B) First Pillar
- 8 routes
- 5.4 – 5.7
- Trad · Sport
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- best months
B) First Pillar is a climbing area in Virginia, about half a mile from South Richmond. It sits among a cluster of named pillars and walls, with A) Main Wall, C) Second Pillar and D) Third Pillar all within a tenth of a mile, and Manchester Wall just as close. The area is a compact, close-knit set of crags, so it works well for a short session or a longer day with several objectives. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Richmond run to highs around 70°F in April and 71°F in October, while July highs average about 90°F. The routes here are a mix of sport and trad, with eight routes in total. The easiest is Potty Training, a trad route at 5.4, and the hardest is Snake Chase, a sport route at 5.7. Other options include Pig Iron at 5.5 and Voodoo Doll at 5.7. Nearby, Manchester Floodwall Walk is a hike about 0.4 miles away, and the Richmond Slave Trail is about 0.6 miles off. North Bank Trail, a mountain biking route, is about 0.7 miles away.
Best time to go · Mar–May, Sep–Nov
Best time to visit B) First Pillar
Best months: March–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
48° / 29°
10 wet · 2 snow
Feb
52° / 30°
9 wet · 2 snow
Mar
60° / 37°
10 wet · 1 snow
Apr
70° / 46°
11 wet
May
78° / 56°
11 wet
Jun
86° / 65°
10 wet
Jul
90° / 69°
11 wet
Aug
88° / 68°
10 wet
Sep
81° / 61°
9 wet
Oct
71° / 49°
9 wet
Nov
60° / 39°
9 wet
Dec
51° / 32°
10 wet · 1 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Richmond Intl Ap, VA, 7.1 mi away at 164 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
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A) Main Wall
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A) Main Wall in Virginia has 21 climbing routes across 10 grades in mixed, sport, and trad styles.
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C) Second Pillar
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C) Second Pillar in Virginia has 9 climbing routes with 6 difficulty grades.
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D) Third Pillar
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D) Third Pillar in Virginia has 8 routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
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Manchester Wall
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Manchester Wall in Virginia has 10 trad routes across 6 grades.
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Whileaway Boulder in Virginia has 6 bouldering routes across 5 difficulty grades.
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Quarry
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Quarry in Virginia has 17 climbing routes across 8 grades, offering sport and top-rope styles.
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RVA Riva Trash Area
~1 min drive
RVA Riva Trash Area is a bouldering area in Virginia with 6 routes at 4 grades.
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The Cove
~2 min drive
Cove, The is a bouldering crag in Virginia with 4 routes.
