Idaho · Rock climbing · Shoshone

The "Big" Cave

Big Cave in Idaho has 7 sport climbing routes with 7 distinct difficulty grades.

7 routes
5.10c – 5.12c
Sport

Best time to visit The "Big" Cave

Best months: April–June and September–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

    32° / 14°

    8 wet · 4 snow

  2. Feb

    37° / 18°

    7 wet · 2 snow

  3. Mar

    49° / 25°

    7 wet · 1 snow

  4. Apr

    58° / 31°

    6 wet

  5. May

    68° / 39°

    7 wet

  6. Jun

    78° / 46°

    4 wet

  7. Jul

    89° / 53°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    88° / 52°

    2 wet

  9. Sep

    77° / 43°

    4 wet

  10. Oct

    62° / 32°

    5 wet

  11. Nov

    45° / 23°

    6 wet · 1 snow

  12. Dec

    33° / 15°

    7 wet · 3 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Richfield, ID, 11.1 mi away at 4,309 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The "Big" Cave is a sport climbing area on Bureau of Land Management land in Idaho's Shoshone Field Office, about 0.6 miles from The "Little" Cave. The two caves sit close together, and the area is managed by the BLM. The climbing here is all sport, with seven routes spread across a range from 5.10c to 5.12c. The median grade is 5.11+, and the hardest route is Weezer at 5.12c. Geezer, a 5.12a, was first climbed by Dave Bingham in 1993, and Weezer was first climbed by him in 1994. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from the nearby Richfield weather station show May highs around 68°F and September highs around 77°F, while July and August average in the upper 80s.

Routes (7)