Cave Wall
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 7 routes
- 5.7 – 5.13
- Sport
- Apr–Oct
- best months
Cave Wall is a climbing area in John Boyd Thacher State Park in New York, managed by State Park and Recreation. It sits among a cluster of other climbing spots, with the Mahican Section and Hailes Cave South each about 0.1 mile away and Leaning Tower about 0.2 mile away. The area is a sport climbing destination. Seven routes are listed, all rated from 5.7 to 5.13 on the YDS scale. The hardest is the Tricam Project at 5.13, and the easiest is Aranea at 5.7. Time, Heat, And Pressure is a 5.11d, and Lucifugus is a 5.10c. Summer is the warmest stretch for climbing. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs around 77°F in June to about 81°F in July, with lows in the 50s. Winters are cold, with January highs near 31°F. The Escarpment Trail is about 1.2 miles away, and the Schoolhouse Trail is about 1.3 miles away.
Best time to go · Apr–Oct
Best time to visit Cave Wall
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
31° / 12°
Feb
34° / 13°
Mar
42° / 20°
Apr
57° / 33°
May
70° / 44°
Jun
77° / 53°
Jul
81° / 59°
Aug
80° / 56°
Sep
74° / 49°
Oct
59° / 38°
Nov
48° / 28°
Dec
36° / 19°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Delanson 2ne, NY, 10.5 mi away at 984 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Routes (7)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Mahican Section
Next door
Mahican Section in New York has 10 sport climbing routes across 9 grades.
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Hailes Cave South
Next door
Hailes Cave South in New York has 16 sport climbing routes across 10 grades.
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Leaning Tower
Next door
5 sport climbing routes at Leaning Tower in New York.
Photo: Dougtone, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Sunset Wall
Next door
7 sport climbing routes at Sunset Wall in New York, ranging from easy to difficult.
Photo: John B. from Highland Park, NJ, United States, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Catskills
~56 min drive
Catskills is a bouldering area in New York with 1 route.
CLIMB
Dark Block
Next door
Dark Block is a New York climbing crag with 6 sport routes.
CLIMB
Fossil Wall
Next door
Fossil Wall in New York has 7 sport climbing routes across 5 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
Horseshoe North Cliff
Next door
Horseshoe North Cliff in New York has 8 sport routes across 6 difficulty grades.
CLIMB
Plotterkill Preserve (ice)
~19 min drive
Ice climbing in New York's Plotterkill Preserve during winter months.
CLIMB
Dorson's Rock
~48 min drive
14 climbing routes at Dorson's Rock in New York, grades span 8 difficulty levels.
