Sax Wall
- 9 routes
- 5.8 – 5.11a
- Sport · Top Rope · Trad
- May–Oct
- best months
Sax Wall is a climbing area in Minnesota, about half a mile from the town of Sandstone. It sits among a cluster of other climbing spots, including Diagonals Wall, Sigma Wall and the Main Flow Area, all within about a tenth of a mile. That makes it an easy addition to a day spent exploring the rock in this part of the state. The area offers a range of sport and trad routes, with most rated between 5.8 and 5.11a on the YDS scale. Sport climbing dominates, and a few routes have names like "Do You Think I'm Saxy?" and "A Little Spicy!!!" that make it clear the climbers here have a sense of humor. Among the routes listed, "Multiple SAX Partners" is the hardest at 5.11a, while "Crack With No Name" is the only trad option. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Sandstone put July highs around 79°F and lows near 56°F. Winters there are cold, with January highs in the low 20s. The Kettle River State Water Trail, about 4 miles away, offers paddling for anyone looking to pair a day on the rock with time on the water.
- Diagonals WallRock climbing0.1 mi
- Sigma WallRock climbing0.1 mi
- Main Flow AreaRock climbing0.1 mi
- Relationship WallRock climbing0.2 mi
- Robinson Park BoulderingRock climbing0.3 mi
- EldonRock climbing0.3 mi
- The Lost Boys BouldersRock climbing0.5 mi
- Kettle River State Water TrailCanoeing4.1 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Sigma WallRock climbing · Next door
- Main Flow AreaRock climbing · Next door
- Relationship WallRock climbing · Next door
- Robinson Park BoulderingRock climbing · Next door
- EldonRock climbing · Next door
- The Lost Boys BouldersRock climbing · Next door
- Teacher's OverlookRock climbing · ~4 min drive
- SandstoneRock climbing · ~36 min drive
- The WAZ Boulders (Rochester)Rock climbing · ~43 min drive
- Ely's PeakRock climbing · ~1h 21m drive
Best time to visit Sax Wall
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.
Jan
20° / 2°
9 wet
Feb
26° / 6°
8 wet
Mar
38° / 18°
9 wet
Apr
52° / 30°
10 wet
May
66° / 41°
12 wet
Jun
75° / 52°
11 wet
Jul
79° / 56°
10 wet
Aug
77° / 54°
10 wet
Sep
69° / 46°
10 wet
Oct
55° / 35°
11 wet
Nov
38° / 22°
10 wet
Dec
25° / 10°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sandstone 6 W, MN, 6.6 mi away at 1,130 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
