So What Area
So What Area is a sport climbing crag in Tennessee with 5 routes.
- 5 routes
- 5.9 – 5.12a/b
- Sport
Best time to visit So What Area
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, 9.7 mi away at 1,850 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
So What Area is a climbing area in Tennessee's South Cumberland, a cluster of sport routes with grades ranging from 5.9 to 5.12a/b. The name of the area comes from the route So What, a 5.11b sport climb first ascended by Eddie Whittemore in 1991. The area sits among several other climbing spots, including Crime Buttress and White Wall, each about 0.1 mile away. The routes here are all sport climbs, and the hardest is Reach at 5.12a/b. The other routes are Moving Target (5.9), Hammerhead (5.11a), The Hoosier (5.11c) and So What (5.11b). Eddie Whittemore is the first ascender of three of them. 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 about nine wet days, while May runs warmer at around 74°F. The Fiery Gizzard Trail is about 0.3 mile away, and Big Fiery Gizzard Creek offers paddling about 3 miles off. Raven Point Trail and Dog Hole Trail are both within about 4.5 miles.
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