Nevada · Rock climbing · Carson City

South Face

South Face in Nevada has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

6 routes
5.6 – 5.11a
Sport · Mixed · Trad

Is South Face open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. It doesn't name South Face, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit South Face

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.

  1. Jan

    41° / 25°

    8 wet

  2. Feb

    41° / 25°

    7 wet

  3. Mar

    46° / 28°

    6 wet

  4. Apr

    51° / 30°

    4 wet

  5. May

    59° / 37°

    4 wet

  6. Jun

    69° / 42°

    2 wet

  7. Jul

    77° / 50°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    76° / 50°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    71° / 45°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    60° / 38°

    3 wet

  11. Nov

    48° / 30°

    5 wet

  12. Dec

    40° / 25°

    7 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Glenbrook, NV, 4.3 mi away at 6,350 ft. The station sits about 600 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.

South Face is a climbing area in Nevada's Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, managed by the Forest Service. It sits within the Lake Tahoe Basin, and the East Face climbing area lies just 0.1 mile away, making the two easy to pair on a single outing. The climbing here runs from about 5.6 to 5.11a on the YDS scale, with sport, mixed and trad routes. Ballbuster Chimney is a 5.6 mixed route, and Knob Job is the hardest at 5.11a. The South Face Approach is a 5.6 trad route. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the Glenbrook weather station, about 4 miles away, show July highs near 77°F with lows around 50°F, and only about one wet day in the month. Winter highs there average around 40°F. Nearby, the Skunk Harbor Trail and Chimney Beach are both about 0.9 mile away. Main Rock and Spooner Crag, other climbing areas, are within about 2.7 miles.

Routes (6)

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