Main Cliff West
- 23 routes
- 5.3 – 5.10a
- Trad · Bouldering · Top Rope
- Jun–Oct
- best months
Main Cliff West is a climbing area in Quincy Bluff And Wetlands Natural Area in Wisconsin, managed by the State Department of Natural Resources. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Main Cliff East, House Boulder Area and Sawyer's Boulder all about 0.1 mile away. The area offers a mix of trad and boulder routes, with 23 routes in total. Trad climbing makes up 13 of them, and bouldering 8. Grades run from about 5.3 to 5.10a on the YDS scale and from V0-1 to V6-7 on the V scale. Among the named routes are Pigmy at 5.3, Snake Eyes at 5.4 and Venom, a top-rope at 5.10a. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the Friendship, WI weather station, about 7 miles away, show July highs around 82°F with lows near 59°F, while winter brings highs in the 20s and regular snow days from December through February.
- House Boulder AreaRock climbing0.1 mi
- Main Cliff EastRock climbing0.1 mi
- Sawyer's BoulderRock climbing0.1 mi
- Kutcher's BluffRock climbing0.1 mi
- Acorn Trail (3.55 mi)Cross-country skiing8.7 mi
- Spring Peeper Trail (0.65mi)Cross-country skiing8.8 mi
- Mound Trail (0.3 mi)Cross-country skiing9 mi
- Chickadee Rock Nature Trail (0.34 mi)Cross-country skiing9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Smooth Operator AreaRock climbing · ~54 min drivePhoto: Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- El ParasolRock climbing · ~54 min drivePhoto: Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- The InstrumentalsRock climbing · ~54 min drivePhoto: Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- House Boulder AreaRock climbing · Next door
- Main Cliff EastRock climbing · Next door
- Sawyer's BoulderRock climbing · Next door
- Kutcher's BluffRock climbing · Next door
- Star Destroyer AreaRock climbing · Next door
- Quincy Bluff and Wetland ReserveRock climbing · ~3 min drive
- Central SandstoneRock climbing · ~15 min drive
Best time to visit Main Cliff West
Best months: June–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
25° / 6°
10 wet · 8 snow
Feb
30° / 9°
9 wet · 8 snow
Mar
42° / 21°
10 wet · 4 snow
Apr
56° / 32°
12 wet · 2 snow
May
69° / 45°
13 wet
Jun
79° / 56°
12 wet
Jul
82° / 59°
11 wet
Aug
81° / 57°
11 wet
Sep
73° / 48°
11 wet
Oct
59° / 37°
11 wet
Nov
44° / 25°
9 wet · 3 snow
Dec
31° / 14°
10 wet · 7 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Friendship, WI, 7 mi away at 945 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
