Climbing Forecast › Independence Pass › Grotto Walls Area (Independence Pass)

INDEPENDENCE PASS · GRANITE

Grotto Walls Area (Independence Pass) climbing conditions

Poor — wet, too windy or closed

Right now

Temp51°F
Wind5 mph
Gusts7 mph
Humidity53.3%
Rain 48hdry
Last rainNone recent

Assessment

1.9mm rain forecast
North American monsoon — afternoon thunderstorm risk
Good friction temperature range for granite
North American monsoon — afternoon thunderstorms likely on high peaks; start early and be off summits before noon

7-day forecast

Scroll through each day — hourly detail is shown inline.

Today Thursday 27 August
Poor
Temp54°F
Rain0.07 in
Wind6 mph
Gusts7 mph
Humidity50%
1.9mm rain forecastNorth American monsoon — afternoon thunderstorm risk
  • Good conditions for granite
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
10:00 51° dry 5 — 53.3%
11:00 49° dry 5 — 58.7%
12:00 48° dry 5 — 60.7%
13:00 49° dry 5 — 59.4%
14:00 57° dry 5 — 47.1%
15:00 61° dry 8 — 35.8%
16:00 63° dry 9 — 34.2%
17:00 65° dry 11 — 32.7%
18:00 67° 0.02 in 9 — 30.4%
19:00 61° 0.02 in 11 — 44.8%
20:00 64° 0.02 in 10 — 39.9%
21:00 59° 0.01 in 11 — 51.5%
Fri Friday 28 August
Poor
Temp54°F
Rain0.06 in
Wind7 mph
Gusts—
Humidity53%
1.5mm rain forecastNorth American monsoon — afternoon thunderstorm risk
  • Good conditions for granite
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 52° dry 5 — 54.5%
07:00 51° dry 5 — 55.3%
08:00 51° dry 5 — 56.7%
09:00 50° dry 6 — 58%
10:00 50° dry 6 — 58.2%
11:00 49° dry 6 — 59.3%
12:00 49° dry 6 — 60.1%
13:00 50° dry 6 — 59.9%
14:00 57° dry 8 — 52.4%
15:00 60° dry 9 — 45%
16:00 63° dry 11 — 38.6%
17:00 64° 0.02 in 11 — 39.2%
18:00 63° 0.01 in 13 — 44.4%
19:00 65° dry 12 — 35.1%
20:00 67° dry 13 — 29.3%
21:00 66° dry 13 — 29.7%
Sat Saturday 29 August
Poor
Temp54°F
Rain0.1 in
Wind9 mph
Gusts—
Humidity57%
3.1mm rain forecastNorth American monsoon — afternoon thunderstorm risk
  • Good conditions for granite
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 52° dry 6 — 56%
07:00 52° dry 6 — 55.8%
08:00 51° dry 7 — 56.9%
09:00 51° dry 7 — 58.8%
10:00 51° dry 7 — 60.2%
11:00 50° dry 6 — 61.2%
12:00 50° dry 7 — 62.6%
13:00 51° dry 9 — 60.4%
14:00 56° dry 10 — 52.9%
15:00 58° dry 12 — 50.7%
16:00 61° dry 15 — 47.6%
17:00 62° dry 14 — 46.4%
18:00 64° dry 14 — 43.7%
19:00 64° dry 13 — 42.2%
20:00 65° 0.07 in 13 — 41.2%
21:00 56° 0.02 in 11 — 73.3%
Sun Sunday 30 August
Poor
Temp46°F
Rain0.03 in
Wind5 mph
Gusts—
Humidity92%
0.8mm rain forecastNorth American monsoon — afternoon thunderstorm riskHumidity 92% — potential fog
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 48° 0.00 in 4 — 94.2%
12:00 46° 0.01 in 5 — 92%
18:00 58° 0.01 in 12 — 60.4%
Mon Monday 31 August
Poor
Temp45°F
Rain0.02 in
Wind4 mph
Gusts—
Humidity92%
0.4mm rain forecastNorth American monsoon — afternoon thunderstorm riskHumidity 92% — potential fog
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 46° dry 4 — 92.2%
12:00 45° 0.00 in 4 — 91.7%
18:00 58° dry 7 — 49.2%
Tue Tuesday 1 September
Poor
Temp45°F
Rain0.02 in
Wind3 mph
Gusts—
Humidity80%
0.4mm rain forecastNorth American monsoon — afternoon thunderstorm risk
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 46° dry 4 — 71.2%
12:00 45° dry 3 — 79.5%
18:00 63° 0.01 in 8 — 43.8%
Wed Wednesday 2 September
Poor
Temp48°F
Rain0.02 in
Wind4 mph
Gusts—
Humidity87%
0.5mm rain forecastNorth American monsoon — afternoon thunderstorm riskHumidity 87% — potential fog
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 49° dry 5 — 78%
12:00 47° 0.01 in 4 — 87.3%
18:00 55° 0.01 in 7 — 67.7%
Thu Thursday 3 September
Caution
Temp46°F
Rain0.00 in
Wind3 mph
Gusts—
Humidity85%
Should be dryNorth American monsoon — afternoon thunderstorm riskHumidity 85% — potential fog
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 46° dry 4 — 86.4%
12:00 46° dry 3 — 85.1%
18:00 64° dry 9 — 46.1%
Seasonal access (10-25 to 05-25)
CO-82 Independence Pass closed by CDOT — no vehicle access — Colorado Highway 82 is generally closed from late October through mid-May due to heavy snows and avalanche hazards. No vehicle access to any Independence Pass climbing during closure. Exact reopening date varies year to year.

About Grotto Walls Area (Independence Pass)

The Grotto Walls Area offers 'the greatest variety of climbing on the Pass' per Mountain Project — 88 documented routes with balanced sport and trad options plus bouldering in the scree fields below the cliffs, all at 2959m altitude. Cryogenics (5.10b, 2p trad) is the flagship route and gives the area its 'Cryogenics Corner' landmark. Sawatch Range granite, quick-drying. Genuinely short season (mid-June through September in most years). CO-82 crosses the Continental Divide at 12,095 ft (3687m) — the highest paved through-highway in Colorado — and closes for the winter roughly late October through mid-May.

Region
Independence Pass
Rock type
Granite
Aspect
mixed-facing
Altitude
9708 ft
Exposure
high
Seepage
low

Other crags in this region

Monitor Rock (Independence Pass)Weller Area (Independence Pass)