California · Rock climbing · Soda Springs

Black Wall

Black Wall in California has 4 trad routes with 4 distinct difficulty grades.

4 routes
5.8- – 5.11d
Trad

Is Black Wall open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Tahoe National Forest.

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

Best time to visit Black Wall

Best months: May–September. 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

    41° / 17°

    11 wet

  2. Feb

    43° / 18°

    10 wet

  3. Mar

    48° / 22°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    53° / 26°

    7 wet

  5. May

    63° / 33°

    6 wet

  6. Jun

    73° / 38°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    82° / 44°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    81° / 42°

    2 wet

  9. Sep

    74° / 36°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    63° / 29°

    4 wet

  11. Nov

    49° / 23°

    7 wet

  12. Dec

    39° / 17°

    10 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Donner Mem Sp, CA, 4.4 mi away at 5,937 ft. The station sits about 800 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.

Black Wall is a climbing area in the Truckee Ranger District of Tahoe National Forest in California, managed by a non-governmental organization. It sits within its own named area, and the Black Wall - Left and Black Wall - Right climbing areas both lie about 0.1 mile away, making this a compact cluster of rock. The climbing here is all traditional, with four routes ranging from 5.8- to 5.11d. Inside Out is the easiest at 5.8-, and Ajax is the hardest at 5.11d. Mr. Clean and Torture Chamber fall in between. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 82°F with lows near 44°F, and only about two wet days that month. That station sits roughly 750 feet lower than the wall, so temperatures on the rock run cooler. The Donner Summit Lakes Trail starts about 0.7 mile away, and the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000 passes within a mile. Milton Reservoir, about 1.9 miles off, offers fishing, and Granite Flat campground is about 6 miles away.

Routes (4)

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