Static Point best in North America?

[Jens]

Anyone want to back me up that Static Point is perhaps the finest low angle slab climbing in North America outside of Yosemite? It's easily better than squamish's slabs. Perhaps veteran Colorado climbers could speak for their stuff?

Or perhaps a secret area in the high sierra?

It's amazing the place goes begging for climbers.

It's so white you need sunglasses. It's rock solid and up 9 or so pitches high with difficulty up to 5.11+.

[MarkMcJizzy]

It's not even the best slab climbing in Washington, let alone the NW.

[curtveld]

It's not even the best slab climbing in Washington, let alone the NW.

I wouldn’t argue, at least for pure slab climbing (most Darrington routes have some cracks mixed in). So, you gonna let us in on your secret, Mark?

[Cairns]

Anyone want to back me up that Static Point is perhaps the finest low angle slab climbing in North America outside of Yosemite?

 

Perhaps. Additional points for facing south and the Private Dancer guide.

[shapp]

I can tell you that some of the older boys that climbed early on at Static are putting up harder better routes in other areas not yet known

[MarkMcJizzy]

I would say that the slab climbing at Squamish is better, for instance the Upper Apron, lower portion of Dream On, Local Boys, and Local Girls.

 

I also think that the best of Darrington is better that Static. To me, Static is actually a small area, the "Lines", I never liked the routes to either side. But in the final analysis, any slab other than one in YNP is the little leagues of slabs. Did Crest Jewel last fall, and fot ten pitches never had to do anything other that foont. And I remember doing Misty Bethooven/Hall of Mirrors to the Ninth in 1980, and the rock was so glacier polished that your feet squeaked at every move.

[backcountrydog]

i agree w/ mark as well, not even the best slab climbing in washington.

its a cool little area for sure. remote, south facing, a bit grainy at times though...

but i think that tuolumne gets my vote for best in the country. (or were u considering that inside yosemite?)

idyllwild, j-tree, cochise, organ mtns in new mexico, all great slab areas. from what i hear about looking glass nc, its worth a visit.

[willstrickland]

Stone Mountain, NC is better than Static Point, IMO.

 

Stone Mountain, GA although closed to climbing, would yield tons of great slab routes in the 8-10 pitch range. It's a dome, rather than a cliffside, about 800' relief. With a tram and walk off already in place. Wheee.

[curtveld]

i agree w/ mark as well, not even the best slab climbing in washington.

OK, so how bout some other nominees for Washington’s BS (Best Slab) Climbing Award then. All too secret to reveal…hmmm?…

[Ed_Seedhouse]

Well, don't forget Dale Earnhardt Dome on northern Vancouver Island. Like Static it gets steeper as you go higher, but it's a lot bigger - Wapiti mainline is 14 pitches.

 

Take a look here: http://orca.phys.uvic.ca/~jwillis/photos/Nomash_Slabs/nomash.html

for some recent adventures there.

[G-spotter]

It's not even the best slab climbing in Washington, let alone the NW.

 

The best slab climbing in Washington is the one having the most fun.

[chucK]

Best in NA is certainly overreaching for an area that has basically five popular lines, but those lines are all pretty damn good.

 

Cue semi-regular ode to Static Point...

 

Fuddhat -> KDW is a really stellar line. It's sustained (5.8, 10b, 10a, 10a, 10b/c), fairly well-protected but enough distance to add some spice, has a tough-pitch finale, and it's somewhat varied (for Static Point standards) with the KDW pitches featuring featured face and the lower pitches involving more traditional slab climbing (p2 really stands out).

 

Shock Treatment has an excellent sustained third pitch that all slab fans should check out. The rest of the pitches are also high quality, but not in the same league (difficultywise) as the third pitch. I guess you can also continue further with a later addition in the 11+ range, but I'm not qualified to comment on that.

 

Lost Charms is killer for the grade (5.9), is a rare SP gear route, and much of the climbing breaks from the SP slab focus (even a low-angled tips crack!), though the cruxes are definitely classic slab moves (one fairly run out, one protected with a crappy bolt).

