Washington · Rock climbing · Mazama

Recess Wall

Recess Wall in Washington has 11 climbing routes across 6 grades.

11 routes
5.7 – 5.11b/c
Sport · Mixed · Trad

Is Recess Wall open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for Methow Valley Ranger District.

As of · Source: USFS · Methow Valley Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Recess Wall

Best months: April–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.

  1. Jan

    29° / 16°

    15 wet

  2. Feb

    37° / 19°

    12 wet

  3. Mar

    46° / 26°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    58° / 33°

    7 wet

  5. May

    68° / 41°

    7 wet

  6. Jun

    75° / 48°

    7 wet

  7. Jul

    84° / 55°

    5 wet

  8. Aug

    84° / 53°

    4 wet

  9. Sep

    74° / 44°

    6 wet

  10. Oct

    56° / 34°

    10 wet

  11. Nov

    39° / 25°

    14 wet

  12. Dec

    28° / 16°

    15 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mazama, WA, 6.3 mi away at 2,141 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Recess Wall is a climbing area in the Methow Valley Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Nugget Wall and Prospector Crags each about 0.1 mile away. The area has 11 routes, mostly sport climbs with a few mixed and trad options. Grades run from 5.7 up to 5.11b/c, with the hardest route, Firewater, a mixed climb. Bryan Burdo is the first ascender of several of the sport routes, including Stairstepper at 5.7 and Kissing Bandit at 5.9. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the Mazama weather station, about 6 miles away, show July and August highs around 84°F with lows in the mid-50s and only four or five wet days a month. Winter is much colder, with January highs near 29°F. Ballard Campground is about 0.6 mile away, and Robinson Creek Trail is about half a mile off. For paddling, the Methow River is roughly 4.4 miles away.

Routes (11)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Ripple RockPhoto: eliduke, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Ripple Rock

~10 min drive

Ripple Rock in Washington has 6 sport climbing routes across 5 grades.

Washington PassPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Washington Pass

~18 min drive

Washington Pass in Washington has 12 climbing routes with alpine no fixed protection.

Spire GullyPhoto: Buidhe, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Spire Gully

~20 min drive

Alpine gully climbing in Washington's dramatic vertical terrain.

Liberty BellPhoto: Rainhead, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Liberty Bell

~20 min drive

Liberty Bell in Washington has 18 climbing routes across 13 grades.

Concord TowerPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Concord Tower

~20 min drive

Concord Tower in Washington has 5 climbing routes with alpine no fixed protection.

The Gunsight RangePhoto: Buidhe, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

The Gunsight Range

~21 min drive

Gunsight Range, The in Washington has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades.

Amphitheatre MountainPhoto: caffeinated_zeitgeist, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Amphitheatre Mountain

~46 min drive

Amphitheatre Mountain in Washington has 5 climbing routes with 4 difficulty grades.

RhinozonePhoto: eliduke, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Rhinozone

~10 min drive

Rhinozone in Washington offers 13 climbing routes across 9 grades, with sport and trad options.

Sun RockPhoto: eliduke, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Sun Rock

~10 min drive

Sun Rock in Washington has 9 sport climbing routes across 7 difficulty grades.

Summertime CragPhoto: mjhbower, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Summertime Crag

~19 min drive

Summertime Crag in Washington has 6 routes with 5 difficulty grades.