Nevada · Rock climbing · Reno

West Face

West Face in Nevada has 7 sport climbing routes across 6 difficulty grades.

Photo: Seth Tisue, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

7 routes

5.6 – 5.12-

Sport

Best time to visit West Face

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
41° / 27°
5 wet · 4 snow
Feb
43° / 29°
5 wet · 4 snow
Mar
49° / 33°
4 wet · 3 snow
Apr
55° / 36°
3 wet · 1 snow
May
64° / 44°
3 wet
Jun
74° / 53°
2 wet
Jul
84° / 62°
1 wet
Aug
82° / 60°
1 wet
Sep
74° / 53°
1 wet
Oct
61° / 43°
2 wet
Nov
49° / 33°
4 wet · 2 snow
Dec
40° / 26°
5 wet · 4 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Virginia City, NV, 4.7 mi away at 6,340 ft. The station sits about 900 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

West Face is a climbing area on Bureau of Land Management land in Nevada, within the Sierra Front Field Office. It sits among a cluster of other climbing spots, including Owl Rock, East Wall and Celebrity Wall, all about 0.1 mile away. The area is managed by the BLM. The climbing here is all sport, with seven routes ranging from 5.6 to 5.12-. The easiest is Owl At The Moon at 5.6, and the hardest is Owl Be Back at 5.12-. Other options include Owljazeera at 5.7 and Fowl Play at 5.11a. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from the nearby Virginia City weather station show May highs around 64°F and September highs around 74°F, while winter brings highs near 40°F and a few snow days each month from December through February. That station sits about 900 feet lower than the climbing area, so temperatures on the face run cooler. Steamboat Creek, a canoeing spot, is about 4.3 miles away, and Six Mile Canyon Road offers a hike about 5 miles off.