Nevada · Rock climbing · Las Vegas

The Friar and Byrd Pinnacle

Friar and Byrd Pinnacle in Nevada has 16 climbing routes across 9 grades.

Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

16 routes

5.8 – 5.13a

Trad · Sport

Best time to visit The Friar and Byrd Pinnacle

Best months: February–May and October–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
53° / 32°
4 wet
Feb
56° / 35°
5 wet
Mar
64° / 41°
4 wet
Apr
70° / 47°
2 wet
May
80° / 56°
1 wet
Jun
90° / 66°
1 wet
Jul
95° / 73°
2 wet
Aug
94° / 72°
2 wet
Sep
87° / 62°
2 wet
Oct
75° / 50°
2 wet
Nov
62° / 38°
2 wet
Dec
52° / 31°
3 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Red Rock Canyon - Spg Mt Rch S, NV, 2.8 mi away at 3,780 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The Friar and Byrd Pinnacle is a climbing area in Nevada's Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, managed by the Bureau of Land Management's Red Rock/Sloan Field Office. It sits within the wilderness, about 6 miles from Red Rock Canyon Campground, and its name points to two of the area's prominent features: The Friar and Byrd Pinnacle. The area is a traditional climber's playground, with 16 routes spread across the tiers of Solar Slab and the East Face of Rainbow Mountain. Fifteen of the routes are trad, and one is sport. The YDS grades run from 5.8 up to 5.13a, with Feather at 5.13a being the hardest. Byrd Pinnacle Left, at 5.8, is the easiest, and Wrangler Hero? is a 5.10a trad route. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 80°F and October highs around 75°F, while July and August average in the mid-90s. That station sits about 800 feet lower than the peak, so temperatures on the rock run cooler. The closest neighbors are Solar Slab - Lower Tier and Solar Slab - Upper Tier, both about 0.1 mile away, and Rainbow Mountain - East Face at 0.2 mile. Red Rock Canyon Campground is about 6 miles off.