9 Places to Climb in 2025, According to 9 Different Climbers
Where are the best places to climb around the US—and the world—in 2025? We asked nine climbers which destination tops their list right now and why you should consider going this year.
From a newly protected granite paradise, to under-the-radar sport climbing destinations, here are nine places we want to climb this year.
Columnas de Tangán, Sigchos, Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador
Splitter cracks in the cloud forest
Like many climbers, I’ve sampled my fair share of splitter cracks. But nothing compares to the jamming I found while visiting the Columns of Tangán outside the mountainous town of Sigchos in Central Ecuador. Tangán offers impeccable trad climbing on volcanic andesitic columnar cracks. The geological nature of the cliff demands solid crack technique and familiarity with laybacking, stemming, and crimping.
Along with cracks so good they’re seemingly cut via extraterrestrial laser beams, a pristine Ecuadorian cloud forest envelops you with jaw-dropping beauty. Tangán’s land owner, Don Ramiro Uribe—along with local climbers—has transformed the crag into a dirtbagger’s Shangri-la with a sustainable climbing tourism business. Don Ramiro can help facilitate local transport and porter your belongings to and from the camping zone.
Many of us are craving a way to get off the beaten path right now, which is part of the appeal of this area. Tangán is best enjoyed as a backcountry experience, packing everything in and out. Be prepared for a spring-like climate with plenty of humidity. Don’t forget your rain gear and bring footwear that can handle mud!
Tangán is easily a stand-alone destination, but most travelers add it to a longer climbing or mountaineering itinerary. The go-to guidebook for Tangán is Rutas de Escalada en Ecuador Vol.2, written by Felipe Proaño Iturralde, a prominent developer of the Tangán zone.
—Teddy Dondanville, rock climbing guide & freelance writer. Learn more at:
Rumbling Bald, North Carolina
Trad, slab, and bouldering in a hurricane recovery area
An iconic traditional crag located in western North Carolina, Rumbling Bald saw most of its development in the 1970s. In 1977, Jeep Gaskin made the first ascent of the iconic route, Shredded Wheat, a challenging 5.11a finger crack along the Cereal Buttress feature. I spent two seasons flailing on Shredded Wheat and tackling dozens of other routes. The rock is polished, but trustworthy.
As someone who loves slab, I prefer Rumbling Bald to many of the nearby routes found on Looking Glass. Local climbers also love this area for its complex and plentiful bouldering problems.
While the nearby town of Lake Lure continues to recover from Hurricane Helene damage, the climbing area was left relatively unscathed. Locals are making efforts to reopen the town and the nearby state park to encourage tourism and an economic rebound. The town’s calendar of events can be found here.
The best place to find beta for Rumbling Bald is on Mountain Project or in the Rumbling Bald & Table Rock guidebook.
Pro tip: Hit this area early in the morning to avoid mobs of climbers on the Cereal Buttress. Winter is the best time of the year to climb here.
—Mary Beth Skyllis, outdoor journalist and trad climber
Asturias, Spain
An under-the-radar sport climbing area in Spain
Mallorca and Oliana, step aside—if you’re looking for a summer sport climbing destination with great conditions, world-class limestone, and breathtaking scenery, Asturias should be on your list. Located in northwestern Spain, this mountainous region—often called “Green Spain”—boasts thick forests, a maritime climate, and a rugged coastline reminiscent of Oregon. Cool temperatures, mountain breezes, and occasional rain make it an ideal escape from summer heat. But don’t worry—many routes stay dry even in a downpour, and there are plenty of bluebird days.
Asturias boasts hundreds of sport routes, ranging from delicate slabs to steep tufas on immaculate limestone. Grades are stiff but rewarding, and while it’s a large region that requires driving, Teverga is a dense hub of world-class routes. For alpine adventures, the Picos de Europa range delivers towering limestone walls with huts for multi-day trips.
