City of Rocks, Idaho
By: Beth Rodden
I’ve been climbing for more than 15 years now, and this past August I made my maiden voyage to the City of Rocks in Idaho. Honestly, now that I’ve been there, I cannot believe I waited that long. For those of you that have been there, I’m sure you know what I am talking about. And for those of you who haven’t, try not to wait 15 years.
I drove up with my friend Sinuhe after the summer Outdoor Retailer Tradeshow in Salt Lake City. A few days of the recycled air, fluorescent lights, concrete floors, and socializing with people who are bouncing off the walls because they normally spend a large percentage of their time outdoors, left both of us craving a good old fashioned climbing trip. Our good friend Ace Kvale was already up there, along with Adrian Ballinger, his climbing partner and AMGA guide Ian, and Ace’s friend Kami.
There’s something to be said about arriving at a new place in the dark. Unless a well lit, major metropolis is the destination, it’s leaves much to the imagination. Driving in, my impression of the City of Rocks was confined to the fifteen feet of dirt road illuminated by the headlights of the car. I was completely oblivious to the fact that we were passing miles of amazing granite features. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open, let alone attempt to squint to see if I could make any of the crags out. After several hours in the car, we arrived at our beloved campsite to pre set up tents, courtesy of Ace, and Ace’s Tacoma graced with a 4 Wheel Camper (of which I would pine over for the next five days). Hello’s and goodnight’s were said with exhaustion and we all hit the hay.
The next morning, the sun rose perfectly in line with the opening of my tent. That’s one thing that I love about camping, you can’t escape the early mornings. I love waking up early, it’s right up there with fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. I was all but prepared to get out of my tent and gaze at the view. I’m pretty sure I even said out loud, ”Whoa, this is incredible, why haven’t I ever been here?” It reminded me of the Rocklands in South Africa but different rock, rolling green landscape flanked by outcroppings of granite. Unlike the distinct cliffs of Yosemite or Rifle, the cliffs are jumbled with the boulders and vice versa. I sat down, made myself a cup of tea, and enjoyed the view.
Our first day was spent around Parking Lot Rock. The climbing reminded me of Buttermilks patina and Yosemite cracks. The rock was great with the protection on the routes being sparse. It was actually somewhat refreshing to be back at a very humbling crag. Ian led Swiss Cheese at Anteater Rock which had a whopping two bolts to protect it, placed only a few feet from each other in the middle of the climb, which left us thinking, 'what were they thinking when they bolted it?' But then we had to remember that this was one of the places where people learned to actually bolt climbs, and at that time, they probably thought that was completely adequate. In my typical style, I took him up on the opportunity to top rope it, which was more than spicy enough.
Even though it was mid August, climbing at The City of Rocks can always be found in the shade. Each day we would head to a cliff, climb as much as we could, head back to camp for lunch and a quick nap in the sun, and then find an evening spot with shade or filtered sunlight.
As the days passed, we chalked up more and more climbs that I would consider to be classics at any crag in the world. The approaches are minimal, which leave more time to climb. Elephant Rock and Bath Rock are practically touching the road, making them perfect for quick sessions that add up to a lot of climbing. Every crag we went to had moderates to harder climbs. If I were in better shape, I would have definitely been psyched to check out some of Tony Yaniro's routes that were test pieces in their day. As it was, I got more than enough climbing in to have raw tips and sore muscles at the end of each day.
Rest days were spent in the thriving metropolis of Almo. There is a key General Store/Post Office/Wi fi spot/Showers spot that we spent most of our time. They are super friendly to climbers who come in and plop our computers and surf the interwebs all day. Every time a local came in they would ask about their family, job, church, etc. which left it obvious that they pretty much knew most everyone and their history. I'm pretty sure we stuck out like sore thumbs, toting all the newest, shiny gear and constantly looking for an outlet.
At the end of the trip I didn't want to leave. It was second nature to get into a routine at the City of Rocks that felt like medicine for the soul. No cell service at the camping or climbing, our entertainment was left to stories by friends, which is always more entertaining that the best blockbuster movie.
What to bring:
I used my TC Pros and Miuras exclusively. But I'm sure if you wanted to boulder, the Solutions would be a great choice.
A good approach shoe or trail running shoe, the Wildcat or Raptor.
Layers of clothing, as you never know what you are going to get in terms of weather in the high desert. I wore everything from shorts and a sport top to a puffy jacket and pants.
Your computer, camera, and lots of preparation to have a great time.
Lodging:
We camped in idyllic 37 and 38 campsites . The camping is one of note. The park did an absolutely wonderful job of setting up the camping. It is sporadic throughout the area, with clusters here and there, and restrooms and water in between. Instead of a massive campground with hundreds of people, you won't have a ton of neighbors. I hear the new yurts are a great alternative to camping and there are some really cute little cabins in town at the Almo Creek Outpost.
Food:
I stocked up in Salt Lake at Whole Foods. If you are okay with very minimal groceries, The General Store has some stuff. There are two restaurants in town, and I was told that Rock City has amazing pizza.
