I have a window of a couple months before i start up my new job and am looking to do some alpine climbing (within the US). I am looking for routes such as the exum on the grand teton or EB on Whitney. I know the spring can be a little iffy as far as weather concerned so thats why i am reaching out to you guys. Any suggestions for routes in areas where the weather may be a little more stable?

I can lead up to 5.10d trad and WI4/WI4+. However i would prefer to keep the grades a little lower to stay within my comfort zone as i have limited experience with big mountain routes. Something with a decent approach to make it feel more remote could be fun.

As i do not have any partners commited yet if anyone is looking to do somthing along these lines let me know and we can talk logistics. I have both a trad and ice rack along with ropes and what not (no aid gear).

Thanks in advance,
matt

Coming from New Jersey or where? Ending up where?

If it were me, I would make it a nice long road trip, with some alpine climbing smattered about. There probably is not enough reliable, good stuff that is strictly "alpine" that I would want to spend multiple weeks in a row doing that kind of stuff. And I suspect partners will be hard to come by.

If it were me and I had your problem (wish I did.....) I would probably spend some time in Red Rocks, some time in Yosemite, and hit something in the High Sierra in between, timed for whenever the conditions looked favorable. Then maybe the Cascades? I bet there is a bunch of stuff to do up there in April that would be good.

Could also consider Rocky Mountain National Park if you're coming from the east coast on your way. Martha on Mt. Lady Washington, and I'm sure there are a couple of other good routes that would be in that time of year. More as a "passing through" type of thing.

Good suggestions. Yea i will be coming from NJ. I plan on doing a lot of cragging but was looking to get on at least one big objective. I have never done any climbing in the sierras. How does the weather usually fair during the spring ?

PM sent

East Buttress of Whitney is definitely doable in March/April on a nice sunny, mild day. And the descent down the Mountaineer's route will be a lot more fun than in the summer. Lots of south and east facing climbs in the Sierras would be reasonable...the issue is the approach (and finding a partner of course). Many of the trailheads are snowed in, so the approach may involve an extra 5-10 miles of skiing/snowshoeing up the road to the trailhead before even starting on the usual approach. And there's avalanche danger, although the spring snowpack in the Sierras is typically more stable than in many other alpine areas.

If you're driving from NJ, consider stopping in the Red River Gorge (if it's not raining).

In CO, Dream Weaver on Mt Meeker looks awesome and could be in good condition by April, although I think it's usually more of a May objective. There are also some routes on Longs Peak (like the North Face and Alexander's Chimney) that get done in winter.

Cascades has some possible objectives, like Triple Couloirs on Dragontail, Stuart Glacier Couloir, various routes in Snoqualmie Pass but the weather is usually shit at that time of year.

Red Rocks is a sure thing. Perfect temps and cragging that's about as close as you can get to alpine. Scenic 1-2 hour approaches, climbs up to 15+ pitches in length, descents with 3rd-easy 5th class downclimbing. Plus $20/night hotels on the strip and cheap buffets.

Dreamweaver probably wouldn't be in shape, but as Tom mentioned, there are other objectives in RMNP. There is a route on Flattop (I think?) that goes at like WI4 that I used to read about a lot on mountainproject. Or maybe it's Notchtop? I really don't remember, but it looked cool if the conditions were right. Martha's is in the same area, so you could get a couple routes in on the drive out.

The Sierra seem to fit the bill though. Fairly remote that time of year, plus you're close to red rocks, yosemite and lots of other cragging. Tom mentioned the routes I was thinking of in the Cascades, but I know nothing about the weather there.

You could always go into the Wind River range or something really remote, but I think you're far better off in these areas. What about Canada?

Edited to add: You could also hit up Ouray in March on your drive out. That would be pretty nice. The Tetons are an option if you're willing to wait for weather and you're a decent backcountry skier. The downside is that there is no cragging anywhere close that will be suitable that time of year for while you're waiting out weather...