South Area
- 24 routes
- 5.7 – 5.12a/b
- Sport · Trad
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- best months
South Area is a climbing area in Missouri, about half a mile from the town of Providence. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Providence Main Wall just 0.2 miles away and Spire Area and North Area within a mile. The area has 24 routes, mostly sport climbing with a few trad options. The grades run from 5.7 up to 5.12-, with the median around 5.10b/c. Marcus Floyd is the first ascent listed for several of the sport routes, including Juvenile at 5.7 and O'Shit Approved at 5.12-. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Columbia show May highs around 76°F and October highs around 68°F, while July averages near 89°F. Other climbing areas close by include Battress Area, about a mile away, and the River Hiking Trail North, roughly 5 miles off, for a change of pace.
- Providence Main WallRock climbing0.2 mi
- Spire AreaRock climbing0.7 mi
- North AreaRock climbing0.9 mi
- Battress AreaRock climbing1 mi
- River Hiking Trail NorthHiking4.9 mi
Deer Run TrailHikingPhoto: Charkrem, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)5 mi- Turkey Creek Interpretive Nature TrailHiking6.5 mi
- Central Regional OfficeHiking7.3 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
The Drive-InRock climbing · ~13 min drivePhoto: dippold, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Walk Down AreaRock climbing · ~13 min drivePhoto: dippold, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Main AreaRock climbing · ~14 min drivePhoto: dippold, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Providence Main WallRock climbing · Next door
- Spire AreaRock climbing · ~1 min drive
- North AreaRock climbing · ~1 min drive
- Battress AreaRock climbing · ~2 min drive
- CM: Rudimentary Recall BoulderRock climbing · ~8 min drive
- The Sport WallRock climbing · ~9 min drive
- Meadows AreaRock climbing · ~9 min drive
Best time to visit South Area
Best months: March–June and September–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.
Jan
39° / 23°
8 wet · 3 snow
Feb
45° / 26°
8 wet · 3 snow
Mar
56° / 36°
11 wet · 1 snow
Apr
67° / 46°
11 wet
May
76° / 56°
12 wet
Jun
85° / 65°
11 wet
Jul
89° / 69°
8 wet
Aug
88° / 67°
9 wet
Sep
80° / 59°
8 wet
Oct
68° / 47°
9 wet
Nov
55° / 37°
8 wet · 1 snow
Dec
44° / 27°
8 wet · 2 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Columbia U Of M, MO, 8.7 mi away at 770 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
