Kentucky · Rock climbing · Beattyville

Throwback Crag

7 routes at Throwback Crag in Kentucky span 6 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

7 routes
5.9+ – 5.13a
Sport · Trad

Is Throwback Crag open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Daniel Boone National Forest. It doesn't name Throwback Crag, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

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

Best time to visit Throwback Crag

Best months: August–November. 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

    42° / 24°

    13 wet

  2. Feb

    47° / 27°

    13 wet

  3. Mar

    57° / 34°

    15 wet

  4. Apr

    68° / 44°

    15 wet

  5. May

    75° / 53°

    15 wet

  6. Jun

    82° / 61°

    14 wet

  7. Jul

    84° / 65°

    14 wet

  8. Aug

    84° / 64°

    12 wet

  9. Sep

    79° / 57°

    10 wet

  10. Oct

    69° / 44°

    12 wet

  11. Nov

    57° / 35°

    12 wet

  12. Dec

    46° / 28°

    13 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Beattyville 4n, KY, 1 mi away at 1,080 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Throwback Crag is a climbing area in Kentucky's Daniel Boone National Forest, within the Cumberland Ranger District and the Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve. It is managed by a non-governmental organization, and the surrounding land is a mix of national forest and preserve. The crag sits among several other climbing areas, with The Getaway just 0.1 mile away and The Shipyard and Velo Crag within a third of a mile. That makes it easy to pair with other routes in the same cluster. The climbing here is sport and trad, with seven routes in total. The grades run from 5.9+ up to 5.13a, and the hardest is Fatty Fatty Butter Pants. The trad route Do the Hemlock Rock is the only one of that style, and Live Music is Better is a sport route with a 2010 first ascent by Don McGlone, Matt Tackett and Greg Humberg. For timing, fall is the most comfortable season. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Beattyville show October highs around 69°F with lows near 44°F, and September and October see the fewest wet days of the year.

Routes (7)

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