California · Rock climbing · Swall Meadows

Central Gorge

Central Gorge in California has 9 climbing routes across 8 difficulty grades.

Photo: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

9 routes

5.8 – 5.12c

Sport · Trad

Best time to visit Central Gorge

Best months: April–May and 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.

Jan
56° / 24°
4 wet
Feb
59° / 26°
4 wet
Mar
67° / 31°
3 wet
Apr
74° / 37°
2 wet
May
83° / 44°
2 wet
Jun
94° / 51°
1 wet
Jul
100° / 57°
1 wet
Aug
98° / 54°
1 wet
Sep
90° / 47°
1 wet
Oct
78° / 37°
1 wet
Nov
64° / 27°
2 wet
Dec
55° / 22°
3 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bishop Ap, CA, 15.4 mi away at 4,102 ft. The station sits about 1,300 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.

Central Gorge is a climbing area on city land in California, about 15 miles from Bishop. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Mystical Tricks Cliff and Faulty Tower each about 0.1 mile away. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Bishop show April highs around 74°F and October highs around 78°F, while July averages near 100°F. That station sits about 1,300 feet lower than the gorge, so temperatures here run cooler. Lower Rock Creek Trail, Section 3, is about 2 miles away, and Lower Rock Creek offers canoeing about 2.6 miles off. Sand Canyon, a mountain biking area, is roughly 4 miles away, and Tuff Campground is about 6 miles away.