Climbing Forecast › Sand Mountain › Horse Pens 40

SAND MOUNTAIN · CUMBERLAND SANDSTONE

Horse Pens 40 climbing conditions

Poor — wet, too windy or closed

Right now

Temp77°F
Wind6 mph
Gusts9 mph
Humidity86.1%
Rain 48hdry
Last rainNone recent

Assessment

0.4mm rain forecast
Cumberland sandstone — wait until fully dry

7-day forecast

Scroll through each day — hourly detail is shown inline.

Today Friday 21 August
Poor
Temp81°F
Rain0.02 in
Wind6 mph
Gusts9 mph
Humidity73%
0.4mm rain forecastCumberland sandstone — wait until fully dry
  • Do not climb wet Cumberland sandstone — even hard SE sandstone breaks holds when saturated
  • Hot — Southern humidity and heat make holds greasy
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
14:00 77° dry 6 — 86.1%
15:00 82° 0.01 in 6 — 69.8%
16:00 84° 0.00 in 5 — 63.5%
17:00 87° dry 5 — 54.3%
18:00 90° dry 6 — 44.7%
19:00 92° dry 9 — 39%
20:00 92° dry 10 — 37.7%
21:00 91° 0.00 in 11 — 39.1%
Sat Saturday 22 August
Good
Temp77°F
Raindry
Wind4 mph
Gusts—
Humidity72%
No recent rain
  • Cumberland sandstone climbs well when dry — check no dampness in cracks or pockets
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 74° dry 5 — 83.7%
07:00 72° dry 4 — 90.1%
08:00 70° dry 4 — 95.2%
09:00 69° dry 4 — 97.6%
10:00 69° dry 4 — 98.5%
11:00 68° dry 4 — 98.4%
12:00 70° dry 5 — 93.7%
13:00 76° dry 3 — 75%
14:00 82° dry 5 — 58.3%
15:00 86° dry 6 — 44%
16:00 89° dry 6 — 36.9%
17:00 91° dry 6 — 31.2%
18:00 93° dry 7 — 27.2%
19:00 94° dry 7 — 25.6%
20:00 94° dry 8 — 24.6%
21:00 94° dry 10 — 24.4%
Sun Sunday 23 August
Good
Temp77°F
Raindry
Wind7 mph
Gusts—
Humidity58%
No recent rain
  • Cumberland sandstone climbs well when dry — check no dampness in cracks or pockets
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 76° dry 7 — 55.6%
07:00 76° dry 7 — 53.5%
08:00 76° dry 8 — 56.4%
09:00 75° dry 8 — 61.5%
10:00 73° dry 8 — 66.8%
11:00 72° dry 8 — 70.8%
12:00 73° dry 7 — 70.2%
13:00 75° dry 7 — 63.9%
14:00 79° dry 6 — 54.4%
15:00 83° dry 5 — 44.4%
16:00 87° dry 4 — 35.5%
17:00 90° dry 5 — 28.8%
18:00 92° dry 8 — 23.3%
19:00 93° dry 9 — 20.5%
20:00 93° dry 9 — 21.5%
21:00 92° dry 9 — 23.3%
Mon Monday 24 August
Good
Temp68°F
Raindry
Wind4 mph
Gusts—
Humidity63%
No recent rain
  • Cumberland sandstone climbs well when dry — check no dampness in cracks or pockets
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 73° dry 6 — 40.9%
12:00 68° dry 4 — 63.2%
18:00 90° dry 5 — 23.8%
Tue Tuesday 25 August
Poor
Temp72°F
Rain0.03 in
Wind5 mph
Gusts—
Humidity52%
0.7mm rain forecastCumberland sandstone — wait until fully dry
  • Do not climb wet Cumberland sandstone — even hard SE sandstone breaks holds when saturated
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 75° dry 5 — 31.8%
12:00 71° 0.03 in 5 — 51.5%
18:00 76° dry 0 — 78.7%
Wed Wednesday 26 August
Poor
Temp70°F
Rain0.04 in
Wind1 mph
Gusts—
Humidity98%
0.9mm rain forecastCumberland sandstone — wait until fully dryHumidity 98% — greasy holds likely
  • Do not climb wet Cumberland sandstone — even hard SE sandstone breaks holds when saturated
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 74° 0.01 in 5 — 81.2%
12:00 70° 0.02 in 1 — 98.4%
18:00 80° 0.01 in 5 — 72.5%
Thu Thursday 27 August
Poor
Temp72°F
Rain0.08 in
Wind3 mph
Gusts—
Humidity100%
2mm rain forecastCumberland sandstone — wait until fully dryHumidity 100% — greasy holds likely
  • Do not climb wet Cumberland sandstone — even hard SE sandstone breaks holds when saturated
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 71° dry 1 — 99.4%
12:00 71° 0.04 in 3 — 99.6%
18:00 74° 0.02 in 5 — 94.5%
Fri Friday 28 August
Poor
Temp68°F
Rain0.04 in
Wind5 mph
Gusts—
Humidity99%
1mm rain forecastCumberland sandstone — wait until fully dryHumidity 99% — greasy holds likely
  • Do not climb wet Cumberland sandstone — even hard SE sandstone breaks holds when saturated
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 70° 0.02 in 4 — 99.4%
12:00 68° 0.01 in 5 — 98.8%
18:00 81° dry 5 — 73.3%

About Horse Pens 40

Horse Pens 40 is Alabama's iconic sandstone bouldering venue — 200+ problems on atmospheric Pottsville sandstone atop Chandler Mountain in St. Clair County, an hour northeast of Birmingham. Widely described as a cross between Fontainebleau and English gritstone, HP40 is famous for heinous sloper testpieces and hard mantle top-outs on excellent landings. Boulders sit in scattered mature-hardwood woodland with open glades; plateau drains well; Cumberland/Pottsville wet-rock ethic still applies. Privately owned (Schultz Family); day-use fee and waiver at the camp store on arrival — no sneaking in. Night climbing permitted Thursday–Sunday until midnight. NO dogs; fires in designated rings only. On-site restaurant, bathrooms with showers; tent camping and cabin rentals (transitioning to reservation-only — call 256-458-3545). Hosts three annual comps including a Triple Crown of Bouldering stop. Fall and winter are the classic season; peak friction November through February.

Region
Sand Mountain
Rock type
Cumberland sandstone
Aspect
mixed-facing
Altitude
1417 ft
Exposure
medium
Seepage
low

Other crags in this region

Cherokee Rock Village (Sand Rock)Hospital BouldersLittle River CanyonYellow Bluff