Washington · Rock climbing · Washougal

Old School Wall

Old School Wall in Washington has 17 climbing routes across 10 difficulty grades.

17 routes
5.6 – 5.11+
Trad · Sport · Mixed

Is Old School Wall open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists an alert for Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

As of · Source: USFS · Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Old School Wall

Best months: June–September. 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.

  1. Jan

    44° / 33°

    20 wet · 1 snow

  2. Feb

    48° / 33°

    17 wet · 1 snow

  3. Mar

    54° / 35°

    20 wet · 1 snow

  4. Apr

    59° / 38°

    19 wet

  5. May

    67° / 43°

    15 wet

  6. Jun

    71° / 47°

    11 wet

  7. Jul

    79° / 50°

    6 wet

  8. Aug

    80° / 50°

    5 wet

  9. Sep

    74° / 46°

    9 wet

  10. Oct

    62° / 41°

    15 wet

  11. Nov

    51° / 37°

    19 wet

  12. Dec

    44° / 33°

    21 wet · 1 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Skamania Fish Hatchery, WA, 3.8 mi away at 435 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Old School Wall is a climbing area in Washington's Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with New School Wall and (7) Heaven's Wall each about 0.1 mile away. The area has 17 routes, with trad climbing the most common style. Grades run from 5.6 to 5.11+, and the hardest route is The Bulge, a mixed climb. Standing Ovation is a sport route at 5.9, and Mountaineer's Route is a trad 5.6. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 79 to 80°F with only five or six wet days a month, while winter brings highs in the mid-40s and rain on most days. The High Water Trail and Lagoon Trail are both within about 1.6 miles, and Gordon Creek offers canoeing about 4.9 miles away.

Routes (17)

PolarisFA: 10/12/14 by P. Plekhanov & C. Ellars5.10Big DipperFA: FFA May 2007 by Micah Tannenbaum5.10-Jack the RipperFA: Topher Dabrowski/Benjamin Grandy5.10bOrion5.10bPiton VariationFA: Mark Deffenbaugh, Jonathon Stewart, May 20065.10cThe Bulge5.11+Mountaineer's RouteFA: FFA: 1990's Dave Dick5.6Flayel BopFA: 1986 Jim Opdycke5.7StigmataFA: FA 1986 Jim Opdycke, FFA 1991 Dave Dick5.7OutshinedFA: Kevin Evansen, Josh Patrick, Lamar Fontaine5.8Pandora's BoxFA: Dave Dick5.8PisaFA: FA Unknown, FFA Micah Klesick 20165.8Rusty CageFA: Kevin Evansen, David Wakeling, Andreu Ferrero5.8Little Dipper5.8-QueasyFA: Kevin Evansen, Marcelo Diversi, Matt Fogarty, Rene Lange5.9RipperFA: 1984 Jim Opdycke, Mike Jackson5.9Standing OvationFA: FFA May 2006 Kevin Evansen, Michael Kilbury5.9

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