search
Get Started
search

Best Big Wall

Filter by Tags

Rankings use category fit, feature coverage, pricing signals, public reception, and recency. Affiliate relationships do not affect scores.

0.0 - 10.0
Best 1 The American Direct

The American Direct is a major big-wall route on the west face of the Petit Dru in the Mont Blanc massif of the French Alps. Gary Hemming and Royal Robbins completed the first ascent in 1962 with a team of American climbers, following a steep granite line that required extensive aid techniques. It r...

2 Salathe Free

The Salathe Free route represents a significant milestone in big wall climbing. This free climb on El Capitan’s Freestone Wall offers a challenging and innovative sequence of pitches for experienced climbers. First completed by Todd Skinner and Paul Piana in 1988, it's notable for its modern aid-fre...

3 Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome

The Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome represents one of America’s most challenging climbs. This iconic Yosemite route, established in 1957 by Royal Robbins, is recognized as the first Grade VI trad climb in the United States. It demands significant technical skill, endurance, and experience from e...

4 Golden Gate

Golden Gate represents a significant achievement in free climbing. This challenging big wall route on El Capitan’s granite face offers a modern approach to ascent. Established in 2000 by Alexander Huber, it's notable for its technical difficulty and is primarily intended for experienced free climber...

5 Salathe Wall

The Salathe Wall is a challenging trad climbing route on El Capitan’s Freerule face within Yosemite National Park. It represents a significant achievement in big wall free climbing, first completed in 1988 by Todd Skinner and Paul Piana. The route's notable technical difficulty and exposure make it...

6 El Nino
El Nino

El Nino presents a significant challenge within Yosemite’s El Capitan granite. This free climbing route is particularly noted for its demanding technical difficulties and lengthy pitches. It was first completed in 1998 by Leo Houlding, representing a substantial accomplishment. The route is suitable...

7 Riders on the Storm

Riders on the Storm is a long, technically demanding climbing route on the Central Tower of the Torres del Paine massif in Chilean Patagonia. The route combines sustained rock climbing with the exposure, weather, logistical demands, and commitment associated with a remote alpine big wall. It is inte...

8 Yosemite Half Dome NW Face

The Yosemite Half Dome NW Face is a prominent granite cliff within Yosemite National Park. Its notable feature is the challenging and historically significant 1957 climbing route established by Royal Robbins. This wall presents a demanding big wall climb suitable for experienced rock climbers seekin...

9 Yosemite National Park
Free Plan Available

Yosemite is the cathedral of American wilderness, renowned for its monumental granite cliffs like El Capitan and Half Dome, and spectacular waterfalls such as Yosemite Falls. The iconic Yosemite Valley presents breathtaking, accessible vistas, while the vast high-country backcountry of Tuolumne Mead...

10 Mt. Asgard (Baffin Island)

Mount Asgard stands as a significant granite cliff face within Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island. Its dramatic twin peaks and near-vertical rock walls present one of Canada’s most challenging big wall climbs. Experienced alpinists seeking extreme technical climbing in the Arctic environment u...

11 Cirque of the Unclimbables

The Cirque of the Unclimbables is a remote granite cliff located within the Northwest Territories of Canada. It’s notable as one of North America's most difficult big wall climbs, featuring exceptionally steep spires and offering a significant challenge for experienced rock climbers specializing in...

12 Triple Direct

The Triple Direct is a challenging aid climbing route on El Capitan’s granite face within Yosemite National Park. It involves ascending portions of three iconic big walls: the Nose, Salathé, and Muir Wall. This route demands advanced technical skills and experience in multi-pitch rock climbing and a...

13 Wall of Early Morning Light

The Wall of Early Morning Light remains one of Yosemite’s most significant and debated climbs. This historic aid climbing route on El Capitan was first ascended in 1970 by Warren Harding and Dean Gerber. Its notable difficulty involves sustained pitches utilizing limited gear and demanding technical...

14 Howser Towers

The Howser Towers represent a series of exceptionally tall granite cliffs within the Bugaboos of British Columbia. These formations are notable for their immense scale and technical difficulty, attracting experienced big wall climbers seeking challenging ascents. Climbers with significant rock climb...

15 Wings of Steel

Wings of Steel is a demanding aid climbing route on El Capitan’s Freer Wall within Yosemite National Park. First ascended in 1982 by Richard Jensen and Mark Smith, it remains notable for its extreme length and significant runouts. The route requires advanced big wall experience and technical profici...

16 Mt. Hooker (Wind Rivers)

Mount Hooker stands as a prominent granite peak within Wyoming’s Wind River Range. It presents significant climbing challenges with its substantial face, reaching approximately 1,500 feet in height. The mountain is notable for offering opportunities to experienced big wall climbers seeking demanding...

Cliff USA Wyoming Granite Big Wall Wind River Range
17 El Potrero Chico

El Potrero Chico is a limestone canyon located near the town of Hidalgo in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico. The area is an established destination for rock climbing, characterized by steep, towering canyon walls that offer extensive multi-pitch sport routes. Climbers visit the canyon for its accessi...

18 Sentinel Rock (Yosemite)

Sentinel Rock is a massive granite monolith situated in Yosemite Valley within Yosemite National Park, California. The formation rises nearly 3,000 feet from the valley floor and is geographically located opposite Yosemite Falls. Its sheer cliff faces present highly technical big wall climbing route...

19 Mt. Watkins

Mount Watkins is a large granite dome located in Yosemite National Park, California, rising prominently on the north side of Tenaya Canyon. It is distinguished by its massive, sheer granite cliffs, which make it a notable destination for big wall climbing. The 'South Face' route is one of the longes...

20 Washington Column

Washington Column is a massive granite cliff located in Yosemite Valley within California's Yosemite National Park. The formation is noted for its sheer face and is highly popular among rock climbers. It features several classic big-wall climbing routes, including the South Face and the demanding As...

21 Royal Arches

Royal Arches is a granite cliff formation in Yosemite Valley within Yosemite National Park, California, USA. Located on the north wall of the valley near North Dome, the cliff features a series of exfoliation arches visible from the valley floor. The formation contains the Royal Arches Route, a popu...

You've reached the end — 21 items

Save to your list

Save your favorites and follow how their scores change over time.

Save favorites
Get updates
Compare scores

Already have an account? Sign in

Compare Items

See how they stack up against each other

Comparing
VS
Select 1 more item to compare