This past weekend the I was ready to leave town. I needed something different. I had the climbing itch and I needed to find somewhere that could scratch it for me. I called my wife while at work and told her that I think we should head out of town when I get off work that night. I started to think where we could go and have the itch scratched. I live in Salt Lake City and have two young kids so I needed something relatively easy and close but still out of town. I thought a bit and then decided Pocatello, Idaho was the spot for me. I told my wife and ask my brother if he and his girlfriend would like to go with (It is always nice to have a couple of extra hands when going climbing with a 2 year old). We packed our bags, booked a hotel for the night, and headed out the door.
Pocatello is about 150 miles north of Salt Lake City and just over two hours driving. This makes it a quick get away for those who live in Salt Lake and surrounding areas. Pocatello is a well kept secret in Idaho. More than 1000 miles of groomed trails for mountain bikes are within the public lands of Southeast Idaho. Many more miles of trails for hiking, backpacking and riding horses area available in the area. Camping is also available. But there is some great climbing as well and that is why I went there this past weekend.
There is plenty of climbing in Pocatello and if you are up for a little drive even more stuff is available to you. One area that I love is the Ross Park Areas. Most of this climbing is top roped only climbing. But it is a great place to take the family and enjoy a day of climbing. There is a sunny side and a shady side with over a 120 climbs between the two. The local climbers in the area have made this a nice place to climb and enjoy. You can find free guides and information about this area on Idaho State University website. Another great site for up to date information is the http://www.seiclimbing.com/.