New York · Rock climbing · Johnsburg · Near Schroon Lake

Black Arches Wall

39 routes
5.3 – 5.12d
Trad · Mixed · Sport

Black Arches Wall is a rock climbing area in the Wilcox Lake Wild Forest of New York, managed by the State Department of Conservation. It sits among a cluster of climbing walls, with Slanting Cracks Wall and Waterfall Wall each about 0.1 mile away and Sky High Wall about 0.2 mile off. The area holds 39 routes, mostly trad climbing with a single mixed and one sport route. Grades run from 5.3 to 5.12d, with Tilly's Trench at 5.3 and Four Ounces to Freedom at 5.12d. The sport route, Four Ounces to Freedom, was first climbed by Mike Farnsworth. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the Indian Lake weather station, about 22 miles away and roughly 800 feet lower, show July highs near 75°F and lows around 54°F. Winters there are cold, with January highs in the mid-20s. The Crane Mountain Path hike lies about 0.9 mile away, and Round Pond Trail, Lizard Pond trail and Ridge Trail are all within about five miles.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Dippikill

    Campground

    Campground · 4.3 mi from the trail

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Schroon Lake
  • Best time to go

    Best time to visit Black Arches Wall

    No month here meets our mild-weather rule. 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

      25° / 6°

      17 wet

    2. Feb

      28° / 7°

      14 wet

    3. Mar

      36° / 15°

      14 wet

    4. Apr

      49° / 28°

      14 wet

    5. May

      63° / 40°

      16 wet

    6. Jun

      71° / 49°

      15 wet

    7. Jul

      75° / 54°

      15 wet

    8. Aug

      73° / 53°

      13 wet

    9. Sep

      67° / 45°

      13 wet

    10. Oct

      54° / 35°

      16 wet

    11. Nov

      41° / 25°

      16 wet

    12. Dec

      31° / 14°

      17 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Indian Lake 2sw, NY, 21.8 mi away at 1,670 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.

Routes (39)

Adirondack RehabilitationFA: September 19, 20095.10aBroken BroomFA: Summer 20115.10aCritical CrimpsFA: August 27, 20095.10aGun ShowFA: June 17, 20105.10aLane ChangeFA: August 2010 Tom & Maria Lane5.10aParallel PassageFA: 10th September, 20095.10aBirthday CornerFA: Summer 20115.10a/bSide ShowFA: June 18, 20105.10a/bBlack Arch ArêteFA: October 20085.10bPinch an InchFA: July 28, 20115.10bTorcherFA: July 20105.10bCraniumFA: July 2010 Jamie McNeill and Nathan Crane5.10b/cReducto AdductorFA: 2012 Tom Lane5.10cPlumb LineFA: Jamie McNeill, Alysia Catalfamo, Jay Harrison 8/3/095.11aHang TimeFA: March 24, 2012 Jamie McNeill5.11bScaredy CatFA: July 28, 20115.11bFour Ounces to FreedomFA: Mike Farnsworth5.12dTilly's TrenchFA: August 2011: Tom Lane, Jay Harrison5.3TribulationsFA: 1993, Jay Harrison5.5CrosswayFA: August 27, 20095.6E-stimFA: Todd Paris, Jay Harrison5.6Full RecoveryFA: September 14, 20105.6Here I Go AgainFA: 11/09/20095.6Recuperation BoulevardFA: September 20095.7Carpenter & DasFA: July 20095.8Dexter's DugoutFA: August 2011: Tom Lane, Jay Harrison5.8Intensive CareFA: June 20115.8Second JobFA: August 27, 20095.8Sleepy HollowFA: Ben Brooke and Gillian Herbert5.8Amnesia ChasmFA: 11/17/20095.8-Impulse DriveFA: August, 2011: Jay Harrison, Tom Lane5.8-RenegadeFA: August 20125.8-Eatin' Tripe and Lichen ItFA: October 20075.8+OutpatientFA: Jay Harrison & Ben Brooke 19th May 20125.8+Amphitheatre CrackFA: Nov. 20105.9DriveFA: 20125.9Post OpFA: 10/3/2010 Jay Harrison & Tom Lane5.9Suicidal SydneyFA: September 2011: Tom Lane, Jay Harrison5.9-Foobar

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Sky High WallPhoto: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Sky High Wall

Next door

Sky High Wall in New York has 9 traditional climbing routes across 7 difficulty grades.

Crane MountainPhoto: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Crane Mountain

Next door

Crane Mountain in New York has 15 climbing routes with mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Upper Measles WallPhoto: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Upper Measles Wall

~1 min drive

Upper Measles Wall in New York has 9 climbing routes with 6 difficulty grades.

Over The Measles WallPhoto: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Over The Measles Wall

~1 min drive

Over The Measles Wall is a climbing area in New York with 5 routes.

Measles WallsPhoto: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Measles Walls

~1 min drive

Measles Walls is a New York climbing crag with 1 route rated for traditional climbing.

CLIMB

Slanting Cracks Wall

Next door

Slanting Cracks Wall is a New York climbing crag with 2 sport routes.

CLIMB

Waterfall Wall

Next door

Waterfall Wall in New York has 10 climbing routes across 7 grades.

CLIMB

Main Slab

Next door

6 mixed and trad climbing routes in New York spanning 5 difficulty grades.

CLIMB

Under the Measles Wall

Next door

Under the Measles Wall in New York has 5 trad climbing routes across 3 grades.

CLIMB

Belleview Slab

Next door

Belleview Slab in New York has 10 climbing routes across 8 grades in mixed, sport, and trad styles.