Our top picks for a January trad climbing trip are Annot, Red Rock and Joshua Tree. January sits inside the reliable season at all of them. Each pick is based on decades of weather data run through our rock-drying model — tap a card for the full month-by-month breakdown.
Top trad climbing picks for January
Annot
Sandstone towers and cracks in the hills of Haute-Provence. A winter destination: February is the pick, December to March is the season, and summer is for early mornings.
See the month-by-month weather data →
Red Rock
Aztec sandstone walls just outside Las Vegas, from single pitches to long routes. November is the pick, December to March is good between storms, and summer afternoons are too hot.
See the month-by-month weather data →
Joshua Tree
Short, rough cracks and slabs among the desert domes. November is the pick, December to March is almost as good, and summer afternoons are too hot.
See the month-by-month weather data →How the January picks compare
| Destination | Country | Rock | January | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annot | France | Sandstone | Good | Dec–Mar |
| Red Rock | Nevada, USA | Sandstone | Good | Nov–Mar |
| Joshua Tree | California, USA | Quartz monzonite | Good | Nov–Apr |
Season = the months each destination's own weather-data article rates good or best.
Also in season in January
Questions
Where is the best place to go trad climbing in January?
Our top picks are Annot, Red Rock and Joshua Tree. January sits inside the reliable season at all of them.
Which trad climbing destinations are at their best in January?
None of our trad climbing destinations has its best month in January, but Annot, Red Rock and Joshua Tree are reliably in season. Our picks are at their best at other times of year: Annot in February, Red Rock in November and Joshua Tree in November.
Where else can I go trad climbing in January?
Also in season in January: La Pedriza. Each guide has the month-by-month weather data.
Where should I go trad climbing in February?
In February, our top picks are Annot, Joshua Tree and La Pedriza. See where to go trad climbing in February.