California · Rock climbing · Bishop

Planetarium / Gecko Wall

Planetarium / Gecko Wall in California has 27 climbing routes with 16 difficulty grades.

Planetarium / Gecko WallPhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
27 routes
5.10b – 5.13c
Sport · Trad

Is Planetarium / Gecko 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 Planetarium / Gecko Wall

Best months: May–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° / 17°

  2. Feb

    41° / 18°

  3. Mar

    45° / 22°

  4. Apr

    51° / 27°

  5. May

    60° / 35°

  6. Jun

    70° / 42°

  7. Jul

    78° / 49°

  8. Aug

    77° / 47°

  9. Sep

    71° / 40°

  10. Oct

    61° / 30°

  11. Nov

    49° / 23°

  12. Dec

    41° / 17°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA, 23.9 mi away at 7,804 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Planetarium / Gecko Wall is a climbing area in the White Mountain Ranger District of Inyo National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. The name pairs a planetarium with a wall, a curious duality that hints at the area's compact, clustered feel. It sits within a short distance of several other climbing spots, including Scheelite Canyon / Pratt's Crack Gully and Armando's Stilletto / Rites of Spring, both about 0.1 mile away. The routes here are all sport, with one trad route. Grades run from 5.10b to 5.13c. Among the named routes are Bust a Gut (5.10b), Salamander Slayer (5.11c), Planet X (5.13a) and Copernicus (5.13c). A nearby weather station at Mammoth Lakes, about 24 miles away, puts typical July highs around 78°F with lows near 49°F, and typical January highs around 41°F with lows around 17°F, so summer is the warmest window for a visit. Other climbing areas are close by, including Scheelite Canyon / Pratt's Crack Gully and Armando's Stilletto / Rites of Spring. Hikers can head to Morgan Mine Road or Mount Julius Caesar, both under 2 miles off.

Routes (27)

Bust a GutFA: Tai DeVore, Mary DeVore, 20195.10bSubatomicFA: Marty Lewis & Tai Devore5.10cGin and JuiceFA: Patrick O'Donnell5.11It’s a CrimeFA: Brent Webster and Tai Devore, 20165.11aGalileo Left5.11cSalamander Slayer5.11cWind in the Willows (1st anchor)FA: Gary Slate, Marty Lewis, 1993.5.11dBiohazardFA: Louie Anderson, Larry Kuechlin (1994)5.12aChronicFA: Marty Lewis, Brian Ketron, 8/19945.12aPlanetariumFA: Gary Slate and Marty Lewis, 1993.5.12aAristotle5.12bCaffeine Junkie Variation5.12bPlanet Y5.12bAtomic GeckoFA: Louie Anderson, Larry Kuechlin5.12b/cBubonicFA: Brian Ketron, Marty Lewis (1995)5.12cBuehler's Day OffFA: Patrick O'Donnell5.12c/dRage5.12c/dAtomic RageFA: Link-up5.12dSpaceballsFA: Ben Ditto and Katie Lambert5.12dWind in the WillowsFA: Gary Slate, Marty Lewis, 19935.12dal-Shatir a.k.a Copernicus DirectFA: Taimur Ahmad, Patrick O'Donnell, August 20205.13+Galileo5.13aPlanet X5.13aDark MatterFA: Patrick O'Donnell5.13bDust in the WindFA: Patrick O'Donnell/Dallas Frederick Aug 20205.13bAtomic StargazerFA: Jake Whittaker, May 20205.13cCopernicus5.13c

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