How to Plan A Successful Spring Break Climbing Trip

Sitting behind a desk as snow covers the local crags makes warm days in Yosemite, Smith Rock, Red River Gorge, and other spring destinations sound dreamy. In the depths of winter, planning a spring break climbing trip becomes paramount for maintaining sanity. Making that fantasy a reality takes a bit of planning and some flexibility. Before you set off, consider timing, the weather, the best partners for the occasion, and the goals you want to achieve to make the most of your trip.

Timing Your Spring Break Climbing Trip Right

First, consider the amount of time you have. With ideal weather, most people can easily climb two days on and one day off. Sure, you can climb 14 days in a row straight. You can also stick your hands in hot lava. Setting a steady, sustainable pace for your trip will allow you to climb consistently well and make you less prone to injury.

So if you go on a week-long climbing trip, plan for about four days of climbing. If you can get away for a two-week spring climbing trip, expect to get in about nine days of climbing.

When you have your climbing days aligned, sort out how long the commute to the crag will be from where you’re staying. Travel time—both the daily commute and getting to and from your destination—cuts significantly into climbing and resting time. You should also take into consideration any time spent bouncing around between destinations. Doing a mega road trip can be fun. but hopping from one climbing town to the next can be exhausting, expensive, and eat into your climb time.

If your goal is really to focus on climbing, less is more—consider staying put at a single destination. You could also check out nearby towns or other outdoor attractions on your rest days.

For trips shorter than two weeks, traveling internationally can be hard because of the time difference. Jet lag takes a while to get over, even if you’re a pro. Likely, you’ll need to stay domestic or head south of the border. While Mexico’s climbing destinations may have fewer amenities than Europe, beating the time difference can save a day or more on a two-week trip.

Here are a few prime spring climbing trip destinations, with a few notes on timing to consider:

• For most folks, Bishop, CA requires a long drive to get to, but only a short daily commute from local lodging.
• Las Vegas is just a short plane ride away but requires a longer daily commute, particularly to reach the limestone crags when the sandstone is wet.
• Depending on where you’re staying, Yosemite can require both a long trip to get to and a long daily commute.  
• Flights to Monterrey, Mexico put you within spitting distance of Potrero Chico or nearby El Salto. Both of these areas also have short crag commutes.
• If the weather where you live is climbing-friendly in spring, a spring staycation can actually be a great idea. This strategy lets you swap one or two days of travel for more climb time.

How to Outsmart Spring Weather

“Bad weather always looks worse through the window,” said singer/songwriter Tom Lehrer. Indeed NOAA’s forecast for a 30% chance of showers might feel like the promise of a hurricane, when in reality, it might just drizzle. While we can’t control the weather, we can choose places more likely to have good spring weather—and choose climbing destinations that have several climbing areas available in case a storm rolls in.

As a general rule, steep climbing tends to stay dryer in bad weather. Although it can seep for a few days after a big storm. Granite and limestone dry faster than porous rocks like sandstone and tuft. If there’s a chance of precipitation, check on the local ethics to avoid breaking the rock.

The other option is to climb in an area with a few different zones close by. Smith Rock can be a great spring destination, but if the weather’s bad there for a week, there are few alternatives. Conversely, Las Vegas may get snow, but it’s easy to escape to the sandstone boulders of Moe’s Valley or the limestone of the Utah Hills. Yosemite can get socked in with the weather, but the basalt sport climbing in nearby Sonora can be beautiful.

Another thing to keep in mind is the availability of a decent gym. While most climbing areas have an indoor option, the quality can vary. Often the smaller towns where you’ll find the best outdoor climbing have tiny gyms—or none at all. These facilities can work well for a short bit of bad weather, but motivating yourself to climb in a tiny gym for a whole trip can be hard. So if you pick a climbing destination with dicey weather, it might be worth considering what the local gym scene offers.

When choosing a destination, especially after wet winters, consider desert environments with less rain. Sedona’s soft sandstone can offer a solid option for those looking to get off the ground on some trad adventures. The adventurous bouldering in Roy, New Mexico tends to dry fast and be less crowded than Joe’s Valley. The Red River Gorge, while sometimes wet in spring, has a vast amount of quick-drying climbing.

How to Choose the Right Partners for a Spring Climbing Trip

The best trad route, sport climb, or boulder only gets better when you have amazing partners. Not only will a good partner fuel your climbing, but they can also make any challenges you encounter go so much better. Car troubles, injuries, and bad weather can all plague climbing trips. Having reliable friends around can make a trip significantly easier.

Not only can the right partners help you weather any literal storms, but they can also share the beta burden. From figuring out the moves on a problem to sorting out carpooling and finding a place to stay, partners can streamline planning, not to mention costs.

In an ideal world, pick partners who you’ve traveled with before and climbed with before. This is especially important if you’re planning a trip that’s longer than a week, or involves a remote or international destination you’ve never visited before.

The magic number depends on your personal preferences, but traveling with a single partner for a week or two can be intense, no matter how good of friends you are. Having a few other climbers around can also alleviate any tension about bad belays or poor spotting.

If you’re looking for solitude, there are a few places where you can climb alone. But if you’re looking for belays and spots, then heading to areas with friends is key. Having friends helps lighten the climbing load.

Guidance on Setting Goals for Your Climbing Trip

One of the best parts about climbing trips is having a variety of new and stretch objectives to try. There are all kinds of different goals you can set—here are a few ideas for goals for your spring climbing trip:

• Try all the classics in the area you’re visiting
• Go hard and focus on projecting one dream route
• Pack some hardware and establish something new
• Simply explore a new zone

Putting together a successful trip involves not only setting these goals but establishing a timeline for them. If you’re planning on projecting a route on a trip, aim to finish it at the 2/3 to 3/4 mark of your trip length. That gives you time at the start of the trip to get used to the style and moves. Then you can spend the middle of the trip attempting the project. Toward the end of your trip, you’ll then have extra time to either walk off with more sends or give it a few last-ditch efforts.

If you feel like you perform better under pressure, then find ways to manufacture that. Establish kill criteria—if you don’t hit certain goals within a set time frame, then move on. For example: If you can’t do all the moves by the end of your second session, then stop trying it. If you don’t one-hang by the third session, move on. This can also save you end-of-trip pressure, allowing for a more even-keeled trip. It also prevents you from getting over-invested in a project that you can’t finish in the allotted time.

Another important note about goals: Be willing and able to adjust your goals according to the weather, partners, and your abilities. Going into a trip, it’s easy to have a mile-long list of goals. But sometimes, a storm, a sick partner, or a lack of appropriate preparation derails your plans. Having some flexibility can help tremendously.

It’s also wise to set achievable goals. New climbing areas often take a while to adjust to. Expect a bit of a break-in period.

Finally, trips can be a great way to prepare for other goals. If you have a summer sport project and want to get stronger, head to a destination bouldering area to power up. If you’re looking to climb El Capitan in the fall, the long routes of Red Rocks can help you prepare. Set yourself up for future success by making a step toward your goals with your next trip.

 

Explore a map of some of the spring break climbing destinations discussed in this story:

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