Southwest Face
Southwest Face in California offers 24 climbing routes across 12 grades with bouldering pads, mixed, and trad.
Photo: Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 24 routes
- 5.7 – 5.14a
- Trad · Bouldering · Mixed
Is Southwest Face open right now?
No closures listed
The National Park Service lists no closures for Yosemite National Park.
As of · Source: NPS · Yosemite National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Southwest Face
Best months: March–June and September–November. 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.
Jan
48° / 29°
9 wet
Feb
51° / 30°
9 wet
Mar
57° / 33°
10 wet
Apr
63° / 38°
8 wet
May
70° / 45°
6 wet
Jun
80° / 51°
3 wet
Jul
89° / 57°
1 wet
Aug
89° / 57°
1 wet
Sep
83° / 51°
2 wet
Oct
71° / 41°
3 wet
Nov
56° / 32°
6 wet
Dec
46° / 28°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yosemite Park Hq, CA, 3 mi away at 4,018 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.
Southwest Face is a climbing area in California's Yosemite National Park, within the Yosemite Wilderness. The land is managed by the National Park Service, and a fee is charged for access. The area holds 24 routes, mostly traditional, with two boulder problems and two mixed routes. Grades range from 5.7 to 5.14a. Some of the named routes include Lurking Fear at 5.7, The Nose at 5.9, and Magic Mushroom at 5.14a, which was first ascended by Hugh Burton and Steve Sutton in 1972. Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 70°F and October highs around 71°F, while July and August average highs near 89°F. The Slack to West Buttress and Little John and La Cosita climbing areas sit about 0.1 mile away. The Rockslides hike is 0.5 mile off, and Lower Pines Campground is about 4 miles away.
Routes (24)
Facts about this crag
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