California · Rock climbing · Groveland

South Flank

South Flank in California has 13 climbing routes across 8 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

South FlankPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
13 routes
5.5 – 5.11c
Trad · Sport · Mixed

Is South Flank 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 South Flank

Best months: June–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° / 13°

  2. Feb

    38° / 12°

  3. Mar

    42° / 15°

  4. Apr

    45° / 22°

  5. May

    54° / 27°

  6. Jun

    65° / 33°

  7. Jul

    71° / 38°

  8. Aug

    70° / 36°

  9. Sep

    65° / 32°

  10. Oct

    57° / 26°

  11. Nov

    47° / 20°

  12. Dec

    40° / 12°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tuolumne Meadows Rs, CA, 3.8 mi away at 8,694 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

South Flank is a climbing area in Yosemite National Park, California, within the Yosemite Wilderness. The National Park Service manages the land, and the area sits inside the park's wilderness boundaries. The climbing here is a mix of trad, sport and mixed routes, with 13 routes in total. The YDS grades run from 5.5 up to 5.11c, and the median is 5.10a. Among the named routes are The Great Circle, a trad climb at 5.10a, and Liberation, a trad route at 5.10c. Prespiration, a trad route at 5.11c, was first climbed by Alan Nelson in August 1989. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Tuolumne Meadows show July highs around 71°F and lows near 38°F, while winter highs stay in the low 40s. The West Face and Western Front climbing areas are each about 0.1 mile away, and Wind Tunnel is about 0.3 mile off. For a hike, the Tenaya Lake Trail is about a mile away.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

West FacePhoto: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

West Face

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Western FrontPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Western Front

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Wind TunnelPhoto: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Wind Tunnel

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Cottage DomesPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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North FacePhoto: pom'., CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

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North Face of the LambPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Daff AreaPhoto: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

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