johnny Posted September 19, 2001 Posted September 19, 2001 I am moving to North Carolina at the end of this month for an unknown length of time (I had the fortune? of falling in love with an old friend who just happens to live there now and she has two children who cannot leave the state under the current custody situation. OK enough about that.... Does anyone know of any climbers who can show a new guy around out there? I have lived in Washington all my life and only visited NC a few times; enough to know that there is a wealth of rock out there!!! The guidebook situation is pretty grim though, I had no idea how spoiled Becky, and others have made us. I will likely have a month or so before I begin work out there and I want to climb!! I only have two stipulations; no 5.13's and they must like beer. Thanks in advance for the possible partners. Quote
moonchild Posted September 19, 2001 Posted September 19, 2001 Your questioning whether or not you had good fortune for falling in love makes me wonder if you're really in love! One who falls in love should feel very fortunate. Quote
johnny Posted September 19, 2001 Author Posted September 19, 2001 just trying to keep this post fresh....I would very much like to meet an easy going, honest, moderate rock climber in the Winston-Salem area.....close enough to Boone, Stone Mountain, Ship Rock, Linville Gorge, etc...... Quote
johnny Posted September 19, 2001 Author Posted September 19, 2001 Moonie--I was making a bit of a joke!! I have known this woman for 23 years and feel as if I have been waiting my whole life for this very moment. There is no doubt in my mind, only love and wonder! Quote
willstrickland Posted September 19, 2001 Posted September 19, 2001 Hey Man, Let me think on this for a while, I'm a southeasterner and I'll have to think through which former partners may still be in the area. The guidebook is by Thomas? Kelly, and it's a bit dated, but will keep you occupied for a long time. I'd imagine a new guide will be along in the next couple of years. Also keep me in mind as in all likelihood I'll be in grad school at NCSU (Raleigh) in about 18 months. In the summer, Hawksbill in awesome, and for slabby stuff Stone Mt is great. There is so much rock there, Whitesides is amazing...hard runout free stuff, and the "wall" routes on the north side of Looking Glass are no joke, there's some genuine hard and scary aid up there. Congrats and enjoy! WS Quote
johnny Posted September 20, 2001 Author Posted September 20, 2001 I will definately keep you in mind Will, sounds like you know about a few tasty tidbits in NC. At least for the time being my e-mail address there will be tshawytcha@aol.com...drop me a line sometime! Not too sure where I will be in NC when you are in grad school as I still don't have any definite employment options yet but...... Quote
Rodchester Posted September 20, 2001 Posted September 20, 2001 Oh boy NC. Well Nothing to say about the climbing except that there is plenty of good rock. But get ready for the heat and the humidity...it is oppressive. Winter lasts about 6 weeks, but it actually gets colder than it does here...sometimes you can even find some ice. I am sur you will find some climbers to hang with back there. Good luck!!! Quote
Wopper Posted September 20, 2001 Posted September 20, 2001 Don't forget to go surfing at Cape Hatteras and drink lots of beer at Chapel Hill. Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted September 20, 2001 Posted September 20, 2001 When the Army made me live down south we always went to Daytona FL and partied it up. That is where the bear gut comes from I also liked to visit Hilton Head , S.C. with the boat and drink at all the bars you can drive up to. Now that is fun! I did not start climbing until after all this though..... Quote
johnny Posted September 20, 2001 Author Posted September 20, 2001 Thanks Caveman but I already have a barely under control beer gut as it is! Besides if I go to Florida it will be to chuck big streamers at bonefish in the flats!!!!!! Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted September 20, 2001 Posted September 20, 2001 I always liked that southern girl accent too. Man there are some hot chicks down there! Whew!!!! Dont forget you can always hunt gators too I was once a swamp rat. Quote
Rodchester Posted September 20, 2001 Posted September 20, 2001 Nothing like them corn fed inbred women. Buck toothed knocked kneed. Mmmm mmm the good old days. Hill billys racists..oh boy oh boy. Quote
Retrosaurus Posted September 21, 2001 Posted September 21, 2001 If'n they ain't good 'nuf fer their brothers, they ain't good 'nuf fer us. Quote
AJ Posted September 21, 2001 Posted September 21, 2001 I went back to NC for a wedding earlier this year and stayed around to do some climbing. I was impressed by how much there was to do. Linville Gorge area was a fun introduction - think trad, hardly a bolt to be found. Heard about good bouldering near Boone. Shiprock just off the Blueridge Parkway is in a nice setting, but generally on the stiff side. Looking Glass is wild - the undercling eyebrows stumped me the first time. By the time we got to Whitesides we were tired and didn't climb. It is amazing that the cliff doesn't have more routes. Obviously you need to check with local climbers, but we found that carrying a second rope or using double rope techinique was much more common in NC that it is in WA. Don't even bother with Looking Glass unless you take two ropes. It rains a lot in the NC Appalacian chain - I think Brevard gets about 80-90 inches a year. Lots of rain every month of the year. Good luck finding partners. I'd be curious to hear what you think of Stone Mountain (NC) - we never made it up there to experience the "running" belays. Quote
johnny Posted September 21, 2001 Author Posted September 21, 2001 AJ, thanks for the ideas....I have climbed at Stone already and it ROCKS!! I love delicate, high angle friction and that is exactly what Stone has to offer....The leads are pretty scary though, lots of 30 to 50 foot runouts. Bit of a mindfuck really but that is part of what makes it so cool! I looked at Ship but didn't have a chance to climb. There is some amazing looking cracks and roofs there, and thankfully, like you said NO BOLTS!!!!! Oh yeah, the bouldering in Boone is absolutely incredible. Hard stuff but super cool. There is a ton of rock in NC...I cannot wait!! Quote
ruddersbox Posted September 22, 2001 Posted September 22, 2001 Hey johnny, Carlolina has Grandfather Mountain and the Tuckaleechee Caverns... not to mention Belle Share in Asheville (Barleys Taproom and the Magic Musgroom paiiza and beer hole). Good luck there, my buddy went to UNCA and I was in U of Maine and took many trips. For the love of a girl a man gave up the great climbing and great beer, and is acccepting good beer and mediocre climbing. God bless ya... quote: Originally posted by johnny: I am moving to North Carolina at the end of this month for an unknown length of time (I had the fortune? of falling in love with an old friend who just happens to live there now and she has two children who cannot leave the state under the current custody situation. OK enough about that.... Does anyone know of any climbers who can show a new guy around out there? I have lived in Washington all my life and only visited NC a few times; enough to know that there is a wealth of rock out there!!! The guidebook situation is pretty grim though, I had no idea how spoiled Becky, and others have made us. I will likely have a month or so before I begin work out there and I want to climb!! I only have two stipulations; no 5.13's and they must like beer. Thanks in advance for the possible partners. ------------------ I read somewhere that "the mountains reserve their choicest gifts for those who stand upon their summits". Quote
johnny Posted September 22, 2001 Author Posted September 22, 2001 You know, I have been on Grndfather mountain and the whold magilla 'cept Ship rock is closed to climnbing. Count your blessings one and all who live in the great state of Washington as we have so much public and quasi-public lands we can mess about in. Much of the land of interest to climbers in NC is private and the owners either do not want our kind trampling them or they charge large sums of money to acces them. Grandfather mountain for instance charges 12 dollars a head to hike there for a day. No climbing allowed. The flipside to this is that the owners are wonderful conservationists and are free from state and federal intervention in deciding how best to preserve the fragile ecosystems that exist in portions of their property. Interesting trade-off as long as the property owners are well intentioned. Just a thought....... Quote
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