Washington · Rock climbing · Oroville

West Side

West Side in Washington has 5 climbing routes on 4 difficulty grades.

West SidePhoto: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)
5 routes
5.9 – 5.12a
Sport · Trad

Best time to visit West Side

Best months: April–June and September–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

    34° / 23°

  2. Feb

    42° / 26°

  3. Mar

    54° / 31°

  4. Apr

    64° / 37°

  5. May

    74° / 44°

  6. Jun

    79° / 50°

  7. Jul

    88° / 55°

  8. Aug

    87° / 54°

  9. Sep

    77° / 46°

  10. Oct

    61° / 37°

  11. Nov

    44° / 29°

  12. Dec

    34° / 24°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tonasket 4 Nne, WA, 8.7 mi away at 960 ft. The station sits about 500 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.

West Side is a climbing area in Washington, about 2.4 miles from the town of Oroville. It sits alongside other climbing areas, with South Side and North West Face both about 0.1 mile away, and Upper NW face at a similar distance. The Whistler Canyon Trail is 0.3 mile off, making it easy to pair a climb with a short walk. The climbing here is sport and trad, with five routes in total. The Watercourse Way is the only trad route, rated 5.9, while the sport routes run from 5.10b to 5.12a. West Side Story and Creaky and Freaky are both 5.10c, and Rattle and Hum is the hardest at 5.12a. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 74°F and September highs around 77°F, while July and August average in the upper 80s. That station sits about 500 feet lower than the climbing area, so temperatures on the rock run a little cooler.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive