Crowds

[THB]

I showed up at the Lode parking area today around 2pm. It was packed. Both lots... A few cars even lined up on the side of the road. My wife and I both uttered, "looks like it's going to be a shit show up at the Lode today..." When we got up there... it was pretty empty (considering the lot). We went to the warm-up wall first... empty. Then walked from there around to the Undertow... 1 party of 2-3 that was leaving the GMC wall, 1 party of 2 in the cave, maybe 4ish parties of 2 climbing on the undertow wall. All-in-all, we maybe saw 12 to 15 people at the Lode while we were there today. Granted, like I said, we didn't show up until about 2pm. But it was actually a pretty mild day at the Lode (for fall and everything). Quite pleasant, actually.

When we were on our way back to Lex, we passed Miguels and it too was packed!!! There must have been at least 100 tents in that newer field that they recently opened up to camping (when I say recently, I mean in the past few years). The parking lot was a total mad-house. Cars parking along route 11 just north of Miguels, etc...

That got me thinking... where are all of these people climbing??

I'm not at all complaining about the lack of crowds at the Lode... but seriously, where are these hordes of people climbing at?? There must be some crags that are just completely packed. Which ones??

[Monty]

The Chocolate Factory had some crowds. Might account for the parking at the Lode.

[pigsteak]

that lot holds choco and bear's den as well as lode.

[Spikeddem]

And Sore Heel walkers. There was a guided group of ~15 at Gallery. They may have parked at the lode lot too.

[THB]

I'm aware that chocolate factory climbers are also parking there... But are there really that many people walking to sore heel from the Lode lot?? And I'm also aware of the Bear's Den, too... But I guess I just figured that place isn't getting hit hard because it's not published. I guess the Lode and the Chocolate Factory can just absorb a lot of people. 15 people at the Lode isn't really that crowded... 15 people at Purgatory, on the other hand, would be pretty tight. I bet that walls with lots of 10's and 11's are the ones getting hit really hard.

Just curious...

I'm psyched for after Thanksgiving!! Bye, bye, crowds! (And the summer, of course... summer is, despite the whole swimming in your own sweat issue, a great time for climbing without crowds).

[Andrew]

Choco is really big and has the most routes of any crag. It can handle a lot of people and not seem crowded.

[Spikeddem]

It can handle a lot of people and not seem crowded.

[joke about cromper's mom]

[JeffCastro]

Walked past creature feature on Saturday afternoon, one party of 5 top-roping, another party of 5 or 6 waiting for their turn. The base looked like an outdoor retailer yard sale.

[RRO]

I heard they all walked to bruisebrothers but that may just be Internet speculation

[pigsteak]

Choco is really big and has the most routes of any crag. It can handle a lot of people and not seem crowded.

Apparently you havent climbed at the annex....way more routes than choco