scottgg Posted December 19, 2008 Posted December 19, 2008 Trip: North Carolina - Stone Mountain & Looking Glass Rock Date: 12/18/2008 Trip Report: Since you Northwesterners are currently experiencing excellent wallowing conditions in the hills, I though you'd appreciate some shots of the good winter climbing to be had in the south-east. After moving from Seattle to Fayetteville, NC, memories of climbing throughout the Cascades could sustain me only for so long: I needed to get out, feel the rock passing under my fingers, and breathe that mountain air. Derek is one of those gym-bred climbers, and was stoked to get out and try his luck on some of the state's classic cliffs. The requisite 3 to 5 hour drives have conspired with the short winter days to compel us to pick the most classic climbs for our finite free time. Here follows a sampling of two popular crags: Stone Mountain and Looking Glass Rock. Stone Mountain December 4th and 13th The Great Arch (5.5) Follow the uber-clean layback crack for 3 pitches to the top! The Great White Way (5.9 3p) Classic climbing up a steep water groove Yardarm (5.8 3p) Runout climbing on some of the more featured terrain at Stone Looking Glass Rock December 18th Recent rain limited our route options to The Nose (5.8 4p), hailed as the most classic/popular route east of the Mississippi. Great day, especially since we were climbing on the route's 40th anniversary! Fun stuff, but I'd take wallowing in the Cascades anyday! Quote
wfinley Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 Awesome! I pretty much wasted my college degree by going to Stone and the New instead of studying. I have fond memories of sweating out a jello-shots hangover on Yardarm's run-out! Quote
belayerslayer Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 I assume the routes are bolted? what beautiful rock bro! Quote
scottgg Posted December 22, 2008 Author Posted December 22, 2008 I assume the routes are bolted? Stone Mountain, like most slab climbing areas, sports bolts across its breath, but only when natural spots do not present themselves. Local guidebook authors say this about Stone: " Climbing here is more about mind control than brute strength." Most of the routes here were put up ground up and onsite, hence the bolted routes are fairly run-out. No Alternative, which we climbed in the face of an approaching storm (it caught us on the descent) features one bolt on its 150' 5.6 second pitch. Great White Way has 5 bolts (not including belays) in its three pitches. The Nose, at Looking Glass, is traditionally protected. O yeah, hey Pete ! Yep, pretty crazy approaches! Quote
goatboy Posted December 23, 2008 Posted December 23, 2008 [img:center]http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/500/medium/12-4-2008.jpg[/img] WOW! That looks fabulous. The sparsely-bolted slab pitches through water grooves I could probably do without however..... Looking-glass rock is cool (this time of year) but TOO HOT much of the year.... Quote
ivan Posted December 23, 2008 Posted December 23, 2008 [img:center]http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/500/medium/12-4-2008.jpg[/img] looks reminiscent of vesper peak's money pitch Quote
goatboy Posted December 24, 2008 Posted December 24, 2008 No shizzle? Is Vesper Peak this clean and solid? Quote
ivan Posted December 24, 2008 Posted December 24, 2008 No shizzle? Is Vesper Peak this clean and solid? sure, 'cept the first pitch Quote
Marko Posted January 1, 2009 Posted January 1, 2009 Those are some cool looking overlap type features at Looking Glass Quote
Taluscat Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 marko-those features are commonly referred to by southeren craggers as "eyebrows" a unique feature to this venue,possibly others- a sloper on the down side with a undercut pocet topside allowing TRICAMS to take priority on the rack as the work well in the active position. Quote
Marko Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 You hear that people? TRICAMS! Warms my heart. Quote
scottgg Posted January 5, 2009 Author Posted January 5, 2009 Hola Marko! Yep, tri-cams ain't obsolete out here on the east coast! Quote
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