California · Rock climbing · Hesperia

South Face

South Face in California has 5 routes with 5 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

5 routes
5.6 – 5.11a
Sport · Trad

Is South Face open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Mountaintop Ranger District. It doesn't name South Face, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Mountaintop Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit South Face

Best months: April–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.

  1. Jan

    44° / 29°

    6 wet · 1 snow

  2. Feb

    45° / 30°

    6 wet · 1 snow

  3. Mar

    52° / 32°

    6 wet · 1 snow

  4. Apr

    60° / 36°

    4 wet · 1 snow

  5. May

    67° / 41°

    2 wet

  6. Jun

    76° / 49°

    1 wet

  7. Jul

    81° / 57°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    82° / 57°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    74° / 52°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    63° / 43°

    2 wet

  11. Nov

    52° / 34°

    3 wet

  12. Dec

    43° / 29°

    5 wet · 1 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lake Arrowhead, CA, 4.3 mi away at 5,205 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

South Face is a climbing area in the Mountaintop Ranger District of San Bernardino National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among other climbing spots, with East Face and The Skull both about 0.1 mile away. The climbing area has five routes, with grades ranging from 5.6 to 5.11a. Three are sport routes and two are trad. Regular Route is a 5.6 trad, and Kitty Litter is a 5.11a sport. Step right up to the Skull is a 5.9 sport, and Jet Stream is a 5.10b trad. For timing, summer is the warmest stretch. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Lake Arrowhead run from highs around 81°F in July to 82°F in August, with lows near 57°F. That station sits at about 5,200 feet, and winter brings highs in the low 40s and a few snow days a month from November through March.

Routes (5)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

West FacePhoto: Michael McCarty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

West Face

~0 min drive

West Face in California has 5 climbing routes across 4 grades, offering sport and trad styles.

West PointPhoto: Michael McCarty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

West Point

~1 min drive

West Point in California has 8 climbing routes with 4 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad options.

Pinnacle 2Photo: Michael McCarty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Pinnacle 2

~1 min drive

Pinnacle 2 in California has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades.

Champagne RockPhoto: Michael McCarty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Champagne Rock

~1 min drive

Champagne Rock is a climbing area in California with 6 routes.

Upper ButtressesPhoto: Michael McCarty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Upper Buttresses

~1 min drive

Upper Buttresses in California has 2 climbing routes on 2 difficulty grades.

Deep CreekPhoto: Jim Tighe RiverNude, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Deep Creek

~6 min drive

Deep Creek is a bouldering crag in California with 1 route.

Lake Arrowhead AreaPhoto: bdearth, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lake Arrowhead Area

~9 min drive

Lake Arrowhead Area in California has 4 climbing routes with bouldering pads and sport options.

The Skull

~0 min drive

Skull, The is a climbing area in California with 3 routes.

Main Meadow

~0 min drive

Main Meadow in California has 11 climbing routes across 6 grades, offering sport and trad options.

Dunte Wall

~0 min drive

Dunte Wall in California has 7 climbing routes ranging from moderate to hard.