The Pit
The Pit in Idaho offers 16 sport climbing routes across 10 difficulty grades.
- 16 routes
- 5.9- – 5.12b/c
- Sport
Best time to visit The Pit
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.
Jan
35° / 17°
10 wet
Feb
39° / 21°
9 wet
Mar
51° / 27°
9 wet
Apr
59° / 33°
10 wet
May
68° / 39°
10 wet
Jun
78° / 46°
7 wet
Jul
89° / 53°
5 wet
Aug
88° / 52°
6 wet
Sep
77° / 43°
6 wet
Oct
62° / 34°
7 wet
Nov
47° / 24°
9 wet
Dec
35° / 18°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Massacre Rocks Sp, ID, 5.3 mi away at 4,195 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Pit is a climbing area in Idaho managed by the State Department of Land, and it sits among several other climbing spots that make this corner of the state a compact destination for climbers. Juniper Wall, The Head Wall and JR's Place all lie about 0.1 mile away, so the Pit works well as a base for exploring the cluster of sport routes in the immediate vicinity. The climbing here is all sport, and the routes run from about 5.9- up to 5.12. The median grade is 5.11-, and the hardest route listed is Social Distancing at 5.12. The area's routes were bolted by climbers including Chris Barnes, Vernon Phinney and Mike Engle, with Social Distancing also bolted by Eric Bluemn. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable seasons. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Massacre Rocks State Park show May highs around 68°F and September highs around 77°F, while July and August average in the upper 80s. Beyond the climbing, the River Trail and Pohogwe Trail are both about 5 miles away, and Pipeline Campground is roughly 9 miles off.
Routes (16)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: JF Hobbs, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Left Section
~1 min drive
Left Section in Idaho has 5 sport climbing routes across 4 difficulty grades.
Photo: JF Hobbs, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Right Section
~1 min drive
Right Section in Idaho has 6 sport climbing routes across 4 difficulty grades.
Photo: JF Hobbs, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)The Sandbox
~1 min drive
The Sandbox is a climbing crag in Idaho with 30 routes.
Photo: JF Hobbs, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)3 Air Thee Wall
~8 min drive
3 Air Thee Wall in Idaho has 13 climbing routes across 9 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
Juniper Wall
~0 min drive
Juniper-framed Idaho crag with varied climbing for multiple skill levels.
The Head Wall
~0 min drive
The Head Wall in Idaho offers 21 sport climbing routes ranging across 8 difficulty grades.
JR’s Place
~0 min drive
JR’s Place in Idaho has 7 sport climbing routes across 5 grades.
Send Town
~0 min drive
Send Town in Idaho has 33 sport climbing routes across 15 grades.
The Snout
~0 min drive
The Snout in Idaho offers 8 sport climbing routes across 3 difficulty grades.
The Snort
~1 min drive
The Snort is a climbing area in Idaho with 5 routes.
