Colorado · Rock climbing · Montrose

The Night is Dark and Full of Terrors

Upper-end route at South Rim Routes, which spans 5.8 to 5.12c across 27 catalogued climbs.

5.12+
grade
Trad Gear
style

Is The Night is Dark and Full of Terrors open right now?

Alert in the area

The National Park Service lists an alert for Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

  • No Water Available in Park

    Park alert covering Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park · NPS · Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

As of · Source: NPS · Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit The Night is Dark and Full of Terrors

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

    37° / 13°

  2. Feb

    40° / 16°

  3. Mar

    49° / 23°

  4. Apr

    56° / 29°

  5. May

    66° / 38°

  6. Jun

    76° / 46°

  7. Jul

    82° / 53°

  8. Aug

    81° / 52°

  9. Sep

    72° / 44°

  10. Oct

    60° / 33°

  11. Nov

    47° / 23°

  12. Dec

    36° / 13°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Black Canyon Of The Gunnison, CO, 2.4 mi away at 8,151 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Among the 27 routes catalogued at South Rim Routes, this climb sits at the upper end of the crag's range, which spans 5.8 to 5.12c.

Photo of the crag

South Rim Routes — the crag this route is on
South Rim Routes, Colorado — this photo shows the crag, not this individual route.Photo: joannapoe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

North Chasm View WallPhoto: joannapoe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

North Chasm View Wall

~1 min drive

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Coxcomb Peak

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Route to the summit of Coxcomb Peak (13,612 ft) from West Fork Cimarron River Trailhead.

AretesPhoto: joannapoe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Aretes

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Guppy Gully

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The Checkerboard WallPhoto: SymphonicPoet, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Checkerboard Wall

~1 min drive

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Black Canyon of the GunnisonPhoto: scostello22, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

~1 min drive

Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado has 4 bouldering routes.

The Painted WallPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

The Painted Wall

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Prisoner of Your Hairdo Gully

~1 min drive

Prisoner of Your Hairdo Gully is a climbing area in Colorado with 5 routes.

North Rim RoutesPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

North Rim Routes

~1 min drive

North Rim Routes in Colorado has 9 traditional climbing routes across 6 grades.

SOB Gully (skier's left side)Photo: Kbh3rd, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

SOB Gully (skier's left side)

~1 min drive

SOB Gully (skier's left side) in Colorado has 18 routes with 11 difficulty grades.

Local businesses nearby

Outfitters and businesses near Montrose. They haven’t set up their Roamze page yet.

Peak Mountain Guides

Rock Climbing business nearby (~38 mi away) — hasn't claimed their Roamze page yet

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