[rodma]

Off to Hueco this Crimbo and wondered if anyone has any useful beta regarding the logistics of camping, access in the park etc?

We have the guidebook and have read the bit about permits, but any first-hand experience for what we should definately do or buy before getting there would be gratefully received.

Also, more to the point, any must do boulder problems 

[Doylo]

You need to ring up now and book reservations for North Mountain, book as many days as you can on your credit card, you get some of it back when you turn up. When your there you will be wanting to go to the other areas on the guided tours so you can surrender your north mountain reservations on those days.
Camping is cold and miserable, we hired cars and stayed in a nice wam motel with cooking facilities in town.
As for must do's here's a few
North Mountain:
See Spot Run V6
Babyface V7
Roughage V7
Power of Silence V10
Free Willy V10
Right Martini V12 (if you like long problems that is)

East Mountain:
Dragonfly V5
Hobbit in a Blender V5
Meddle Detector V6
Sex After Death V8
Full Service V10
Power of Landjagger V10

East Spur:
Fight or Flight V4
Jingus Bells V5
New Religion V7
The Egg V8
The French Tickler V9

West Mountain:
Crash Dummy V7
Shroom V9
Scream V11
The Feather V11

There is loads to do!


I've got 3 vids here with some good problems on:
http://www.youtube.com/my_videos?pi=2&ps=20&sf=added&sa=0&sq=&dm=1

[rodma]

Cheers for that

Will get the reservations sorted pronto and will look at your vids this evening (can't see them at work)

May have to rethink the camping thing 

[rodma]

Camping is cold and miserable, we hired cars and stayed in a nice wam motel with cooking facilities in town.

What motel did you stay at?

[Adam Lincoln]

.

[rodma]

You need to ring up now and book reservations for North Mountain

I just did and I'm too late to get even one single day. 

 Don't suppose anyone has been in this situation and has some advice other than go somewhere else instead?

[Doylo]

You need to ring up now and book reservations for North Mountain

I just did and I'm too late to get even one single day. 

 Don't suppose anyone has been in this situation and has some advice other than go somewhere else instead?

I feared as much, peak season.
You could go and try and get one of the ten walk in passes every day
You could go and hang around at the park gate until some folk surrender their day passes.
You could just go on lots more guided tours, but this will cost you a fortune! Hmm tricky situation

[Adam Lincoln]

You need to ring up now and book reservations for North Mountain

I just did and I'm too late to get even one single day. 

 Don't suppose anyone has been in this situation and has some advice other than go somewhere else instead?

You have a few options.

Only go on tours for your entire trip. This will be expensive.
Rely on people selling unwanted North Mountain Reservation around the rock ranch, which there are quite a few.
Queue at the gate very early so you get one of the few walk on places.
Turn up at around mid day at the office to see if anyone hasn't turned up, and if people have already left.

[Adam Lincoln]

You need to ring up now and book reservations for North Mountain

I just did and I'm too late to get even one single day. 

 Don't suppose anyone has been in this situation and has some advice other than go somewhere else instead?

I feared as much, peak season.
You could go and try and get one of the ten walk in passes every day
You could go and hang around at the park gate until some folk surrender their day passes.
You could just go on lots more guided tours, but this will cost you a fortune! Hmm tricky situation

We must have been simul posting!

[Doylo]

Is there an echo in here?

[rodma]

Thanks guys, it's starting to feel like quite a lot of hassle

[Doylo]

Thanks guys, it's starting to feel like quite a lot of hassle

Thats Hueco for you unfortunately, bit of a shame!

[Adam Lincoln]

Thanks guys, it's starting to feel like quite a lot of hassle

How about Bishop? Maybe a bit snowy then though, and bloody cold!

[rodma]

Thanks guys, it's starting to feel like quite a lot of hassle

How about Bishop? Maybe a bit snowy then though, and bloody cold!

Not that bad an idea, is there anywhere else stateside climbable over that period, or is everything at too high an elevation?

[Adam Lincoln]

Thanks guys, it's starting to feel like quite a lot of hassle

How about Bishop? Maybe a bit snowy then though, and bloody cold!

Not that bad an idea, is there anywhere else stateside climbable over that period, or is everything at too high an elevation?

Joes Valley. Though lots of snow probable! Joshua Tree would be fine but not in the same class as Bishop and Hueco.

[rodma]

Thanks guys, it's starting to feel like quite a lot of hassle

How about Bishop? Maybe a bit snowy then though, and bloody cold!

Not that bad an idea, is there anywhere else stateside climbable over that period, or is everything at too high an elevation?

Joes Valley. Though lots of snow probable! Joshua Tree would be fine but not in the same class as Bishop and Hueco.

Thanks again guys.

I think we'll be mixing it up with trips to Mexico and so on

[SA Chris]

Joes Valley. Though lots of snow probable! Joshua Tree would be fine but not in the same class as Bishop and Hueco.

Joe's is the other side of the Wasatch Range, so doesn't get too much snow. Some places in and around Southern Utah and Arizona should be OK, and the stuff around Alabama etc, but not quite in the same class?

[rodma]

Joes Valley. Though lots of snow probable! Joshua Tree would be fine but not in the same class as Bishop and Hueco.

Joe's is the other side of the Wasatch Range, so doesn't get too much snow. Some places in and around Southern Utah and Arizona should be OK, and the stuff around Alabama etc, but not quite in the same class?

I never made it to Joe's when I was in Utah a few years ago, it was too warm at the start of the trip and then had a two foot dump of snow overnight. Joe's is a possibility and not as far away as bishpo (I think).

I think we'll just have to see how it goes in Hueco, If we get enough climbing done, we'll be happy.

[Adam Lincoln]

Joes Valley. Though lots of snow probable! Joshua Tree would be fine but not in the same class as Bishop and Hueco.

oe's is the other side of the Wasatch Range, so doesn't get too much snow.

That's what i thought until it snowed 10 days straight!

[SA Chris]

Joe's is a possibility and not as far away as bishpo (I think).

Is in Central Utah, you have Nevada in between? I think it probably took us about 8-9 hours in total between the 2, but we broke the journey at Ibex for a couple of days.

[rodma]

Joe's is a possibility and not as far away as bishpo (I think).

Is in Central Utah, you have Nevada in between? I think it probably took us about 8-9 hours in total between the 2, but we broke the journey at Ibex for a couple of days.

Have had a wee look on google earth and there are a fair few places (some not climbing related) that would be worth stopping at

Thanks again for your help guys

anyone wanna buy two flights 

[SA Chris]

Some great quoting skills from both of us!

Loads of non-climbign spots between. Even the drive across Nevada is amazing to appreciate the total desertion.

[rodma]

Some great quoting skills from both of us!

I'd like to say that mine was intentional, but it wasn't 

Loads of non-climbign spots between. Even the drive across Nevada is amazing to appreciate the total desertion.

A road trip could well turn out to be the order of the day. I guess we'll just suck it and see

[rodma]

Just got back from Hueco on Saturday and it was very very good 

Thanks again guys for the good advices.

We ended up camping in the park, which was a little chilly, but did ensure climbing on North every day that we wanted to. Hueco even seems to have been reasonably good rehab for my finger. Didn't get too many classics done, as a lot of them felt a little too rapey on the finger, but there was still plenty to do that was good fun and didn't aggrevate it too much.

[dobbin]

I'm thinking about going in January (end, maybe first week in Feb) for 10 days. Understand you need to end up in El Paso, and thats an internal flight from somewhere, but where is best? Doyle went Chicago. I guess I put el paso in skyscanner and see what it comes out with.