Beyond climbing, Asturias is perfect for outdoor lovers, with epic road biking, national parks for rest-day hikes, quaint villages, and day trips to the ocean. As climbing areas get more and more crowded, this lesser-known destination offers a cooler, less crowded alternative to Europe’s usual summer hotspots.
Pro tip: A rental car is a must, and staying in a village southwest of Oviedo is ideal. Bring a raincoat and a puffy—you’ll need both! For guidebooks and other resources, check out Roca Verde.
—Brian Stevens, climber, educator, and writer
Peñas, Bolivia
Scenic sandstone sport climbing and visa-free travel
On a road trip in 2009 across the Atacama-Uyuni region of Bolivia, while bouldering in the Valle de las Rocas, I broke my foot in three places. Crutches weren’t available in the small towns of the area, so I hopped around on one foot for two days, and rode in the luggage compartment of a bus with my friend to get back to La Paz and fly home.
I’ve wanted to return to Bolivia ever since—but this time, to sport climb and further explore the country’s dramatic landscape of mountains, rainforest, salt flats, and desert. I would love to sample the 150-some sport routes on the sandstone crags of Peñas. The climbing looks mellow, sunny, and full of views of the surrounding Cordillera Real. Plus, Peñas is conveniently located just an hour-and-a-half drive from La Paz. Drive another hour north from the crags, and you’ll be at the high-altitude Lake Titicaca—a great spot for rest day exploring.
Another reason to go? In October last year, Bolivia introduced visa-free travel for citizens of 52 countries, including the US.
—Maya Silver, editor-in-chief of Climbing
Yangshuo, Guangxi, China
Easily accessible (and visa-free) karst climbing in Southern China
For me, a quintessential day in Yangshuo is riding a motorbike into the countryside to Swiss Cheese, an insanely holey limestone crag, then spending a few hours climbing before heading back to town for an oil tea (油茶). Here, the ever-curving Li River winds past thousands of karst peaks, full of mostly sport and some trad routes.
I recommend this spot to any climber coming to China due to its ease of access to the karsts (usually only a short motorbike ride from town) and the wide range of routes (from 5.3 to 5.15b).
Yangshuo, located in Guangxi province, just became easier to access due to China’s recently implemented visa-free policies. Citizens of 38 countries in Western Europe, East Asia, and Oceania can enter China for 30 days without a visa. Citizens of other countries, such as the US, Canada, and the UK, can enter visa-free for 10 days.
Climbing is possible year-round here, but I recommend visiting in November, when the Yangshuo Rock Climbing Festival takes place and the weather is the best for climbing with minimal rain and warm temps. To find climbing partners, post in the Facebook group Yangshuo Rock Climbing.
—Christine Gilbert, writer and sport climber
Red River Gorge, Kentucky
A world-class climbing destination that just got a whole lot bigger
I first visited Red River Gorge in Slade, Kentucky a few years back—and immediately fell in love. It was this eye-widening adventure where the climbing was challenging and the techy routes were mentally stimulating. I pushed myself in new ways, far out of my comfort zone.
In the Red, there’s always something new to climb, since it’s such an expansive, world-class area. I make a few trips out each year and leave feeling stronger, more capable, and psyched to keep learning. My favorite spots are Chocolate Factory and Muir Valley. I hit them every single time, and keep coming back for more to check out more of the routes in the Red River Gorge Guidebook.
When I’m there, I feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself, because I’m climbing in a place where the pros have left their marks. I’ll always end up by the campfire at night, feeling gratitude for the sport, and the friends I’ve made through it.
Just last month, the Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition acquired 718 acres of land, including over 14 miles of cliffline and a few established crags, plus lots of potential for new crags. This is huge for the Red, and for climbers all around. I’m psyched to try new routes and explore for years to come.
—Kaya Fagerstrom, climber and writer
Geyikbayiri, Turkey
Abundant 3D sport climbing meets culinary exploration
If you’re looking for a winter climbing destination packed with culture, food, and 3D limestone routes, Geyikbayiri, Turkey, is the place to be! Just outside the city of Antalya, this climbing area has tons of sport routes (1,300 and counting), plus accommodations, all within walking distance. I flew into Antalya and took a cheap taxi straight to my stay—no rental car needed. For groceries, I used public transit to visit the weekend market, where I had the most incredible Turkish breakfast. Pro tip: Go hungry!
