Northwest Face
Northwest Face in California has 12 routes across 8 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
Photo: bsterling, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 12 routes
- 5.10b – 5.12a/b
- Trad · Sport
Is Northwest Face open right now?
No closures listed
The National Park Service lists no closures for Yosemite National Park.
As of · Source: NPS · Yosemite National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Northwest Face
Best months: March–June and September–November. 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
48° / 29°
9 wet
Feb
51° / 30°
9 wet
Mar
57° / 33°
10 wet
Apr
63° / 38°
8 wet
May
70° / 45°
6 wet
Jun
80° / 51°
3 wet
Jul
89° / 57°
1 wet
Aug
89° / 57°
1 wet
Sep
83° / 51°
2 wet
Oct
71° / 41°
3 wet
Nov
56° / 32°
6 wet
Dec
46° / 28°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yosemite Park Hq, CA, 5.7 mi away at 4,018 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Northwest Face is a climbing area in Yosemite National Park, managed by the National Park Service in California. It sits among a cluster of climbing destinations, with Ax. Pulpit Rock about 0.1 mile away and Av. The Mojo Tooth Area roughly 0.3 mile off. Old Wawona Road is also about 0.3 mile away, and the Valley Loop Trail lies about 1.1 mile out. The area draws both sport and trad climbers. Of the 12 routes recorded, six are sport and six are trad, and they run from about 5.10b up to 5.12a/b. Some of the named routes include The Sermon, a trad 5.10b, and Pulp What?, a sport 5.12a. A fee is charged for climbing here, so plan on paying before you start. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Yosemite Park HQ run from highs around 70°F in May to 71°F in October, with July and August peaking near 89°F.
Routes (12)
Facts about this crag
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Richard Wood, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Ax. Pulpit Rock
~0 min drive
Ax. Pulpit Rock is a California climbing area with 3 routes ranging from easy to hard, available in sport and trad styles.
Photo: bsterling, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Av. The Mojo Tooth Area
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Av. The Mojo Tooth Area in California has 8 climbing routes across 6 difficulty grades.
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Also worth it near here
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