California · Rock climbing · Markleeville

Northeast Face

Northeast Face in California has 21 climbing routes with 11 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad styles.

21 routes
5.9 – 5.12a
Trad · Sport

Is Northeast Face open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Stanislaus National Forest. It doesn't name Northeast Face, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Stanislaus National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Northeast Face

Best months: May–October. 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

    45° / 30°

    11 wet

  2. Feb

    46° / 30°

    11 wet

  3. Mar

    49° / 32°

    11 wet

  4. Apr

    54° / 35°

    8 wet

  5. May

    63° / 42°

    6 wet

  6. Jun

    73° / 49°

    2 wet

  7. Jul

    81° / 56°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    80° / 55°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    74° / 51°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    64° / 43°

    4 wet

  11. Nov

    52° / 34°

    7 wet

  12. Dec

    44° / 30°

    11 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Calaveras Big Trees, CA, 15.2 mi away at 4,695 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Northeast Face is a climbing area in California's Stanislaus National Forest, within the Calaveras Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land. The area is a cluster of routes that sit in close proximity to one another, with Calaveras Dome just 0.1 mile away and North Face Apron 0.2 mile away. That makes it easy to link several climbing objectives in a single outing. The climbing here is mostly trad, with 18 trad routes and 3 sport routes among the 21 listed. The grades range from 5.9 to 5.12, with the median around 5.11a. Among the named routes are Totally Buzzed at 5.10b, King Kong at 5.11a, and Fault Line at 5.12. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the Calaveras Big Trees weather station, about 15 miles away, show July highs near 81°F with lows around 56°F and only about one wet day in the month. Winter is colder and wetter, with December highs around 44°F and about 11 wet days. Salt Springs Reservoir is about a mile away for a hike, and White Azalea Campground is about 2 miles away for an overnight stay.

Routes (21)