Wichita Mountains Weather?

Hi all,

We're about to head back west/south for the winter and on the way, were really interested in checking out the Wichita Wildlife Refuge granite.

Can anyone speak to good walls for comfortable climbing weather there during the upcoming partially cloudy/mid-50s-type run?:
http://climbingweather.com/Oklahoma/Wichita-Wildlife-Refuge

Cheers,
-Jason

Jason Albino wrote: Hi all,

We're about to head back west/south for the winter and on the way, were really interested in checking out the Wichita Wildlife Refuge granite.

Cheers,
-Jason

You're kidding, there is climbing in the Wichita Mountains? The best thing i saw there was "Meers Store". Super hamburgers & beer!

Unless this entire section is made up...
https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105858670/wichita-mountains-wildlife-refuge

It's cold and the rock hurts

It gets cold and the weather is kind of all over the place but a lot of people climb there through the winter.  Make sure to check the forecast and you should be good to go, its pretty rare that any bad weather will stick around for more than a day or two.

It can be cold and windy or nice and sunny this time of year it all depends on what fronts are moving through.  I would suggest the Narrows or lower Mt. Scott but the road to Mt. Scott is closed so it would be a hike.  Actually my typical day in the Whichitas is a lot of walking, getting lost and finally finding the wall I want to climb.  Hope the weather is nice for your visit.  It's worth a stop if you're going past anyhow.

Quatz isn't too far from there either but I've never been.  I hear it's run out and old school ratings if that's your thing enjoy.

Blakevan wrote:   I would suggest the Narrows or lower Mt. Scott but the road to Mt. Scott is closed so it would be a hike.  

Mt Scott is closed to hikers as well as cars for the time being so there is currently no access.  The Narrows is nice, and Echo Dome gets sun all afternoon.

Quartz Mountain is south-facing so it’s a great cold-weather option, and it’s not very far from the Wichita’s. I haven’t gotten the chance to climb much there, but the guidebook shows enough well protected climbs to keep you busy for a fair amount of time. Definitely pick up the guidebook, as it has information for which walls get sun during which part of the day for both the Wichita’s and Quartz and lots of help for the approaches.

if You have never been there, you must go and explore! If it is too cold for you to go climbing, go to Elk Mountain and scramble under, over and around the big boulders on the south side.
We have been there for 8-thanksgivings in the past 15-years and have only gotten “colded” out on one trip. We hiked that entire weekend.
If it is sunny, the temp will be at least 10-degrees warmer in the sun. Great place to play.
cheers

That forecast you posted looks AwESome

Go to lost dome. Sunny, blocked from wind and great climbing. 

Thanks all - anywhere nearby to the Refuge to buy the guidebook? Also, has anyone actually accessed the Narrows very recently? There are a number of comments that the access is difficult around any time of rain.

Overall since we're potentially ust passing through, we're hoping to avoid any approach adventures so we can maximize the actual climbing time.

Jason Albino wrote: Thanks all - anywhere nearby to the Refuge to buy the guidebook? Also, has anyone actually accessed the Narrows very recently? There are a number of comments that the access is difficult around any time of rain.

Overall since we're potentially ust passing through, we're hoping to avoid any approach adventures so we can maximize the actual climbing time.

I was in the Narrows last weekend, its fine.

Theres nothing in the Wichita's that doesn't have at least a 20+min approach on unmarked trails (aside from Mt. Scott, which is closed), so having a guidebook is definitely recommended. If you'll be passing through the DFW area, any REI should have a copy.  Theres also a very small outdoor store in Medicine Park that may have a copy lying around, although I'm not entirely sure they sell anything.

You can get a guide book at the visitor center and the easiest approach at this time is Echo Dome.  It has a couple moderate trad climbs and several moderate sport routes.  Anything above 50 degrees is going to be bomber.

Jordan Pitts wrote:

Dude, you climbed two routes on one formation, so you can definitly speak for whole place. I've noticed faint hearted sportos don't take too well to the area. 

Quartz would be your best bet if the suns out, it can be very windy. I would say there's about 3 nicely protected trad routes in the 5.7/8 range. The rest is bold slab climbing.

I mean to be fair you clearly didn’t search very far in my history, I’ve climbed several routes on several formations equaling the grades you’ve put down as a leader that I’ve logged in my tick list, and I live in Oklahoma.  Just because you can’t pull hard and climb easy trad instead of training doesn’t mean I’m a “sporto”, Wichita’s just really aren’t that great. Narrows don’t get sun for very long at all in winter, echo dome is a choss pile, and the one good winter spot, Mt. Scott, is closed.  Crab eyes is decent if you chase the sun but a long approach for the amount of routes.  Wichitas aren’t that great.  Arkansas is almost always better, even the trad is cleaner and usually more solid and splitter. (Excluding crazy Alice).  

Lost Dome, Crab Eyes and Hidden Wall are all excellent winter crags and host the best rock in the Wildlife Refuge. Quartz is also a great winter option. The road up Mount Scott is currently closed and IIRC Upper Scott faces north and has a lot of wind exposure making it less than ideal in winter, while Lower Scott would get a little bit of morning sun. If your time is limited, I would recommend Lost Dome, as it is the premier crag in the refuge and has a high concentration of good routes compared to other walls in the area.

I was on FB yesterday and WMR was posting about the once-annual elk hunt. I didn't note the dates, but check their facebook before you plan your trip. I do not know if the area is open for recreational use during population control hunts.

Tangent: Let a couple of big hexes dangle on the outside of your pack and clang while you hike in the WMR backcountry(TM) areas. We spooked a couple of buffalo the last time we went to Crab Eyes. They spooked us, too! I credit the loud heckling between me and my partner probably saved us from sneaking up on them and getting gored.

The approach to the narrows is better/shorter if you turn right at the fork after the first river crossing and rappel in from the anchors above Dr. Coolhead/Crazy Alice. If you are a first-time visitor, finding these anchors is not easy. The gps feature in the MP app is relatively accurate for WMR, and a great supplement for approach beta in the book.