Second Buttress
- 10 routes
- 5.8 – 5.12d
- Sport · Trad · Mixed
- Apr–Oct
- best months
Second Buttress is a climbing area in western Montana, about 3.6 miles from the town of Stevensville. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Identity Wall and Outermost Limits each just 0.1 mile away and First Buttress about 0.2 mile off, so it's easy to pair with other objectives in the immediate neighborhood. The area offers 10 routes, with seven of them sport climbs and two trad. Grades range from 5.8 up to 5.12d. Among the named routes are Venus Fly Trap at 5.12d and Flying Time at 5.10d, which was first climbed by Richard Plummer. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Stevensville run from highs of about 75°F in June to around 85°F in July, with fewer wet days in July and August than in the rest of the year. Charles Waters Campground is about 2.7 miles away and Larry Creek Group Camp about 3.6 miles off. The Kootenai Creek hike is roughly 2.5 miles away.
Best time to go · Apr–Oct
Best time to visit Second Buttress
Best months: April–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° / 19°
9 wet · 3 snow
Feb
38° / 21°
8 wet · 2 snow
Mar
50° / 26°
9 wet · 1 snow
Apr
58° / 32°
9 wet
May
68° / 39°
10 wet
Jun
75° / 45°
10 wet
Jul
85° / 49°
6 wet
Aug
84° / 47°
6 wet
Sep
74° / 40°
7 wet
Oct
58° / 32°
8 wet
Nov
43° / 25°
9 wet · 1 snow
Dec
33° / 19°
9 wet · 2 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Stevensville, MT, 3.6 mi away at 3,375 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: djembayz, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)The Heap
~37 min drive
Heap, The is a climbing area in Montana with 9 routes.
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Identity Wall
Next door
Identity Wall in Montana has 14 climbing routes across 8 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.
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Outermost Limits
Next door
Outermost Limits in Montana has 7 climbing routes with mixed, sport, and trad styles.
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First Buttress
Next door
First Buttress in Montana has 32 climbing routes across 17 difficulty grades.
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Kootenai Canyon
Next door
Kootenai Canyon in Montana has 4 climbing routes with sport and trad options.
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Sick Bay
Next door
Sick Bay in Montana has 6 sport climbing routes with 6 distinct difficulty grades.
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Bass Creek
~5 min drive
Bass Creek in Montana has 8 climbing routes with 5 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, top-rope, and trad styles.
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Big Creek/McCalla Ridge
~9 min drive
Big Creek/McCalla Ridge in Montana has 13 climbing routes across 12 grades.
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Lower Crags
~15 min drive
Lower Crags in Montana has 8 climbing routes with bouldering pads, sport, and trad.
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Sweathouse Creek Crags
~15 min drive
Sweathouse Creek Crags in Montana has 1 climbing route.
