RRC Archives

The new issue of the ever amazing climbing rag, Rock and Ice featured an article on the top 10 climbing towns in America.

Chattanooga was considered the best in America even though all that is really there is some dumpy bouldering and a trad wall.
#6: New Paltz, NY
Coming in at number 7: Fayetteville, West Virginia.
finally, #10 was Boone.
Some notable vacancies from the list are Boulder Colorado (have the editors finally managed to figure out that most of the rock climbing in Colorado is as shitty and overhyped as the Eldorado Canyon groun-up ethics?)i

Lexington , KY is also not on the list (mostly due to the fact that modern science predicts that all holds will break off in the next 10-20 years).

Any thoughts?

Lexington isn't a climbing town. There is no climbing in close proximity to Lexington. Slade is a climbing town.

I know my superior geographical skills may intimidate some people, but trust me, Lexington is not a climbing town. Gyms don't count, if they did then Ames, IA would be a climbing town.

Lexington is within the "Bluegrass region", otherwise known as "horse country" and also nothing more than rolling grassy hills with some gravel banks along the river.

Now Slade, 50 miles SE from Lexington, has lots of climbing and is within and surrounded by the Pottsville Escarpment, the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau which is rife with crags and exposed rock outcroppings of various shapes and angles which are perfect for climbing and scrambling (well, not so much for scrambling, but it happens).

Thanks for playing along.

looks as if Ky Joe has joined you on Team Mad Rock- thats a thought right?

I believe that the towns were rated for proximity to climbing, i.e flagstaff made it even though there is no climbing right in town.

The towns actually have to be towns too, not just a subway and a shell...

Bend Ore. should have been there - sport, trad, alpine it's got it all.

Haven't seen the article... but Lander, Wyoming should be near the top...

i think they stated in the article that the point was to avoid the obvious towns (aka all of colorado).

coincidentally, i have heard that fayetteville is supposed to be somewhat of an up-and-coming town, even climbing aside. and i definitely agree with the chattanooga choice. there are some great areas in town (locals know them and don't really advertise), and as a city, i think it's pretty fun. plus, you are in great proximity to a whole host of other areas, both sport and bouldering (probably trad too, but i wouldn't know much about that )

You're correct... the trad around Chattanooga is incredible, along with all the rest of the climbing...

I'm confused by Boone though... The bouldering is ok at best (when compared to "good" bouldering)... the trad is in a good setting but not the best climbing (most of it), and there isn't a sport route for miles...

edit: I do like the town though...

gregkerzhner wrote:I believe that the towns were rated for proximity to climbing, i.e flagstaff made it even though there is no climbing right in town.

Then I think Winchester, Mount Sterling and Irvine qualify as the climbing town around The Red, and Mt Sterling and Morehead are in close proximity to the climbing around Cave Run.

Lexington just doesn't cut it.