West Virginia · Rock climbing · Summersville

The Coliseum

The Coliseum in West Virginia offers 13 sport climbing routes across 11 difficulty grades.

The ColiseumPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
13 routes
5.12a/b – 5.15a
Sport

Best time to visit The Coliseum

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

    41° / 21°

  2. Feb

    44° / 23°

  3. Mar

    52° / 29°

  4. Apr

    65° / 38°

  5. May

    72° / 48°

  6. Jun

    78° / 57°

  7. Jul

    81° / 61°

  8. Aug

    80° / 59°

  9. Sep

    75° / 53°

  10. Oct

    65° / 41°

  11. Nov

    54° / 32°

  12. Dec

    45° / 26°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Summersville Lake, WV, 3 mi away at 1,768 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The Coliseum is a climbing area in West Virginia, set within the Summersville Lake Wildlife Management Area. It sits among a cluster of other climbing spots, with Gun Wall, The Long Wall and the DC Memorial Boulder all about 0.1 mile away, and the Climbers Trail just as close. The climbing here is all sport, and the routes run from about 5.12a/b up to 5.15a. The median grade is 5.13b, so the area suits climbers looking for a challenge. Among the named routes are Reckless Abandon at 5.12a/b, The Mercy Seat at 5.13a/b and Full Metal Brisket at 5.15a. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Summersville Lake show May highs around 72°F and September highs around 75°F, with July the warmest month at about 81°F. The Gauley River, about 0.6 mile away, offers river fishing. Summersville Lake Shelters, roughly 3 miles off, and Battle Run, about 3.7 miles away, are the closest campgrounds.

Routes (13)

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Gun WallPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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DC Memorial BoulderPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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The Long WallPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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