Colorado · Rock climbing · Ophir Loop

The Wild Westerlies

Wild Westerlies, The is a climbing area in Colorado with 7 routes.

7 routes
5.9 – 5.12c
Sport

Is Wild Westerlies, The open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. It doesn't name Wild Westerlies, The, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit The Wild Westerlies

No month here meets our mild-weather rule. 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° / -6°

    9 wet

  2. Feb

    36° / -3°

    9 wet

  3. Mar

    43° / 6°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    48° / 17°

    9 wet

  5. May

    58° / 25°

    9 wet

  6. Jun

    70° / 31°

    7 wet

  7. Jul

    75° / 38°

    13 wet

  8. Aug

    72° / 37°

    15 wet

  9. Sep

    66° / 30°

    12 wet

  10. Oct

    55° / 20°

    9 wet

  11. Nov

    43° / 7°

    8 wet

  12. Dec

    34° / -5°

    9 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Silverton, CO, 11.6 mi away at 9,285 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The Wild Westerlies is a climbing area in the Norwood Ranger District of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among several other climbing areas, with Main Wall and Dark Side, The both about 0.2 miles away. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Silverton weather station show July highs around 75°F with lows near 38°F, while winter highs stay in the mid-30s and lows drop to about -6°F in January. Priest Lake Road, a cross-country ski route, is about a mile away, and the Matterhorn campground is about 1.1 miles off. For paddling, Lake Fork is about 2.2 miles away and the South Fork San Miguel River about 3.1 miles.

Routes (7)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Ophir WallPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Ophir Wall

~1 min drive

Ophir Wall in Colorado has 5 climbing routes ranging across 5 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad styles.

East Jungle GymPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

East Jungle Gym

~1 min drive

East Jungle Gym in Colorado has 6 sport routes across 5 difficulty grades.

Mirror WallPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Mirror Wall

~1 min drive

Mirror Wall in Colorado has 5 climbing routes with mixed, sport, and trad styles.

The SlabsPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Slabs

~1 min drive

6 traditional climbing routes on slab rock in Colorado.

Main WallPhoto: Lars Plougmann, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Main Wall

~11 min drive

Main Wall in Colorado has 18 mixed and sport climbing routes across 8 grades.

Streaked WallPhoto: Lars Plougmann, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Streaked Wall

~11 min drive

Streaked Wall in Colorado has 35 sport climbing routes across 18 grades.

The Mine BoulderPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Mine Boulder

~12 min drive

Mine Boulder, The is a bouldering crag in Colorado with 8 routes rated across 6 difficulty grades.

Pipeline WallPhoto: Daniel Weber, CC0 (via Flickr)

Pipeline Wall

~12 min drive

Pipeline Wall is a Colorado climbing crag with 22 sport routes.

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

The Stripe

~20 min drive

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

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

Deadwood Gulch

~20 min drive

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