Upper Passes
Upper Passes is a 3-route trad climbing area in Tennessee with 3 difficulty grades.
- 3 routes
- 5.8+ – 5.11a
- Trad
Best time to visit Upper Passes
Best months: February–May and September–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
51° / 32°
11 wet
Feb
56° / 36°
10 wet
Mar
64° / 42°
11 wet
Apr
74° / 50°
10 wet
May
81° / 59°
11 wet
Jun
88° / 67°
11 wet
Jul
90° / 71°
12 wet
Aug
90° / 70°
10 wet
Sep
84° / 64°
8 wet
Oct
74° / 51°
8 wet
Nov
62° / 40°
9 wet
Dec
53° / 35°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Chattanooga Lovell Ap, TN, 12.5 mi away at 671 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Upper Passes is a climbing area in Tennessee, about a mile from the town of Stanley. It sits close to several other climbing spots, including Upper Passes Left and Flying Squirrel Buttress, both about 0.1 mile away, and Middle Creek, about 1.1 miles off. The area is also within a short drive of the Edwards Point - Trail Network, a hiking route about 1.2 miles away. The climbing here is all trad, with three routes listed. They range from Whack and Dangle at 5.8+ to Battle Wagon at 5.10- and Hate Crimes (aka Auschwitz Direct) at 5.11a. That makes it a destination for climbers looking for traditional routes on the higher end of the 5.8 to 5.11 scale. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Chattanooga show October highs around 74°F with lows near 51°F, and April is similar at about 74°F by day and 50°F at night. Summer runs hotter, with July and August highs around 90°F.
Routes (3)
Upper Passes Right(3)
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