On rest days, I’d hop on a bus into Antalya to explore. Toward the end of my trip, I rented a car for just $7 a day to see more of the country. Pamukkale’s hot springs and ancient ruins blew my mind, and Cappadocia’s landscapes were just as magical as I’d imagined. I even flew to Istanbul for more food culture. Before heading home, I took advantage of Turkey’s affordable healthcare—$400 covered a cleaning, filling, and root canal in Antalya.
Out of all the places I’ve traveled, Turkey stands out as one of my favorite climbing destinations. At a time when more people are prioritizing conscious, ethical travel, Geyikbayiri stands out, with its locally owned accommodations, public transit, and plenty of fresh market produce.
—Genevive Walker, pro climber and guide
Cochamó Valley, Chile
High FA potential in a newly protected wilderness area and granite paradise
As a Chilean-American climber with family roots just two hours from Cochamó Valley in the Patagonia Los Lagos region, this climbing paradise holds a special place in my heart. Last March, I hiked through the infamous Patagonian rain during the breathtaking 13-kilometer jungle trek to La Junta Refugio, where towering granite walls emerge from the clouds like something from a dream.
After that first glimpse of the valley, I understood why Cochamó is often called climbing’s last frontier—wilder than Yosemite, less crowded than El Chaltén, and with rock quality that would make Torres del Paine jealous. What makes it exceptional is how untouched it remains despite its enormous potential. You’ll find splitter cracks running hundreds of meters, faces that have never been touched, and the rare privilege of naming your own route on some of the most perfect granite on earth.
I know I’ll be returning in 2025 because the valley is hitting its prime. I’ve watched new routes go up each season. Recent documentation efforts make navigation more accessible for international climbers. I’m proud that conservation efforts are preserving the Patagonian wilderness I love in its purest form.
This isn’t beginner territory—when I first came to climb here, I was humbled to find most multi-pitch routes start at 5.10c/6b+ and range from eight to 30 pitches. For comprehensive beta, I’ve found Mountain Project and the Cochamó Climbing website to be essential resources.
Pro tip from my experience: Plan for two weeks minimum and visit during the prime climbing season, from December through late March. Embrace the remoteness and weather as part of the experience. Reservations at authorized campsites are mandatory—respect this requirement as it helps preserve this pristine wilderness. If it rains, head to Pared Seca wall, which stays dry and offers quality cragging from 5.6 to 5.13.
—Paulina Pena, Chilean-American climber and outdoor photographer
Rjukan, Norway
A mecca of fat, blue, and reliable ice
As someone who lives in the Canadian Rockies—an area renowned for its seemingly endless ice climbing—I thought I’d seen what a “high concentration” of ice means. But drive through the tight, shaded valley of Rjukan in February and you’ll kink your neck eight ways at once trying to glimpse all the ice available. There is also a nearly endless supply of ice for beginners and intermediates—a WI2-4 climber’s delight.
Rjukan is a town of 3,000 located three hours from Norway’s capital of Oslo. It’s also home to over 200 ice and mixed routes up to 800 meters long, ranging from mellow WI2 flows to some of the hardest pure ice in Europe. Many of the routes are multi-pitch, and can also be accessed within 10 minutes of walking from your car.
For a high-concentration of single-pitch ice and mixed, check out the Krokan area. It has numerous ice lines from WI2-5 and mixed routes all the way up to M10. Juvsøyla (WI5/6) is a clear step up and excellent multi-pitch adventure just down the road. And as climate change makes ice conditions more tenuous with each passing season, it’s worth noting that cold and sun-less Rjukan is one of the most reliable ice-climbing destinations in all of Europe. Get it while the getting’s good from December to March.
—Anthony Walsh, digital editor of Climbing
The Best 2025 Climbing Destinations, Mapped
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