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one900johnnyk
Feb 12, 2006, 1:46 AM
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i was thinking of going to school there this year or next and i do know about vedauwoo but almost everything else i clicked on in the routes db is eight years away... is there much in northern colorado that's a reasonable drive? sport or trad doesn't matter much if its a decent area... that colorado database is too hard to sift through to see what's closeby and what's popular...
thanks
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mesomorf
Feb 12, 2006, 2:26 AM
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In reply to: almost everything else i clicked on in the routes db is eight years away.
If you use an "automobile" a lot of areas will be within a reasonable distance for weekend trips. Much less than eight years away.
The trouble with Laramie is, the weather is awful.
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one900johnnyk
Feb 12, 2006, 1:58 PM
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horseless carriage??? yeah, if i am in grad school there i can kiss weekend trips good bye for a while, so i was interested in day trips (i.e. anything less than 4 hours away tops).
but eep, the weather sucks? how is that, just cold or what? i looked at the monthly averages on weather.com but i gotta admit i have little context. maybe two inches of rain in a month is a lot, i..wouldn't know...
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mesomorf
Feb 12, 2006, 2:57 PM
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Many many climbers have survived & thrived during 4 or more years in Laramie. Mainly the weather problem is the wind. It's also quite chilly, and the winter goes on and on. Heading to Colorado is a good solution for much of the cold season though.
Within 4 hours, there's...
On-campus buildering (unless the authorities have cracked down)
Rogers Canyon (nearest rock)
Vedauwoo & other rock in the Laramie Range
Snowy Range
Fremont Canyon
Boulder, Fort Collins
Lumpy Ridge, RMNP
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guanoboy
Feb 12, 2006, 4:55 PM
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I think you will find that a four hour drive in GA is very different than a four hour drive in WY - its just standard in WY. I think you will also find a lot of weekends to get away in grad school. That said Lander, Devils tower, the black hills, the wind river range, and the tetons become accessible.
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superflea
Feb 15, 2006, 7:21 PM
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I lived in Laramie for 4 years and learned to climb at Vedauwoo. The weather is probably the biggest deterrent there. Vedauwoo, however, is only about a 20 minute drive from Laramie so after-work climbing is feasible especially in the summer. The Denver/Boulder area is only a couple of hours away. Devil's Tower and the Black Hills are reasonable long weekend destinations. Yes it's windy, always, and the winters do seem to drag on and on, but you might just have to pick up skiing! The University also has been developing its outdoor program and has a climbing wall, so that's another winter option.
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beckerw
Feb 19, 2006, 7:23 PM
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climbing; Vedawoo is 20 min away, RMNP is about 2hr. Eldo 2.5hr, Lander should be about 3-4 hr.
bouldering: vedawoo is 20min, Poudre is 2hr, RMNP is about 2hr, horsetooth 1hr.
you need to be motivated, but it isn't desperate. if your from GA, i can't imagine you didn't have about a 2 hour drive anyway to get out.
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kyote321
Feb 19, 2006, 9:07 PM
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ditto all of the above. i lived in laramie and lander for 5 years.
it is hard to expalin, but Wyoming puts you in the mindset for climbing. probably the fact that you climb stellar routes with no one else around (try that on the front rage, or even utah now), find first ascents, and climb with really cool and colorful people.
or, maybe it because their is f--- all else to do unless you are an alcholic. :?
the climbing in lander rules.
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cowpoke
Feb 19, 2006, 9:42 PM
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Guanoboy and Beckerw sum up the distances well. Here are a few other thoughts with the caveat that I'm biased.
Laramie is a small town in which there are more cowboys than climbers. Some of us, however, think that is a good thing. Consider, for example, that in my 2 1/2 years here I've spent many weekday mornings and evenings at Vedauwoo without another soul in sight, although I have spooked (and been spooked by) lots of critters including a cow moose and a bobcat.
I have a sister in Atlanta, so I'm a bit familiar with your climbing options. In addition, I've lived up and down the front range of CO and I spent 7 years in NH/MA, with great experiences in all of these areas. Yet, I can't overstate how unique it has been (at least, for me) to drive for 15 minutes and be climbing in a beautiful area without crowds.
If you like shopping and fine dining, then Laramie is probably not for you. If the idea of riding a mechanical bull after wrestling up an offwidth (or two) doesn't sound like heaven, then Laramie is probably not for you. If you think being six hours from both Moab and the Tetons is too far, then Laramie is not for you. If winters and wind concern you, then Laramie is not for you. But, if finding a school with easy access to quality climbing is a priority, then UWyo is worth considering...we'll even set the bull on "slow" for your first ride, although that really looks silly unless you're going for the sexy look.
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jpdreamer
Feb 19, 2006, 10:01 PM
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In reply to: If you like shopping and fine dining, then Laramie is probably not for you.
I was just visiting, but I thought the restraunts there were pretty good, in the downtown area anyway. Certainly better than Cheyanne. I'd agree about the shopping though.
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mistajman
Feb 19, 2006, 11:42 PM
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Everyone is summing up the climbing pretty well. Rogers Canyon is being developed a lot more recently and there is a lot of surprisingly high quality sport routes up, and some cool bouldering. Vedauwoo is absolutely amazing and there is so many outlying ares with all types of rock you will not get bored. In a 20 minute radius of laramie there is granite, sandstone, and limestone. Fort collins, Co is only an hour away! Denver and boulder are only 2. I grew up there and love the town and the area. You will not be dissapointed.
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one900johnnyk
Feb 20, 2006, 3:17 AM
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thanks everyone for all the help. maybe i should clear something up though:
first, the day i get on a mechanical bull is the day i take my own life. secondly, i never am really trying to "go" for that sexy look, it sort of just follows me around without regard..... i can't explain it
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robdotcalm
Feb 20, 2006, 3:30 AM
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From Rock Climbing at Vedauwoo, Wyoming:
"Traditionalists will note that climbing before Easter or Passover is unlikely, but the season is in full swing by Pentecost and ends by Veterans Day. Vedauwoo is a frequent refuge from those seeking relief from the heat, rain, and insects that prevail in many other areas of North America during the summer months. However, the wind season (early January until late December) can be a bit trying."
Gratias et valete bene!
RobertusPunctumPacificus
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jaybro
Feb 20, 2006, 5:14 AM
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I lived there for six years and go back all the time. Growing up in Chicago did not prepare me for the wind. The local climbing, weather permitting, is stellar and varied; Alpine, sportclimbing on limestone and the epicenter of flared crack. There's also a gym.
Killer skate skiing fifteen minutes away. Downhill skiing 35 miles (under a hundred to steamboat, 4hrs to Vail). More touring than you can do in a lifetime within an hour. The mtn biking and trailrunning are voluminous.
Back to climbing.
60 miles to horsetooth, 125 to boulder. Devil's tower is 4 hrs if you drive (reasonably) fast.
More students than cowboys + climbers put together. It will never be a cosmopolitan destination but you can get good coffee and vegetarian fare. I hear there are steaks, too.
I have never ridden a mechanical bull.
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beckerw
Feb 21, 2006, 12:09 AM
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how's the rock in roger's? anyone not willing to publically spray PM me.
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