[Paul B]

Check how long you need to leave for before re-entry - a month in Squamish/ Bugaboos might do it.

does that fit in geographically/chronologically? B2 visas are specifically for the purpose of travel in the USA for periods longer than the visa waiver program allows for, hence the question.

[ali k]

A bit of a personal question so feel free to ignore it. I was just wondering (assuming a 6 month visa and trip) what ballpark you were budgeting, as you seem to be further down the road to planning than me. Including flights, van purchase etc. We've been trying to work out whether it's likely to be next year or the year after when we've got the funds.

[SA Chris]

I'm trying to remember what happened with mine. I was there on an H2B seasonal worker visa, and applied for it to be changed to a tourist visa (B1?) so I could stay on and travel at the end of the ski season. The applications have an enormous backlog, but I was sent a letter saying they had received my application and it was in the processing system. By the time I eventually left it still wasn't processed, but when I left the country immigration accepted the letter as valid that the visa had at least been applied for and just stamped my passport for departing. not sure if this is the case with B2, or whether they have tightened things up now.

If you overstay your visa you can get blacklisted which means you may not be allowed to re-enter the country, which might not be ideal if your lass wants to see her parents.

[Paul B]

A bit of a personal question so feel free to ignore it. I was just wondering (assuming a 6 month visa and trip) what ballpark you were budgeting, as you seem to be further down the road to planning than me. Including flights, van purchase etc. We've been trying to work out whether it's likely to be next year or the year after when we've got the funds.

Drop me a PM, it'll cost as little as possible basically as the funds are always welcome elsewhere. However we do have a 'certain' amount set aside etc.

[Paul B]

If you overstay your visa you can get blacklisted which means you may not be allowed to re-enter the country, which might not be ideal if your lass wants to see her parents.

They don't live over there they 'just' have a holiday home in the most useless state for climbers 

[SA Chris]

Well you could take a chance and just overstay your visa, and just make sure you don't run foul of the law by doing something daft like being arrested for underage drinking in Yosemite

[Wood FT]

only a west coast gimp would do that. .

[Paul B]

I've just thought about insurance (personal), I'm imagining for climbing specific policies for 6 month trips are both hard to come by and reasonably expensive?

[slackline]

BMC policy shot up in price if going over 6500m I found out earlier this year which made no sense as you were covered for much more technical and potentially dangerous routes below this altitude with just a Trekking policy as it also covered technical climbing! 

Check their annual policy though for that length of trip.

[SA Chris]

BMC will extend for longer durations if needed at a nominal additional charge to std international travel insurance.

[Paul B]

Check their annual policy though for that length of trip.

It used to have a 90 day limit on each trip, but yes I will.

BMC will extend for longer durations if needed at a nominal additional charge to std international travel insurance.

aha

[Paul B]

Has anyone from this forum gone through the B2 visa approach?

The more I read into it the less inclined I am to 'risk it' as if you're not successful you have to indicate so on every Visa Waiver form in the future which immediately means you're flagged up for a tough talk on arrival.

Only 40% of applicants from the UK (for B2 visas) seem to be successful, that doesn't seem overly high to me.

Currently its looking like the last week of March, Apri - Jun in the states and then crossing the border into Canada for Squamish and the Bugaboos (as initially suggested by Johnny), does this seem reasonable to people with experience of doing this?

[Johnny Brown]

I'm no expert but it sounds fine to me. Bugs season starts  ~mid-July.

[Sasquatch]

Can't speak to the visa side of things as I'm a yank, but I've been to all of the areas in different seasons, and you should be fine.  Squamish will be great in June/July, and Bugaboos will be great in July/August. 

[frankstoneline]

If you fly into vegas in march you'll likely have good temps in Red Rock, but keep in mind the Rendezvous is in March (I think) and is a huge mess. Also, you're limited to something like 15 or 30 days in the RR campground, so keep that in mind if you plan on staying for a long time. Otherwise, it's a rad place to hang, when you need a shower you can find a pretty cheap hotel and take a rest day.

