Circus Wall
Circus Wall in West Virginia has 12 climbing routes across 8 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 12 routes
- 5.10- – 5.12c
- Sport · Trad
Best time to visit Circus 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.
Jan
41° / 21°
Feb
44° / 23°
Mar
52° / 29°
Apr
65° / 38°
May
72° / 48°
Jun
78° / 57°
Jul
81° / 61°
Aug
80° / 59°
Sep
75° / 53°
Oct
65° / 41°
Nov
54° / 32°
Dec
45° / 26°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Summersville Lake, WV, 3.5 mi away at 1,768 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Circus Wall is a climbing area in West Virginia's Summersville Recreation Area, managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Orange Oswald Wall about 0.2 miles away and Narcissus Cave and The Satisfaction Wall each about 0.3 miles off. The Climbers Trail is roughly half a mile away. The area has 12 routes, 10 of them sport and 2 trad, with grades ranging from 5.10a to 5.12c. The median grade is 5.11a/b. Among the named routes are Clown School at 5.10a, The Contortionist at 5.12a and Stealin' a Lion at 5.12c. For comfortable weather, late spring and early fall are the best bets. Typical averages from the Summersville Lake weather station, about 3.5 miles away, run to highs near 72°F in May and 75°F in September. Winter is cold, with January highs around 41°F and lows near 21°F. The Gauley River, about a mile away, offers river fishing. Summersville Lake Shelters, roughly 3.5 miles off, is the closest campground.
Routes (12)
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