Arizona · Rock climbing · Scottsdale

Main Wall

8 routes
5.6 – 5.10b
Trad
Oct–Apr
best months

Main Wall is a climbing area in the Mcdowell Sonoran Preserve in Arizona, on county land. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Hog Heaven and Upper Wall each about 0.1 mile away and the McDowell Mountains about half a mile off. The preserve's rock is a natural base for traditional climbing, and the routes here run from about 5.6 to 5.10 on the YDS scale. Eight routes are listed, all trad, with Chalk Bag at 5.6 and John's Bag at 5.10a among the named ones. The climbing is best suited to those who enjoy working on a range of grades rather than a single level. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Pinnacle Peak weather station, which sits about 1,100 feet lower, show March highs around 72°F and October highs around 83°F, while July and August average in the upper 90s. For a change from the rock, Boulder Trail and Sven Towers Trail are both within a mile. Box Bar campground is about 9 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Oct–Apr

    Best time to visit Main Wall

    Best months: October–April. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      64° / 43°

    2. Feb

      66° / 45°

    3. Mar

      72° / 49°

    4. Apr

      79° / 54°

    5. May

      87° / 62°

    6. Jun

      96° / 71°

    7. Jul

      99° / 76°

    8. Aug

      98° / 75°

    9. Sep

      94° / 71°

    10. Oct

      83° / 61°

    11. Nov

      72° / 50°

    12. Dec

      63° / 42°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pinnacle Peak, AZ, 5 mi away at 2,565 ft. The station sits about 1,100 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (8)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Sven Tower 3Photo: HTBFTBO, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sven Tower 3

~1 min drive

Sven Tower 3 is a climbing area in Arizona with 18 routes.

Sven TowersPhoto: HTBFTBO, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sven Towers

~1 min drive

Sven Towers is a climbing crag in Arizona with 1 route.

Girlie Man AreaPhoto: HTBFTBO, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Girlie Man Area

~1 min drive

Girlie Man Area in Arizona has 11 climbing routes across 10 difficulty grades.

Tom's ThumbPhoto: Carefree Sailor, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Tom's Thumb

~2 min drive

Tom's Thumb in Arizona has 16 trad routes across 9 difficulty grades.

Knob Hill - EastPhoto: Carefree Sailor, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Knob Hill - East

~2 min drive

Knob Hill - East in Arizona has 9 climbing routes across 7 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Sven Tower 1Photo: Carefree Sailor, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Sven Tower 1

~2 min drive

Sven Tower 1 in Arizona has 9 climbing routes with 6 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad styles.

Morrell's WallPhoto: Carefree Sailor, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Morrell's Wall

~2 min drive

Morrell's Wall in Arizona has 16 climbing routes across 12 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Fort McDowellPhoto: Carefree Sailor, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Fort McDowell

~2 min drive

Fort McDowell is a climbing crag in Arizona with 5 routes.

Pinnacle PeakPhoto: SocialMediaAdventure, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Pinnacle Peak

~9 min drive

Pinnacle Peak in Arizona has 44 climbing routes across 21 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

AMC BoulderPhoto: SocialMediaAdventure, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

AMC Boulder

~9 min drive

AMC Boulder in Arizona has 8 climbing routes across 5 grades.