Main Wall (aka The Gorilla Head Buttress)
Near Valley Center
- 8 routes
- 5.6 – 5.12d
- Trad · Sport
Best time to visit Main Wall (aka The Gorilla Head Buttress)
Best months: October–June. 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
68° / 38°
Feb
67° / 39°
Mar
71° / 42°
Apr
75° / 43°
May
77° / 49°
Jun
84° / 53°
Jul
91° / 59°
Aug
93° / 59°
Sep
91° / 56°
Oct
83° / 47°
Nov
76° / 41°
Dec
67° / 37°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Valley Ctr 1n, CA, 5.5 mi away at 1,290 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Main Wall, also known as The Gorilla Head Buttress, is a climbing area in California, about 1.8 miles from Lawrence Welk Resort Village. The surrounding area is packed with climbing, and the Dihedral Wall and The Wild Wild West are both about 0.1 mile away. The area has eight routes, six of which are trad and two sport. Grades run from 5.6 up to 5.12d. Tatanka is the easiest at 5.6, and Bodhisattva Arête is the hardest at 5.12d. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 77°F and October highs around 83°F. July and August average in the low 90s, and the station sits about 390 feet lower than the wall, so temperatures on the rock run cooler. Old Castle is another climbing area about 0.2 mile away. For time off the rock, Bobcat Trail and Burnt Mountain Trail are both about 5 miles away.
Routes (8)
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