After red rock you will probably have some time to kill, as a lot of the northern stuff doesnt melt out/get good over here until end of June or July. That said, Bishop/the Owens is probably still fairly alright, Smith Rock would be good and Leavenworth/other northwest cragging will be starting to get decent. That'll limit your "long routes" criteria a bit, but still good stuff.

By June/July Squamish will be good, most stuff south will be ripping hot. I would recommend looking into some routes on Washington pass. The crowds are fairly manageable, and it's damn good alpine granite. Also the enchantments stay cool and you could do some longer alpine stuff there.
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/washington-pass/105792192

All told, as sasquatch said, most of these areas are climbable in most seasons but it might be HOT as it gets later. Also, the single pitch cragging and bouldering is fantastic around many of these areas and definitely worth at least a couple days checking out (especially in the time when red rock is getting hot and the NW stuff is still all soggy).

Other neat (though not world class really) things you could look into would be the Sawtooths and Chimney rock, maybe blodgett pass area in Montana, if you wanted to stick to long routes during the inbetween times, though they might not get good till you'd be in squamish.

[Paul B]

Its a little over a week until we're off ( ) and I've began putting together a ticklist (well, more of a list of

recommended routes really), on which I'd like some feedback (if people are willing):

Eldorado Canyon
The Naked Edge (5.11b)

Longs Peak

Rifle

Black Canyon
The Scenic Cruise (5.10+)

Moab
Fine Jade (5.11a)
Ancient Arts (5.8 / A0) *
Primrose Dihedrals (5.11c / A0) *, **
Lightening Bolt Cracks (5.11)

Zion
Monkey Finger (5.12b / C2)
Shune's Buttress (5.11)
Sunlight Buttress, Kolob Canyons (5.11b) **
Tricks of the Trade (5.10+) **
Space Shot (5.6 / C2)
Moonlight Buttress (5.9 / C1)
Sheer Lunacy (5.9 / C2)

Indian Creek
I intend to read this months Climber and extract the relevant info but I'd be grateful of recommendations across the board.

Red Rocks
Levitation 29, Oak Creek (5.11) **
Cat in the Hat, Mescalito (5.6) - to do with my Dad whilst he's 'in town'
Epinephrine, Black Velvet (5.9) **

Bishop
My ticklist is pretty sorted for here but I'd be interested in sub 7A problems that aren't too steep (or high).

Needles
Sorcerer, East Face of the Warlock (5.10a) **
Romantic Warrior, Warlock, (5.12b or 5.10 A2) **

Tuolumne Meadows
Regular Route, Fairview Dome (5.9) *
Shipoopi, Medlicott Dome (7a+) * - glance sideways at the Bacher Yarian
Eichorns Pinnacle

The Incredible Hulk
Red Dihedrals (5.10b)
Positive Vibrations (5.11a)

Smith Rocks
???

Leavenworth - to break up the potentially long drive North.

Squamish
The Grand Wall (5.11/A0) *, **
Exasperator (5.10c)

Yosemite
Northeast Buttress, Higher Cathedral (5.9) *
Serenity Crack + Sons of Yesterday, Royal Arches (5.10d) *
Snake Dike, Half Dome (5.7) *
Regular NW Face, Half Dome (5.10a / A1) *
The Nose (5.9 / A2 or 5.10 A1) *
Astroman, Washington Column (5.11c) *, **
East Buttress, El Cap (5.10b)
Separate Reality (5.12a)
The Nabisco Wal, Cookie Cliff (5.11a) **
The Rostrum (Alien finish?), (5,11c) **

Others
Wunsch's Dihedral, Cynical Pinnacle (5.11b / A0 ) **
All along the watchtower, Bugaboos (5.10 / A2) **
The Vampire, Tahquitz Rock (5.11a) **

* Parois du legende tick
** Fifty favourite climbs tick

I understand this is a bit of a brain fart but for those of you who are sick of snow and willing to give it a glance, it's much appreciated.

