Climbing Forecast › Sedona › Oak Creek Spire (Village of Oak Creek)

SEDONA · DESERT SANDSTONE

Oak Creek Spire (Village of Oak Creek) climbing conditions

Good — dry and climbable

Right now

Temp77°F
Wind3 mph
Gusts4 mph
Humidity35.3%
Rain 48hdry
Last rainNone recent

Assessment

No recent rain
Schnebly Hill fragility — some Village of Oak Creek towers have sections of 'brown sugar' rock

7-day forecast

Scroll through each day — hourly detail is shown inline.

Today Thursday 10 September
Good
Temp77°F
Raindry
Wind3 mph
Gusts4 mph
Humidity39%
No recent rain
  • Check the sand at the base is powder-dry before climbing — if it clumps together, the rock is still wet inside
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
09:00 77° dry 3 — 35.3%
10:00 76° dry 2 — 37.4%
11:00 76° dry 2 — 38.5%
12:00 75° dry 3 — 41.1%
13:00 72° dry 3 — 45.3%
14:00 73° dry 4 — 44%
15:00 81° dry 3 — 34.8%
16:00 85° dry 4 — 31.6%
17:00 88° dry 6 — 29%
18:00 91° dry 6 — 25.2%
19:00 93° dry 6 — 22.7%
20:00 96° dry 8 — 18%
21:00 97° dry 8 — 15%
Fri Friday 11 September
Poor
Temp77°F
Rain0.05 in
Wind4 mph
Gusts—
Humidity44%
1.3mm rain forecastDo not climb wet desert sandstone — holds break and cams pull
  • Do not climb — wet desert sandstone is severely weakened, cams can pull and holds break, permanently damaging the route
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 81° dry 2 — 35.6%
07:00 80° dry 2 — 38.1%
08:00 79° dry 2 — 38.5%
09:00 78° dry 2 — 39.6%
10:00 78° dry 3 — 41.4%
11:00 76° dry 3 — 42.7%
12:00 76° dry 3 — 44.1%
13:00 75° dry 2 — 46.1%
14:00 76° dry 3 — 46.4%
15:00 79° dry 5 — 43.7%
16:00 82° dry 6 — 41.5%
17:00 85° dry 7 — 37.7%
18:00 88° dry 9 — 32.9%
19:00 91° 0.01 in 9 — 30.5%
20:00 88° 0.01 in 11 — 34%
21:00 91° dry 9 — 27.3%
Sat Saturday 12 September
Poor
Temp73°F
Rain0.04 in
Wind2 mph
Gusts—
Humidity57%
1.1mm rain forecastDo not climb wet desert sandstone — holds break and cams pull
  • Do not climb — wet desert sandstone is severely weakened, cams can pull and holds break, permanently damaging the route
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 76° dry 1 — 56.9%
07:00 75° dry 2 — 58.1%
08:00 74° dry 2 — 58.1%
09:00 74° dry 2 — 58.1%
10:00 73° dry 2 — 57.5%
11:00 73° dry 2 — 57.3%
12:00 72° dry 2 — 58.5%
13:00 71° dry 1 — 60.4%
14:00 73° dry 2 — 59%
15:00 76° dry 2 — 53.3%
16:00 79° dry 3 — 50.5%
17:00 82° dry 5 — 47.7%
18:00 85° dry 6 — 43.4%
19:00 87° dry 7 — 38.4%
20:00 89° dry 8 — 35.6%
21:00 90° dry 8 — 33.3%
Sun Sunday 13 September
Poor
Temp70°F
Rain0.02 in
Wind2 mph
Gusts—
Humidity72%
0.4mm rain forecastDo not climb wet desert sandstone — holds break and cams pull
  • Do not climb — wet desert sandstone is severely weakened, cams can pull and holds break, permanently damaging the route
  • Elevated humidity for a desert crag — subsurface drying will be slower than expected
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 75° dry 4 — 61.6%
12:00 70° 0.00 in 2 — 71.9%
18:00 80° 0.01 in 8 — 56.4%
Mon Monday 14 September
Poor
Temp68°F
Rain0.00 in
Wind3 mph
Gusts—
Humidity80%
Should be dryOnly 18h since rain — desert sandstone 48h minimum wait
  • Check the sand at the base is powder-dry before climbing — if it clumps together, the rock is still wet inside
  • Good friction temperature range for desert sandstone
  • Elevated humidity for a desert crag — subsurface drying will be slower than expected
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 72° dry 1 — 75.6%
12:00 69° dry 3 — 80.4%
18:00 81° dry 4 — 45.5%
Tue Tuesday 15 September
Poor
Temp68°F
Raindry
Wind2 mph
Gusts—
Humidity62%
Should be dryOnly 42h since rain — desert sandstone 48h minimum wait
  • Check the sand at the base is powder-dry before climbing — if it clumps together, the rock is still wet inside
  • Good friction temperature range for desert sandstone
  • Elevated humidity for a desert crag — subsurface drying will be slower than expected
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 74° dry 2 — 56.3%
12:00 69° dry 2 — 61.9%
18:00 83° dry 5 — 37.6%
Wed Wednesday 16 September
Caution
Temp70°F
Raindry
Wind1 mph
Gusts—
Humidity65%
Should be dryDesert sandstone — check base sand is powder-dry before climbing
  • Check the sand at the base is powder-dry before climbing — if it clumps together, the rock is still wet inside
  • Elevated humidity for a desert crag — subsurface drying will be slower than expected
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 75° dry 2 — 55.2%
12:00 69° dry 1 — 64.9%
18:00 84° dry 4 — 38.5%
Thu Thursday 17 September
Caution
Temp64°F
Raindry
Wind4 mph
Gusts—
Humidity63%
Should be dryDesert sandstone — check base sand is powder-dry before climbing
  • Check the sand at the base is powder-dry before climbing — if it clumps together, the rock is still wet inside
  • Good friction temperature range for desert sandstone
  • Elevated humidity for a desert crag — subsurface drying will be slower than expected
Time °F Rain Wind (mph) Gust Hum
06:00 75° dry 2 — 44.9%
12:00 64° dry 4 — 63%
18:00 88° dry 5 — 24.3%

About Oak Creek Spire (Village of Oak Creek)

Oak Creek Spire is a 350ft double-summited Schnebly Hill sandstone tower in the Village of Oak Creek south of Sedona — the classic 'rabbit-ears' silhouette visible from Highway 179. The highlight of climbing OCS is the infamous 'jump move' on the lead of the third pitch, where you leap across a gap between the spire's ears to a small stance. Nearby Courthouse Butte (huge mesa formation just east of Bell Rock) offers a mostly 3rd/4th class ascent with one 30-foot 5.6 crux requiring ropes. Same Schnebly Hill variability caveat and 48h wet-sandstone rule as Cathedral Rock — expect soft rock on obscure lines.

Region
Sedona
Rock type
Desert sandstone
Aspect
mixed-facing
Altitude
4495 ft
Exposure
high
Seepage
low

Other crags in this region

Cathedral Rock (Sedona)Coffee Pot Rock + Boynton Canyon (West Sedona)