Ohio · Rock climbing · Athens Township

Witches Front

26 routes
V0 – V7
Bouldering · Sport · Trad
Jun–Oct
best months

Witches Front is a climbing area in Ohio, about a mile from the town of Athens. It sits just 0.1 mile from Witches Back and the Witches Hill Path, making it easy to pair with either of those spots in one outing. The area has 26 routes in total, with 22 of them boulders and the rest a mix of sport and trad. The bouldering runs from V0 up to V7, with typical grades around V3, and the sport routes sit in the 5.6 to 5.9 range. Some of the named boulders include Duck Bill at V0, Witches Brew at V4 and Nintendo Thumb, a project at V7. For timing, September is one of the most comfortable months to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Athens put the high around 76°F and the low near 54°F, with fewer wet days than in most of the year. That station sits about 150 feet lower than the area, so temperatures here run slightly cooler. Beyond the climbing, the Hocking River offers fishing about a mile away, and the Ora Anderson Trail and Athens Trail, a mountain biking route, are both within about 1.6 miles.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Oct

    Best time to visit Witches Front

    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

      38° / 22°

      13 wet

    2. Feb

      42° / 23°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      52° / 30°

      12 wet

    4. Apr

      65° / 40°

      13 wet

    5. May

      72° / 50°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      80° / 59°

      12 wet

    7. Jul

      82° / 63°

      11 wet

    8. Aug

      81° / 61°

      10 wet

    9. Sep

      76° / 54°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      65° / 42°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      53° / 32°

      11 wet

    12. Dec

      43° / 27°

      13 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Athens Ou, OH, 0.6 mi away at 684 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.