]Fly to Vegas. mid-March - mid April: Indian Creek, Joshua Tree, Red Rocks.early May: Tahoe (optional, go straight to Yosemite if the weather is particularly good or spend more time in Utah if it is particularly cold)mid May: Yosemiteearly - mid. June: Crush!
July/ August: Fly to Seattle, buy yankee van, cross border to Squamish, head to Bugaboos and possibly Lotus FlowerSept: head south via Smith Rocks to Yosemite, ideally via Tuolomne and the Needles (and The Hulk)Oct: Yosemite. When the snow comes, head south to Red Rocks via Bishop or J-Tree (and beyond my 1st hand Knowledge.November: Moab, Zion, desert towers etc? Sell van in Vegas, fly home for XmasAlternatively you could do this in reverse March - August.
bit you can live quite comfortably out of a minivan of some sort, which are cheap and cheerful and pretty spacious. I bought a Ford Aerostar and lived out of that pretty well for about 6 weeks. The two back rows of seats folded down to a fairly comfy bed.
To get insurance you will need an address you can use, you don't necessarily have to prove you live there.
I personally think you should consider a "best of" and spend longer there, rather than zooming about too much.
I'd probably prefer something a little bigger than a 'minivan'
No advice to give but I'm hoping for some decent info as I'm planning the same trip for some time in the next couple of years (a June - Christmas West Coast rampage).
Also, my rack is likely woefully under-cammed for the big stuff. Can anyone point me at a good (American forum?) resource so I can work out what the hell it is we'd need to buy. Working in a gear shop currently it seems pragmatic to buy as much as I can before leaving.
A chevvy Astro would be fine, the aerostar looked a little small. Ford E-series style people carrier or GMC Vandura (a mate is selling one currently) look a more comfortable size.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/forum.php is your best bet for this - they seem to really like giving advice to keen limeys.
Quote from: pabs on December 13, 2012, 09:46:22 amhttp://www.supertopo.com/climbing/forum.php is your best bet for this - they seem to really like giving advice to keen limeys.advice that extends past "you're going home in a pine box"?
I'd say the main attraction to the US are the bigger routes and the trad stuff.
In terms of Vehicles, I've been living in an Astro since mid September.
Amazing info, invaluable. These last few posts have made me question what the fuck I'm doing with my life. . . .
Quote from: chillax on December 13, 2012, 07:21:48 pmIn terms of Vehicles, I've been living in an Astro since mid September. Can I ask where you sourced it and if you had any problems buying/insuring it (red tape?)?
Interesting - am thinking of a trip out that way next year, I'll only have whatever holiday I've got left from work so it'll be 2 weeks max for me but I'm thinking I'll probably going to fly to Vegas, spend a couple of days there and then head to Bishop. Will be a bouldering trip for me and I'll be going on my own so I'm assuming that'll add a few quid to the trip but I've realised if I don't get myself over to the States soon I'll never go!
I bought mine in Colorado and it was pretty easy too, pretty...
While in the U.S., you may go to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean and re-enter the U.S. using the I-94 admission notation you were issued on your VWP passport when you first arrived in the U.S., although the time you spend there is included in the 90 days allotted for your visit. If you go to Canada and Mexico or the Caribbean, and while you are there, your initial 90-day period of entry expires, but you need to come back in to the U.S. to fly home, you may encounter a problem. The terms of the VWP are very clear - it is only to be used for occasional, short visits to the U.S. If the CBP Officer thinks you are trying to "reset" the clock by making a short trip out of the U.S. and re-entering for another 90-day period, you can be denied entry. (If that happens, you will have to obtain a visa for any future travel to the U.S.) In order to be re-admitted to the U.S. shortly after a previous admission expired, you will have to convince a CBP Officer that you are not trying to "game" the system.