The Best Climbing Rocks

The Best Climbing Rocks

Known for its sweeping granite formations, Joshua Tree National Park is home to some of the finest crack and trad climbing in the western part of the United States. Only a few hours from Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Palm Springs, the routes in this granite mecca range from simple routes ideal for the beginning lead climber to some of the stiffest trad routes in the world. The granite here is slick and technique calls for a lot of smearing for footwork. Holds are more likely to be sharp and taping is recommended for those not used to climbing on granite. There is little sport climbing throughout Joshua Tree and most routes are suitable for trad leading and top roping.

A mere two hour drive from Denver, Colorado, Shelf Road in Canon City is a sport and trad climbing treasure trove. While most routes are primarily sport climbing, there is the odd trad route mixed in every now and then. Look for horizontally shaped holds and plenty of mail slot type features. The rock is limestone and will take a toll on you after a few days, so you may want to tape up to avoid unnecessary cuts and scrapes. Routes at Shelf Road range from the low 5's to 5.12+ projects for the aggressive and skilled climber. Routes tend to be a bit stiffer than their grade would normally indicate, so take guide book ratings with a grain of salt. People come to Red Rocks to climb yearround as the weather in Las Vegas is favorable whether you like the scorching heat or soothing winter wind. With thousands of routes for trad and sport climbers, Red Rocks is also home to the famous Kraft Mountain boulder fields, a favorite of bouldering enthusiasts. Approaches in Red Rocks begin both inside and outside the park gates and can range from two minute to two hours. Routes are, by and large, accurately graded and the recommended guide book is Jerry Handren's Red Rocks: A Climber's Guide.