California · Rock climbing · Crowley Lake

Higher Wall

Higher Wall in California has 11 climbing routes with 7 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad styles.

11 routes
5.9 – 5.11-
Trad · Sport

Is Higher Wall open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Inyo National Forest.

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

Best time to visit Higher Wall

Best months: June–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° / 13°

  2. Feb

    38° / 12°

  3. Mar

    42° / 15°

  4. Apr

    45° / 22°

  5. May

    54° / 27°

  6. Jun

    65° / 33°

  7. Jul

    71° / 38°

  8. Aug

    70° / 36°

  9. Sep

    65° / 32°

  10. Oct

    57° / 26°

  11. Nov

    47° / 20°

  12. Dec

    40° / 12°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tuolumne Meadows Rs, CA, 42.8 mi away at 8,694 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.

Higher Wall is a climbing area in California's Inyo National Forest, within the White Mountain Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the area sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Rock Creek and the 4:20 Wall each about 0.1 mile away. Palisade Group Campground and Big Meadow Campground are both under a mile off, giving climbers a place to stay nearby. The area's climbing is mostly traditional, with 9 trad routes and 3 sport routes among the 12 listed. The YDS grades run from 5.9 up to 5.11, with the median around 5.10+. Some of the named routes include Talk To Samson! at 5.10+ and Hey Girl! You Hungry? at 5.11, a sport route. Summer is the mildest time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run to highs around 71°F in July and 70°F in August, with lows in the upper 30s, though that station sits about 800 feet lower than the wall. Winter is much colder, with January highs near 41°F and lows around 13°F.

Routes (11)

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