Avalanche Gulch
- 17 routes
- 5.8- – 5.12a
- Sport · Trad
- May–Jun, Aug–Sep
- best months
Is Avalanche Gulch open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Avalanche Gulch is a climbing area in the Townsend Ranger District of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among several other climbing spots, with Bukowski Buttress, Blue Collar Wall and Nude Beach Cove all about 0.1 mile away. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Helena show July highs around 86°F with lows near 55°F, while winter brings highs in the low 30s and regular snow days from December through February. For a change from the rock, Bilk Mountain is about 1.9 miles away and Hellgate Ridge about 3 miles. Hellgate Campground, roughly 3.8 miles off, offers a place to stay.
Best time to go · May–Jun, Aug–Sep
Best time to visit Avalanche Gulch
Best months: May–June and August–September. 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
32° / 14°
7 wet · 6 snow
Feb
37° / 17°
6 wet · 5 snow
Mar
48° / 25°
7 wet · 4 snow
Apr
57° / 32°
8 wet · 2 snow
May
66° / 41°
11 wet
Jun
75° / 49°
11 wet
Jul
86° / 55°
8 wet
Aug
85° / 53°
6 wet
Sep
73° / 45°
6 wet
Oct
58° / 34°
7 wet · 2 snow
Nov
43° / 23°
6 wet · 4 snow
Dec
33° / 14°
7 wet · 5 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Helena Rgnl Ap, MT, 19.2 mi away at 3,828 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Routes (17)
Africa(4)
Alien West Face(2)
Coliseum, The(4)
Shady Grove(3)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
CLIMB
Bukowski Buttress
Next door
Bukowski Buttress in Montana has 11 sport climbing routes across 8 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
Blue Collar Wall
Next door
Blue Collar Wall in Montana has 9 sport climbing routes across 7 grades.
CLIMB
Nude Beach Cove
Next door
Nude Beach Cove in Montana has 5 sport climbing routes.
CLIMB
Nude Beach SW Face
Next door
Nude Beach SW Face in Montana has 12 sport climbing routes.
CLIMB
Hellgate Gulch
~3 min drive
Hellgate Gulch in Montana has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad options.
CLIMB
Winter Wall
~3 min drive
Winter Wall in Montana has 20 climbing routes across 13 grades, offering sport and trad options.
CLIMB
Big Belt Mountains
~20 min drive
Big Belt Mountains in Montana has 1 trad climbing route.
CLIMB
Beaver Creek
~29 min drive
Beaver Creek in Montana has 9 sport climbing routes.
CLIMB
Evening Rock
~33 min drive
Evening Rock in Montana has 5 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering sport, top-rope, and trad.
CLIMB
War Wall
~37 min drive
War Wall in Montana has 5 climbing routes ranging from 5 difficulty grades.
