Pistol Whipped
Pistol Whipped in Utah has 50 traditional climbing routes across 15 difficulty grades.
Photo: Kent G. Budge, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 50 routes
- 5.8+ – 5.13-
- Trad
Best time to visit Pistol Whipped
Best months: May–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.
Jan
36° / 15°
6 wet · 5 snow
Feb
41° / 20°
6 wet · 5 snow
Mar
50° / 26°
6 wet · 4 snow
Apr
59° / 31°
5 wet · 2 snow
May
69° / 39°
5 wet · 1 snow
Jun
81° / 47°
4 wet
Jul
85° / 54°
8 wet
Aug
82° / 53°
10 wet
Sep
75° / 45°
8 wet
Oct
61° / 34°
6 wet · 1 snow
Nov
48° / 24°
6 wet · 3 snow
Dec
36° / 16°
6 wet · 5 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Monticello 2e, UT, 17.9 mi away at 6,820 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Pistol Whipped is a climbing area in Utah on Bureau of Land Management land within the Monticello Field Office. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Sabbatical Wall about a mile away and Critic's Choice and Bioturbation Wall each roughly 2 miles off. The area has 50 trad routes, with grades ranging from 5.8+ to 5.13-. The median grade is 5.11b. Among the named routes are Short and Stupid at 5.8+, Broken Arrow at 5.10+ with a first ascent by Joe Melley and Norm Hare, and The Silencer at 5.13-. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Monticello show May highs around 69°F and September highs around 75°F, while July and August bring the most wet days. Winter is cold, with January highs near 36°F and several snowy days each month from December through February.
Routes (50)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: joannapoe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Election Wall
~5 min drive
Election Wall in Utah has 14 traditional climbing routes across 7 grades.
Photo: joannapoe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Fringe Walls
~5 min drive
19-route climbing area in Utah with sport and trad options.
Photo: joannapoe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Friction Slab
~5 min drive
Utah slab climbing area featuring sustained face routes and technical footwork.
Photo: Kent G. Budge, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)New Sub-Area 1
~5 min drive
New Sub-Area 1 in Utah has 10 climbing routes across 7 grades.
Photo: Kent G. Budge, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)3D
~5 min drive
3D is a Utah climbing crag with 8 routes across 6 grades.
Photo: Kent G. Budge, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Indian Creek
~5 min drive
Indian Creek in Utah has 22 climbing routes across 14 difficulty grades, featuring bouldering pads and traditional climbing.
Photo: Kent G. Budge, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Blue Gramma Cliff
~5 min drive
Blue Gramma Cliff in Utah has 21 climbing routes across 11 grades, offering mixed and traditional climbing.
Photo: joannapoe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Supercrack Buttress
~5 min drive
Supercrack Buttress in Utah has 49 climbing routes across 23 difficulty grades, offering bouldering, sport, and trad options.
Photo: joannapoe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Donnelly Canyon
~6 min drive
Donnelly Canyon in Utah has 33 climbing routes across 14 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: Kent G. Budge, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Sinbad Wall aka Nuclear Wall
~6 min drive
Sinbad Wall (Nuclear Wall) in Utah has 27 traditional climbing routes.
