Mothership Cliff
Mothership Cliff in California has 16 sport climbing routes across 10 difficulty grades.
Photo: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 16 routes
- 5.11a – 5.13d
- Sport
Best time to visit Mothership Cliff
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, 15.6 mi away at 4,102 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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.
Mothership Cliff is a city-managed climbing area in California, sitting on city land. It is a compact cluster of sport routes, with 16 routes in total. The grades range from 5.11a to 5.13d, so it's a place for climbers comfortable with the 5.11 to 5.13 range. Several other climbing areas sit right beside it. Fun House and Inner Gorge are each about a tenth of a mile away. That makes it easy to pair with a session at one of those. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show April highs around 74°F and October highs around 78°F. That station sits roughly 1,500 feet below the cliff, so temperatures on the rock run cooler. Summer is hot, with July highs near 100°F. The closest trail is the Lower Rock Creek Trail, Section 3, about 2 miles away, and the Lower Rock Creek paddling stretch is a little farther. Tuff Campground, about 6 miles off, is the nearest place to stay.
Routes (16)
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