuff in Utah is great. good towers in the Moab area.
the Swell is wicked cool. St George area user friendly and close to vegas. Zion is terrifying! This is all from an eastern climbers perspective.