 North
Carolina - Rumbling Bald
 Location
Rumbling Bald Mountain overlooks Lake
Lure near the town of Chimney
Rock, NC. Its about 1 hour east of Brevard, NC (Looking Glass).
Drive time from Columbia, SC is 2.5 hours; from Greenville, SC:
1 hour
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Description
 Rumbling
Bald offers excellent but difficult one and two pitch climbs in
beautiful (though touristy) Hickory
Nut Gorge (map) filled by Lake Lure. The lake, created in the
1920's by the damming of the Rocky Broad River, is one of the most
picturesque in North Carolina. Flanked by Rumbling Bald Mountain
to the north and Chimney Rock to the south, it has something for
everyone, including climbers. Certain climbs offer views of Lake
Lure and all are very warm in the summer. Large caves and crevices
at ground level offer excellent natural air conditioning. Look for
climbs nearby. Rumbling Bald is said to have the best winter climbing
in North Carolina due to its perfect southern exposure. Chimney
Rock Park is a popular destination (think Rock City or Ruby
Falls, Chattanooga) that has lots of hiking and natural views, but
no climbing. Several scenes from The Last of the Mohicans were shot
in the Park. While on the topic of movies, Dirty Dancing and Firestarter
were both filmed at Lake Lure.
Enlarge view of Rumbling Bald
photo
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Directions
 From
Brevard, take US Highway 64 east through Hendersonville. Keep going
as you cross I-26 and continue until you reach the town of Bat Cave.
Here, US 64 joins US 74 as you turn to the right. Proceed to the
towns of Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. This is a popular tourist route
in the summer, so be prepared for slow going. As you pass through
Chimney Rock and into Lake Lure, look for Boys Camp Road on your
left. If you go across a bridge and see a bathing beach on your
left, you've gone too far. Take Boys Camp road about 1.5 miles to
the top of a ridge. On your left, look for a newly graveled road
(thank you Access Fund). Follow this road a short distance to the
first parking area. You can continue farther, but the parking gets
more difficult.
From Columbia, SC (I-26 via I-95 for Floridians): Continue on I-26
toward Greenville / Spartanburg. Just after reaching the NC border,
look for exit 36, SR 108 to Columbus/Chimney Rock/Lake Lure. Turn
right on SR 108 and continue for about 4 miles. When you reach an
intersection with SR 9, follow the signs to Lake Lure (left). Continue
for another 10 miles until you come down a hill and see Lake Lure.
Go left on Highway 64/74/9 for 4 miles, passing a bathing beach
and marina on your right. Take Boys Camp Road on your right and
follow the directions above.
![[ Yahoo! Maps ]](http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/mp/gr/mplogo.gif) Yahoo
scalable map
Map of Boys Camp Road, Lake Lure, NC
 Topo
map (TopoZone.com link)
Hickory
Nut Gorge (map)
Show larger view of Pull
the Plug
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Cliff Access
 From
the parking lot, continue along the road directly toward the cliff
face. There are two access trails. The first begins at the end of
the road, roughly following a straight line from the parking lot.
This trail leads to the west end of the Cereal Buttress area and
to the Hanging Chains area. To reach the second trail, follow the
road as it turns right and down to cross a creek. At some point,
the trail departs the road to the left and heads straight to the
cliff at the Cereal Buttress. You may have to bushwhack a little,
but you can't miss it.
Enlarge view of cliffs
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  Guidebooks
The Climbers Guide to
North Carolina by Thomas Kelley, First or Second
Edition ONLY, by Thomas Kelley. Access to Rumbling Bald was questionable
for some time, resulting in its exclusion from the 3rd edition.
Selected Climbs in North
Carolina - Yon Lambert and Harrison Shull.
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Routes
 Fruit
Loops 5.7, Lakeview Slab 5.8, Comatose 5.8, Chickenhead City 5.9,
Breakfast of Champions 5.10+, Shredded Wheat 5.11a, Wild Hickory
Nuts 5.11b, Bee Tree 5.5, Pull the Plug 5.11 a/b
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Land Manager:
Land is privately owned.
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 Emergency
Information:
Call 911. You are in Rutherford County.
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 Gear:
The rock here is a blend of that found at Table Rock and Looking
Glass. There are large, slabby sections of smooth granite, but also
plenty of vertical cracks that take gear nicely. Its not quite as
featured as Table Rock, but not nearly as runout as Looking Glass.
There has been some bolting on the more difficult routes, but the
area is typical NC trad. Bring a full rack.
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Facilities:
 There
is no camping at Rumbling Bald, but several pay campgrounds are
in the area. Reservations are a necessity during summer weekends.
The Hickory Nut Falls Campground in Chimney Rock is about 4 miles
away (704-625-4014). There is also an RV park on the right as you
turn onto Boys Camp Road from Lake Lure.
The best bet for some privacy is the Creekside Campground about
15 miles west on Highway 64/74. Go back through Chimney Rock and
Bat Cave and about 5 miles up on the left. The tenting areas are
secluded and nicely wooded, but with the usual bathroom/shower facilities
and a camp store.
For a more comfortable stay, there are several B&B's in the area.
Large view of Fruit Loops
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Seasons:
The cliffs face south making for a warm location in winter. Summer
can be hot, though much of the area is shaded by trees. Best seasons
- fall / winter.
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 Access
Notes
RECENT DEVELOPMENT -
3/3/04 - The access and parking areas are involved in an interfamily
land dispute which may end up in a sale of the land thereby threatening
access to the cliffs. Sizable portions of the cliff are currently
for sale. One has recently been sold to a land developer. The Carolina
Climbers Coalition is making efforts to address this recent
problem.
ACCESS FUND ALERT - Paraphrased from an article published in Vertical
Times January 2000, Monthly newsletter of the Access Fund;
Access to the climbing area at Rumbling Bald has been jeopardized
by climbers themselves. The private landowner allows climbing, but
NOT CAMPING. Remember, this is PRIVATE LAND. Please use an official
campground. Additionally, local thieves have noted the crowds, and
the problem of car break-ins is now a concern. Don't keep valuables
in your car.
Show large view of Bee
Tree
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 Miscellaneous
The reappearance of Rumbling Bald and improvements to the entrance
are due largely to the efforts of the Access Fund. Please support
this organization that is so critical to the climbing community.
If you pass through Asheville, a stop at Black
Dome Outfitters might allow you to snag a copy of a fairly detailed
map of ton's (71) new boulder problems in the area.
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Links
Rumbling Bald Trip Reports
7/03/01 3 NC Spots
Wayne Busch & Chris Braund Photos - Chris Braund and Wayne Busch
hit three North Carolina Climbing spots - Shortoff Mountain, Crowders
Mountain, and Rumbling Bald.
9/25/98 - Whiteside
Mountain and Rumbling Bald Trip Report - Submitted by the Buttinskis,
a.k.a. Jeff and Chris Braund. The Brothers climb Whiteside with
Matt Floyd, then spend a day at Rumbling Bald.
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