California · Rock climbing · Lake Arrowhead

Upper Buttresses

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

Upper ButtressesPhoto: Michael McCarty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
2 routes
5.9 – 5.10b
Sport · Trad

Is Upper Buttresses open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Mountaintop Ranger District. It doesn't name Upper Buttresses, 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 Upper Buttresses

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, 4.7 mi away at 5,205 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Upper Buttresses is a climbing area in the Mountaintop Ranger District of San Bernardino National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. The area sits among two other climbing zones: Lower Buttresses and Pinnacle 2, each about 0.1 mile away. The two climbing styles here are sport and trad, and the routes range from 5.9 to 5.10b in YDS grade. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Lake Arrowhead, about 5 miles away, show late summer as the warmest stretch, with highs around 81 to 82°F and lows near 57°F in July and August. Winter brings highs in the mid-40s and a few snow days a month. The closest nearby spots are the Pinnacles hike at 1.2 miles and the Metate hike at 1.4 miles. For camping, North Shore is about 4.4 miles away, and Lake Arrowhead - Green Valley Lake Recreation Area is about 5 miles out.

Routes (2)

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