The Sanford Wall
Sanford Wall, The in Tennessee has 6 sport climbing routes across 5 difficulty grades.
Photo: SeeMidTN.com (aka Brent), CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 6 routes
- 5.9 – 5.11d
- Sport
Best time to visit The Sanford Wall
Best months: April–June and August–November. 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
44° / 26°
13 wet · 1 snow
Feb
49° / 30°
12 wet · 1 snow
Mar
57° / 37°
13 wet · 1 snow
Apr
67° / 45°
12 wet
May
74° / 54°
12 wet
Jun
80° / 61°
12 wet
Jul
83° / 65°
13 wet
Aug
83° / 64°
11 wet
Sep
78° / 58°
9 wet
Oct
68° / 47°
9 wet
Nov
57° / 37°
10 wet
Dec
48° / 30°
13 wet · 1 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Monteagle, TN, 9.5 mi away at 1,850 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Sanford Wall is a sport climbing area in Tennessee's South Cumberland, a cluster of climbing spots that sit close together. Gutbuster Area, Rocket Slab and Jimmywood all lie about 0.1 mile away, so the wall fits easily into a day of exploring the surrounding crags. The climbing here is all sport, with six routes ranging from 5.9 to 5.11d. Grey Matter is the easiest at 5.9, and You Big Dummy is the hardest at 5.11d. Eddie Whittemore first climbed most of them in 1992. For timing, fall is the most comfortable season. Typical averages from the nearby Monteagle weather station show October highs around 68°F with lows near 47°F, and September and October see the fewest wet days of the year. The Fiery Gizzard Trail is about 0.6 mile away, and Big Fiery Gizzard Creek offers paddling about 2.8 miles off. Raven Point Trail and Dog Hole Trail are both within about 4.5 miles.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: SeeMidTN.com (aka Brent), CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Rocket Slab
~0 min drive
Rocket Slab in Tennessee has 5 sport climbing routes spanning 5 difficulty grades.
Photo: SeeMidTN.com (aka Brent), CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Foster Falls
~0 min drive
Foster Falls in Tennessee has 13 climbing routes with 9 difficulty grades, featuring bouldering pads and sport climbing.
Gutbuster Area
~0 min drive
Gutbuster Area in Tennessee has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades.
Jimmywood
~0 min drive
Jimmywood in Tennessee has 23 climbing routes across 14 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad options.
The Dihedrals
~0 min drive
11 routes at Dihedrals, The in Tennessee range from moderate to hard difficulty.
The Red Light District
~0 min drive
Red Light District, The in Tennessee has 18 routes across 13 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
The Left Bunker
~0 min drive
Left Bunker, The is a climbing crag in Tennessee with 9 routes.
The Right Bunker
~0 min drive
Right Bunker, The is a sport climbing crag in Tennessee with 8 routes.
Music City/The 5.9 Area
~0 min drive
6 sport climbing routes at Music City/The 5.9 Area in Tennessee.
Crime Buttress
~1 min drive
Crime Buttress in Tennessee has 12 sport climbing routes ranging across 6 difficulty grades.