[pete D]

Needles

Don Juan Wall
Atlantis
Fancy Free
Love Potion No. 9

Kolob Canyons (Zion)

The single pitch sport is fun if a little basic (a bit like climbing the underside of a ladder)

[chillax]

Squamish

Crime of the Century 5.11b ish
Penny Lane 5.9
Partners in climb .10c
Climb and Punishment 5.11a
- all these are beside each other and would make a very good day in the smoke bluffs

Angels Crest 5.10b
- classic long 'un

[T_B]

Lucky Streaks, Blues Riff, Black Angel, Tuolomne.
Moratorium, Yosemite.
Yellow wall, The Diamond (factor in altitude)
Daily Planet, North Walls, Squamish (take as many 1.5 friends as you can find).
Sirocco, Needles.

[Paul B]

Lucky Streaks, Blues Riff, Black Angel, Tuolomne.

I think there was a dual fatality on this (sadly) where someone took a fall directly onto one of the in-situ belays and it couldn't withstand it.

Two people that did it recently suggested there wasn't a good stance left at this point and they were both (understandably) very nervous.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Any single pitch Indian Creek routes we should both seek out (all grades welcome)?

[Stu Littlefair]

I know we've discussed this about a thousand times but are you flying into Vegas and when do you arrive?

[tj]

Aah, the Creek... I have never had my ego so thoroughly destroyed by a venue... And I like jamming. It's utterly brilliant and unique, and I think any climbing trip to that part of the world would be much poorer without it.

The first thing I'd say about the Creek is that the grades are to some extent irrelevant; all they refer to is the size of the crack. One man's tight hands is another's sinker jams; I've never climbed somewhere so morpho. A few Creek vets reckoned that normally people spend the first couple of weeks getting spanked, another 2 weeks developing a vague semblence of competance, and then you can start to O/S at close to your sport climbing level... I only really dipped my toe into the second stage, so can't really comment!

If you can get there before Zion (which mightn't make sense geographically) then I'm sure stuff like Shune's (which looks amazing) will become alot more feasible to anyone lacking previous experience of long, steep US splitters.

Befriend as many folk as you can in the Creek, to share in the communial cam-pooling. The Bridger Jacks is an ace campsite, and it's a priviledge to stay there.

I'm not sure that specific recommendations are really required, the classics are pretty well signposted. Having said that, no trip would be complete without Supercrack 10c...

Also;

Incredible Hand Crack
Scarface (Really good, very photogenic)
The Wave (Great route, bit more varied than most)
Coyne's Crack
Fingers in a Light Socket has ace climbing low down (and a brilliant name), but a slightly nasty crux at the top

Can also recommend Jah Man and Fine Jade. Epinephrine @ RR is amazing (get an early start, to avoid the queues). Avoid Lev 29 in high winds (D'oh.
We had to bail after the crux pitch, but we were a bit unlucky as it was windier than forecast).

Jealous. 

[tj]

Oh, and the Headache 10a in Zion is a very good, and a gentle, albeit slightly sandy introduction to the delights of Zion climbing. There's also some single-pitch stuff that you can use to get your eye in/get used to the unpredictable sandstone friction!

The coffee shop down the road from Zion (?Springfield) is lovely. There's also a free campsite/dirt parking lot a bit further down the road if you're slumming it/cheap.

[SA Chris]

Don't skip the Ab point on the lip on the first abseil on cat in the hat unless you want to brush up on prussiking technique. Get the Handren Guide. It's superb.

Looks like you have a preference for long and mostly free?

[Paul B]

I know we've discussed this about a thousand times but are you flying into Vegas and when do you arrive?

No, Denver and on Apr 2nd. I think we decided that means we're useless for you?

Looks like you have a preference for long and mostly free?

Yes, I have some other things (i.e. a few problems in the valley etc.) but the main focus has to be BIG as far as I'm concerned.