California · Rock climbing · Bishop

The Slab

Slab, The is a California climbing crag with 8 routes ranging from 5.8 to 5.12a.

Photo: Kunstee, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

8 routes

5.6 – 5.11c

Trad · Sport

Is Slab, The open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Inyo National Forest.

Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in Effect
Agency alert covering Inyo National Forest · Order 05-04-50-26-23 · USFS · Inyo National Forest
Help Halt Golden Mussel Invasion
Agency alert covering Inyo National Forest · USFS · Inyo National Forest
Ansel Adams and John Muir Wilderness Campfire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Inyo National Forest · Order 05-04-50-25-04 · USFS · Inyo National Forest
Golden Trout and Hoover Wilderness Campfire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Inyo National Forest · Order 05-04-50-25-05 · USFS · Inyo National Forest

As of Oct 23, 7:55 pm PDT · Source: USFS · Inyo National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit The Slab

Best months: May–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
43° / 24°
11 wet
Feb
44° / 23°
11 wet
Mar
46° / 26°
10 wet
Apr
50° / 29°
8 wet
May
56° / 36°
6 wet
Jun
66° / 42°
3 wet
Jul
74° / 49°
2 wet
Aug
74° / 49°
1 wet
Sep
68° / 44°
2 wet
Oct
58° / 37°
4 wet
Nov
49° / 31°
8 wet
Dec
44° / 25°
10 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Huntington Lake, CA, 36.2 mi away at 7,020 ft. The station sits about 600 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The Slab is a climbing area in California's Inyo National Forest, within the White Mountain Ranger District, on city land. It sits among several other climbing areas, with South Mount Klieforth and The Owl both about 0.1 mile away. The climbing is mostly traditional. Eight routes are listed, with seven in the trad style and one in sport. Grades run from 5.6 up to 5.11c, with the median at 5.10a. Regular Route is the easiest at 5.6, and Abandonment Issues is the sport route at 5.11a. Got Yo Sequence Hangin' and Great Buttermilk Crack are two of the more challenging trad routes, both rated 5.10c and 5.11c. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 74°F with lows near 49°F, and only one or two wet days a month. Winter highs sit in the low 40s with lows in the mid-20s. The station sits about 584 feet below the slab, so temperatures on the rock run a little cooler. For more to do, Mount Tom and Horton Lakes are both about 3 miles away. Horton Creek Campground and Bitterbrush Campground are within about 3.5 miles.