 

Other good stuff too. Go check it out before it gets too hot! Sign in at the guard station and indicate that you are rock climbing (stand up and be counted!).

 

"Great Flake" pitch on Lost Charms

[Jens]

I still stand by my oringinal comment.

I've rock climbed in every western state except CO.

[crazy_t]

South Platte (CO) is very tasty.

[kix]

can someone confirm or deny the existence of decent boulders in the static point area?

 

I was given beta a year or two ago, but was confronted with a blocked road when I went to investigate at the time.

[larrythellama]

it's beyond static point friend.

[willstrickland]

I still stand by my oringinal comment.

I've rock climbed in every western state except CO.

 

And I stand by mine, having climbed at both Static Pt and Stone Mountain North Carolina. Stone is much better than SP. About 600ft vert relief, around 100 routes from 5.easy to 5.12, with a heavy concentration in the 5.9-5.10+ range often very runout.

 

 

Stone is known for the infamous "running belays" where the belayer needs to sprint during a fall to avoid 50ft wingers. Give Capt Crunch a shot, .11 with 3 bolts in a 55m pitch.

[Off_White]

Hah, and I've just become aware of the massive historical significance of Stone Mountain as an icon of the KKK, where they burned a world record 300' tall cross and routinely staged meetings and ralllies on top. No wonder North Carolina wants to avoid sullying such an awesome slab with climbers, it's the moral home of the true south.

 

Static trumps Stone for me, since it's both a shorter drive and you can actually climb there. Still, it's all just jousting for second place, since no crag can beat the Glacier Point Apron as true king of the low angle slabs.

 

 

[sobo]

OW,

Are you confusing Stone Mountain, Georgia, with Stone Mountain, North Carolina? As willstrickland noted above, climbing is prohibited at the former, but allowed (dare I say encouraged) at the latter.

 

My very first slab leads were at Stone NC, over 20 years ago. Mercury's Lead (so named because of the requirement to be very fleet of feet) was my first. 3 bolts in an entire rope pitch. Yikes!

 

As we were coming down, an old-timer was soloing up wearing an old pair of EB's with hot pink shoe laces, to which he had attached little "puffball" balls of yarn on the tops of his EBs. What a wild cat! In a word, this guy was the epitome of grace. I was awed.

 

Interesting side note: In winter, when the run-off from the munge/moss on the top of the dome freezes, Stone Mountain makes for excellent bolt-protected ice climbing! Someone had the forethought to place the bolts just to the sides of the water grooves.

[Off_White]

Hmmm, are there two Stone Mountains? I'll have to reread the chapter in the book I was reading last night (Freakonomics), that weary one eyed in bed reading motif may have interfered with my comprehension. I believe it was the one with Robt. E. Lee carved in the side. I'll get back to you on that.

 

Do you have any antique pictures from those bygone days? That slab pic of Will's is most appetizing to an old foonter like myself.

[sobo]

There are indeed two Stone Mountains, as previously stated. Am familiar with your current reading fare; that one was in Georgia.

 

I think I might have some old slides of myself and my first partner (RIP) "back in the day" that I'd have to scan.

 

Searching...

[Off_White]

Oh, and I know what you mean about that bolt protected iced up slab climbing, here's a pic of Surprise, a 5.8 slab route on Suicide Rock in SoCal, ca. 1977

 

[sobo]

SWEEEEEET!!

[Off_White]

Oh cool, so that pic of Will's is for a place in No. Carolina that's actually open for climbing? Is that where Last of the Mohicans was filmed? That looks like sweet rock, perhaps enough to entice a slab aficianado into a notch season road trip.

 

I know that runout stuff you refer to, there's a pitch on Deep Throat on the Apron that comes to mind: 5.9 slab climbing with one lonely 1/4" bolt on the pitch. When leading, your crimping with your fingernails on the micro dishes, but with the confidence of a top rope you can just pad up with hands flat on the face. Like Tom Patey said:

 

He's like a human spider

clinging to the wall

suction, faith, and friction

and nothing else at all

[G-spotter]

Best anywhere