Scaling the Gem State
Indoor and Outdoor Spots for Idaho Climbers
WRITTEN BY Juan Pablo Hernandez Photography by Tim LOVE Rock Climbing is aesthetics, doubt, struggle and moments of clarity. It’s the moment when your arms and fingers are burning just after firing through the most difficult part of a tricky climb. It’s looking down and yelling at your partner to give you slack, thinking about the nasty fall that could have been (and still can be), had you blown anything. But, most of all, it’s the “send,” the successful completion of a climb. Nothing beats climbing outdoors. The view, the smell of earth, the freedom, the coarse feel of rock against your fingertips. But this is Idaho, where the weather is a fickle mistress and dark clouds can roll in without warning, rendering the stone unscalable. And you don’t acquire the strength, technique, mental game or confidence to “send” without investing the time. That’s when climbers hit the goto training ground: the indoor climbing gym. Lucky for Boiseans, the Treasure Valley has some great ones. Driving into downtown from the connector, take note of Urban Ascent, a great place to rope up with a buddy and practice. Another frequented indoor venue is The Front Climbing Club on Chinden, an amazing bouldering club that is as laid back and chill as it is intense and focused. And, in Nampa, lies a little known jewel: the Nampa Recreation Center on 12th Avenue, which sports a massive, horizontal roof unlike anything else in the valley. When the weather’s nice, however, it doesn’t take much asking to find Boise’s black gem. Located just 10 minutes outside of Boise, right after where Warm Springs and Highway 21 merge, near Diversion Dam, stands the Black Cliffs of Lucky Peak Canyon. There are literally hundreds of routes, from sport to traditional to mixed, that range from beginner to expert in difficulty on the two-
mile stretch that lines both canyon walls. The two walls may look similar from the road but sport two distinctly different types of climbing when you get up close. The north side is dominated by basalt columns and is a great place to practice “trad” climbing. The south side of the canyon is where you’ll find most of the Black Cliff’s harder routes, including the infamous test route, “God” (rated 5.13b). Established by Darius Azin in 1986, the climb reigned as the hardest climb in Idaho for nearly a decade. It’s important to remember that climbing isn’t about the difficulty of the grade. It isn’t about you compared to other climbers. It’s about the feeling of freedom you get when it’s just you and the stone. Climbing is for everyone. You’ll find the climbing community to be one of the warmest, most easy-going crowds you’ll ever meet. So, get on your gear, get out and “send.”
Top Outdoor Climbing Spots in Idaho Table Rock 15 minutes from downtown, off Table Rock Road Q’emiln Park Post Falls Mores Mountain 20 miles up Bogus Basin Road The Needles near Donnelly Riggins Cave (limestone) Seven Devils Mountains, near Riggins Hells Canyon Ten minutes before the road reaches the dam The Sawtooth Mountains near Stanley City of Rocks World-class climbing near Oakley Leslie Gulch 2 0 minutes outside of Marsing via I-95 and 25 minutes on a dirt road to the crag
Fusion Magazine
v.1.2 FALL 2011 55