California · Rock climbing · Yosemite National Park

Valley South Side

Valley South Side in California has 22 climbing routes with mixed and trad protection.

Valley South SidePhoto: bensondoc, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
22 routes
5.5 – 5.12
Trad · Mixed

Is Valley South Side 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 Valley South Side

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.

  1. Jan

    44° / 32°

    10 wet

  2. Feb

    42° / 31°

    9 wet

  3. Mar

    45° / 32°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    49° / 36°

    8 wet

  5. May

    58° / 43°

    7 wet

  6. Jun

    67° / 52°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    75° / 60°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    75° / 59°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    70° / 54°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    60° / 46°

    4 wet

  11. Nov

    49° / 37°

    7 wet

  12. Dec

    43° / 32°

    9 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yosemite Village 12 W, CA, 15.2 mi away at 6,620 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Valley South Side 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 boundary. The climbing here is a mix of trad and mixed routes, with 21 trad routes and one mixed route among the 22 listed. Grades run from 5.5 up to 5.12, with the median around 5.10b. Some of the named routes include Voodoo Child at 5.8, My Favorite Things at 5.10a and Wayward Son at 5.12. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 75°F with lows near 60°F and only about one wet day a month. Winter is much colder, with highs in the low 40s and lows near freezing. The closest climbing is Southwest Face, about 0.3 miles away, and Half Dome, about 0.6 miles away. The Mist Trail and Mirror Lake Old Carriage Trail are both within a mile.

Routes (22)

H. Illilouette Canyon(2)

Plane Fare5.10bAir Bare5.10c

Facts about this crag

Rules & access

Fee
Yes

Source: National Park Service API

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