Colorado · Rock climbing · Pagosa Springs

The Pope's Nose

Pope's Nose, The in Colorado has 7 climbing routes on 4 difficulty grades.

7 routes
5.9 – 5.12
Trad · Sport

Is Pope's Nose, The open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in San Juan National Forest. It doesn't name Pope's Nose, The, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · San Juan National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit The Pope's Nose

Best months: June–July and 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

    34° / -4°

    4 wet · 4 snow

  2. Feb

    37° / -2°

    4 wet · 4 snow

  3. Mar

    43° / 9°

    5 wet · 5 snow

  4. Apr

    50° / 20°

    6 wet · 5 snow

  5. May

    60° / 29°

    5 wet · 2 snow

  6. Jun

    71° / 36°

    5 wet

  7. Jul

    76° / 42°

    11 wet

  8. Aug

    73° / 41°

    13 wet

  9. Sep

    68° / 35°

    9 wet

  10. Oct

    58° / 25°

    6 wet · 2 snow

  11. Nov

    44° / 12°

    4 wet · 3 snow

  12. Dec

    34° / -3°

    4 wet · 3 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Rio Grande Rsvr, CO, 12.8 mi away at 9,492 ft. The station sits about 1,400 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Pope's Nose is a climbing area in the Weminuche Wilderness, part of the Columbine Ranger District of the San Juan National Forest in Colorado. The Forest Service manages the land. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 76°F with lows near 42°F, while winter brings highs in the mid-30s and regular snow days from December through March. That station sits about 1,400 feet lower than the climbing area, so temperatures up high run cooler. Flint Creek is about a mile away, and the Sierra Vandera hike and the Pine River mountain biking route are both roughly 2 miles off. For more climbing, Tradistan Tower lies about 9 miles away.

Routes (7)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

RV WallPhoto: Dsdugan, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

RV Wall

~38 min drive

RV Wall in Colorado has 16 climbing routes with 12 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad options.

Jagged Mountain

~20 min drive

Route to the summit of Jagged Mountain (13,822 ft) from Kite Lake / Hunchback Pass Trailhead.

Deadwood GulchPhoto: markbyzewski, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Deadwood Gulch

~36 min drive

12-route climbing area in Colorado with sport and trad options.

The StripePhoto: markbyzewski, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Stripe

~36 min drive

15 routes in Colorado spanning 12 difficulty grades, sport and trad climbing.

Hermosa Park Road BouldersPhoto: Doss Imaging, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Hermosa Park Road Boulders

~40 min drive

Hermosa Park Road Boulders in Colorado has 8 bouldering routes across 7 grades.

PurgatoryPhoto: Doss Imaging, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Purgatory

~40 min drive

Colorado climbing area with sport and traditional routes for mixed abilities.

Tradistan Tower

~15 min drive

Tradistan Tower in Colorado has 6 traditional climbing routes across 5 grades.

High Times Wall

~15 min drive

High Times Wall in Colorado has 5 trad routes spanning 5 difficulty grades.

Pine River Trad

~16 min drive

2 routes at Pine River Trad in Colorado, climbing on alpine rock with no fixed gear.

The Lost Wall

~16 min drive

Lost Wall, The in Colorado has 7 routes ranging from moderate to hard, offering sport and trad climbing.