New York · Rock climbing · Oneonta

The Witches' Circle

14 routes
V0 – V5
Bouldering
Jun–Oct
best months

The Witches' Circle is a bouldering area in New York, about 1.3 miles from the town of Oneonta. It is a cluster of boulders rather than a single climb, and its routes run from V0 to V5, with the majority in the V2 range. The area is close to Table Rock, another climbing area about a mile away. The Emmons Pond Bog Trail and Mud Lake Trail are both within about 5 miles for a hike, and Ouleout Creek offers paddling roughly 7 miles off. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Emmons show July highs around 78°F with lows near 55°F, and the station sits about 450 feet lower than the boulders, so temperatures on the rock run cooler. The 14 routes here are all boulders. Classic is the easiest at V0, and Heartbreaker is the hardest at V5. The Horn and Right of Waterfall Arete are both V2 and V3, with the latter's first ascent by Tyler Fisher in April 2020.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Oct

    Best time to visit The Witches' Circle

    Best months: June–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

      30° / 11°

      17 wet

    2. Feb

      32° / 12°

      14 wet

    3. Mar

      41° / 19°

      14 wet

    4. Apr

      55° / 30°

      14 wet

    5. May

      67° / 41°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      74° / 51°

      12 wet

    7. Jul

      78° / 55°

      12 wet

    8. Aug

      77° / 54°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      70° / 47°

      10 wet

    10. Oct

      58° / 37°

      12 wet

    11. Nov

      46° / 28°

      14 wet

    12. Dec

      35° / 19°

      16 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Emmons, NY, 3.3 mi away at 1,225 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (14)