Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about climbing condition forecasts
What is CragReport?
CragReport is a climbing conditions forecast service that provides hourly predictions for rock climbing areas. Unlike basic weather apps, we use physics-based modeling to predict rock surface temperature, friction, and dryness specific to climbing conditions. Our forecasts are local to the actual crag location. No more looking up the weather in the nearest town.
How is CragReport different from regular weather apps?
CragReport goes beyond air temperature and precipitation. We model rock surface temperature using thermal radiation, convection, and solar exposure. We also track dryness with rock-type specific drying rates, dew risk, and friction conditions that directly affect climbing performance.
What climbing areas does CragReport cover?
CragReport covers rock climbing areas across the world. We provide forecasts for thousands of crags, including popular destinations and lesser-known local areas. Search for your favorite climbing area to see if we have coverage. If we don't, add your favorite crag on OpenBeta and we will add it to our database within a few days.
How accurate are the climbing condition forecasts?
Our forecasts are based on high-resolution weather data from Open-Meteo and NOAA MRMS radar within 1km of the crag location. The physics-based thermal model accounts for wall aspect, elevation, rock type, and local terrain. While weather prediction always has uncertainty, our specialized approach provides more relevant information for climbers than generic weather services.
Is CragReport better than Kaya or Mountain Project?
CragReport specializes in climbing condition forecasts with hourly predictions for rock temperature, friction, and dryness. Mountain Project is an excellent resource for route information, grades, and beta. They are best when used together - Mountain Project for route planning and CragReport for timing your climbing sessions.
How do I use CragReport to plan my climbing trip?
Search for your destination crag, view the 5-day hourly forecast, and look for high-scoring windows. Blue windows indicate excellent conditions, green windows indicate good conditions, yellow indicate fair conditions, and red suggests poor conditions. You can adjust settings like wall aspect, tilt, and site classification to match your specific climbing area with the filters.
What factors affect climbing conditions?
Key factors include rock surface temperature (affects friction), moisture/dryness (considering precipitation and rock safety), humidity (can cause grease on holds), wind (affects temperature and drying), and recent precipitation. CragReport models all these factors with hourly updates.
Can I get alerts for good climbing conditions?
Yes! Create an account, add crags to your favorites, and set up condition alerts. You'll receive email notifications when conditions at your favorite climbing areas meet your specified thresholds.
What do the color-coded scores mean?
Scores from 0-100 indicate overall climbing conditions. Generally: 90-100 (excellent/blue), 80-89 (good/green), 60-79 (fair/yellow), and below 60 (poor/red). Scores consider all factors that affect friction and dryness.
Is CragReport free to use?
Yes, CragReport is free to use. You can search for crags, view forecasts, and compare conditions without an account. Logging in allows you to save favorites, set up condition alerts, submit condition reports, and override crag rock type (if we got it wrong!).
How often are forecasts updated?
Weather data is updated hourly. This ensures you always see the most recent predictions based on the latest weather models.
Still have questions?