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Why have climbing and travel gone hand in hand for so long? I think it's because climbing offers us a unique, immersive and tactile way of experiencing the world. Think about it: It's one thing to see a mountain view from a roadside stop, take a few photos, then head to the next attraction; but it's a whole different thing to park, walk down to that view and become part of the landscape, clinging to it with your fingertips.
It's one of the best feelings: training, planning, then taking a big climbing trip, showing up in a new area with dozens, hundreds, even thousands of routes or problems, so excited that you climb until your hands are nothing but bloody mush. . But traveling for climbing comes with challenges: like, how are you going to get your gear there? And what’s the best way to climb in style once you arrive?
Use these proven hacks to streamline your sending journey.
How to fly with a crashpad
When flying somewhere to Boulder, consider whether it is more cost effective to (a) fly with your pads, (b) rent or even buy (and then give away or resell) pads at your destination, (c) ship them there, or (d) YOLO and rely on other climbers to have and share their pads, which might work well in popular places like Bishop but less so in less dense areas like Tahoe.
When evaluating the options above, consider the length of the trip. For a short stay, renting cushions may be the cheapest. My local bouldering gym, The Spot, rents mats to non-members for $15 per day for the first day and $5/day thereafter. So, renting a pad for a three-day weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park only costs you $25. However, extend that to two weeks and you get $80, and four weeks equals $155. At that point, the $174.95 Metolius Basic Pad seems reasonable, since at least you can keep the pad afterwards.
Climbers reported whether or not they paid excess baggage fees for the cushions, depending on the size of the cushion, airline policy and the mood of the check-in agent. Some airlines accept pads as “sports equipment,” which may or may not result in a separate fee (Southwest, for example, charges $75 per bag of sports equipment), but is generally less expensive than the oversized fee. On most airlines, you generally won't pay ridiculous fees if your bag falls within standard baggage size limits. The trap? Most pads are larger. United, for example, charges an oversized baggage fee for any item over 63 linear inches (115 linear inches maximum), while the same Metolius Basic Pad cited above measures 70 linear inches (36″ x 26″ x 8 “) folded – just beyond the limit. Because the pad is so light, a friendly registration agent can waive the fee, but you won't have the same luck with an organic Big Pad. On most airlines, the Big Pad – measuring 29″ x 46″ x 10″, or 85 linear inches, will cost you about $200 to check out, unless you can convince the attendant to classify it as sports equipment, which, after all, it is.
If you're going to be in an area for a while and want a big, beefy highballer, your cheapest bet may be to buy pads at the local gear store and fly with them or ship them home to the end of the journey. Shipping a 5-inch organic Big Pad across the country via UPS costs about $200.
You can also try selling your pads on Craigslist or Mountain Project, or donating them to a local gym or climbing organization.
Six More Travel Tips for Climbers
1. Consider land travel and the possibility of walking to your destination
On my first trip to Fontainebleau, in the mid-1990s, before the easy online beta, my friend Trip and I met at the town's train station, thinking the rocks would all be close together like at Hueco Tanks. Boy, were we clueless students studying abroad and surprised to learn that the blocks are spread over a 50,000 acre forest. Very long walks in nature among the trees followed, until we finally rented bikes.
The main thing to remember is to look for land/public transportation and ease of access to the cliffs. In places like Céüse and Siurana, there are climber hostels/accommodations within walking distance of the rock, and it's likely that you'll make friends with other climbers who can take you into town for groceries on days of rest. You will be able to save money by not renting a car. But sprawling destinations like the Red River Gorge, Rocklands, or Tahoe (or Font) are a logistical nightmare without a vehicle and can force you to rely too heavily on the kindness of strangers for transportation.
2. Consider your dietary needs and look for local options
Many climbing areas are located in isolated food deserts, where there aren't many healthy options for groceries or restaurants. For example, the Red River Gorge has a few excellent climber-run and climber-friendly restaurants, but not much else, and if you're vegetarian or eat organic, the Kroger in Stanton has somewhat lean options. , although they are much better now than when I first visited, in 2000, when all they seemed to carry was Wonder Bread, bacon, wilted lettuce, and mayonnaise. For this reason, many visiting climbers drive more than an hour to Lexington on off days to stock up on supplies at Whole Foods. If you are concerned about your diet, be sure to set aside time and money for it.
3. Bring suitable climbing shoes
Like my kids, who can't leave the house without their latest book and Lego creations in hand, I find it hard to go to the rock without several pairs of rock shoes – you know, “just in case” . But when traveling, space is limited.
Every climbing area will be different, but if I'm packing for all requirements, I'll bring: a comfortable warm-up/mileage shoe; a tight-fitting, turned-down performance shoe; a technical face/edge/crack shoe with a stiff toe; and a softer, grippier shoe for bouldering or bouldering routes. I'm a bit of an extreme case here, but most climbers I know bring at least two pairs. Choose carefully.
4. Think about what to pack and what to check
Most cliff backpacks meet the checked baggage size limit, and with careful packing, they will stay under the weight limit (usually 50 pounds) or may even be small enough to take as a carry-on. A good-sized backpack (~40L) should be able to hold draws, a rope, a harness, two or three pairs of shoes and a small support. But if you're going on an expedition, you'll have more gear than that.
To avoid safety issues, it's easiest to put all your materials and loose chalk in a checked chalk bag, but you should definitely bring your harness, chalk bag (in a grocery bag, to collect spills), a pair of shoes and a helmet. in your hand baggage in the event of loss of your checked baggage. (Note: Always carry your headset with you, as it may be damaged when handling it in checked baggage.)
Meanwhile, there are several travel-friendly pole clips that can fit in a bag, including the Clip for Metolius roll-up polethe “Rise” size Trango Beta Stick Evo (only 17.75″ collapsed), and the Kailas clip-up.
6. Be (locally) aware of your skin
Bring a skin care kit including nail clippers, sanding boards, Neosporin, tape, and your favorite ointment/salve/lotion. Your hands are going to be torn up – that's just the nature of climbing – but an injury, flap or bad skin can torpedo your trip. Remember to consider local conditions. In an arid area like Red Rock, Indian Creek, St. George, or Bishop, you'll need moisturizing restorative products, whereas traveling to humid or seaside locations like the Red River Gorge, New River Gorge, Rumney, or Squamish You may resort to drying agents like Antihydral.
6. Decide what you want from your trip
To each their own, but assuming your vacation is limited, consider whether you're focusing on big goals — that route you've specifically trained for — or whether you want to increase the mileage. I've found that being flexible works best: if a project is going well and the conditions are in your favor, go for it. But if not, don't cling to this single goal to the detriment of other climbs. After all, you are there to have a experience, of which sending is only part.
During my last trip to Le Rouge, I wanted to do Transglobal Depravitya mega-pumped 5.14a in the Motherlode, but the conditions were hot and sweaty, and I kept sweating. My compromise was to burn it once or twice each morning when it was “cooler”, but then save some energy so me and my buddy Pasquale could climb elsewhere in the afternoon. Keeping an eye on the forecast, I saw that the last climbing day of my two-week trip was going to be cool and dry, so I prepared things to be cool for Transworld. It worked, but if it hadn't I wouldn't have been disappointed. I had been able to discover tons of great new rocks and I still would have had a great vacation.
