Wayne's Stone Mountain Trip Report
October 11 - 12th.

That pretty much describes the state your nerves must be in to climb at Stone Mountain, North Carolina. I've been more anxious on climbs, but not for such long durations. Stone Mountain hosts some of the cleanest friction there is on its' 600 foot granite dome. Popular routes may be polished smooth, but those less frequently climbed are still exfoliating with patches of "dixie crystals" - tiny loose flakes of rock that resemble sugar and feel like ball bearings under your feet. Notorious for a scarcity of bolts, the featureless faces test a leaders composure as he ventures out on a smooth vertical sea of rolling white granite. 30 feet to the next bolt is well protected, 40 to 50 feet relatively common. There is a 75ft. runout on the third pitch of the very popular No Alternative (a lowly 5.6 - not), followed by an exposed 5.4 rope length climb sans pro ending with a walk to the trees. This is a serious place to lead even the easiest of climbs. I wanted to push my limits on this trip, take a ride on the edge. Stone Mountain obliged.

I drove up to Elkin from Gainesville in a little over 8 hours, which I thought to be a fluke. Though it is Interstate Highway almost the entire route, the park is located near the Virginia border, a long way from my flatland home. I recall it taking more like 10.5 hours last trip. I must have miscalculated. I drove through Elkin, stopping at the Pizza Hut for a large to-go, and headed for the Stone Mountain State Park campground. It was full. I drove the local back roads for a while looking for a good place to pull off and spend the night, but found nothing. I settled for a short pullout about half a mile from the gate, and slept soundly in the van.

I returned to the campground in the morning to await the arrival of  Steve Longenecker. I made a pot of coffee and some oatmeal for breakfast. He came in ahead of schedule, and we drove to the trailhead. We sorted gear and finished breakfast. Our first climb would be an ascent to the large Tree Ledge via Crystal Lizard 5.8, an obscure route of essentially blank face. I slipped a few times at the start getting used to the sugar crystals on this little climbed route, and I believe both Steve and I harbored some doubt I would arrive at that first bolt 30 feet up without losing some flesh. I made it, establishing a momentum once I adjusted to the rock. The next bolt was about the  same distance higher, then it got sparse. This next section also started with a few slips caught by a small edge. I detoured to the right around the second bolt (crux), then took off smoothly to the bottom of the Tree Ledge, graced by one more bolt on the long pitch. I tied of to a big pine tree, and Steve followed me up.

See larger image of rock

A short scramble to the top of the ledge brought us to the Great Arch area -  home to many classic and popular climbs. Eyeing the selection of routes on the stone wall in front of me, I was drawn to Storm in a Teacup 5.9+ for my next challenge. Sandwiched between the classic Rainy Day Women 5.10a and the popular Mercury's Lead 5.9-, it gets less attention. Again a slip at the start confirmed the presence of some loose spots, but I was practiced now and the rest of the pitch went with a lot of sweat and cautious, hesitant movements like a fly up a water glass. Steve came up, joining me on the small belay ledge (more a step than a ledge). He asked if I wanted to do the second pitch, and I responded so enthusiastically I think it surprised him. The second pitch went much smoother now that I'd learned to control my clutch a little better on those loose starts. My partner came up, and I offered him the third pitch to the top. He concluded the climb at the trees atop the Great Arch. We had some snacks and chatted with a family of hikers for a while, then hiked back down the Stone Mountain Trail to our cars for lunch.

I must have been feeling funky, because when Steve mentioned Grand Funk Railroad 5.9, it resonated for me, and I suggested we do it next. "We won't need much gear for this one", he said and we left the parking lot with a rack that would fit in your pocket to do a six pitch, 600 foot climb. Grand Funk follows two  linear crystalline extrusions (dikes) spaced about as far apart as railroad tracks which angle up and to the left from a point at the ground about 100 yds. right of the Great Arch to a finish at the trees above No Alternative. The crux of the climb comes early with a traverse across a blank face down low to access the diagonal railway, then a tiptoe along the ghost rails to the top. You'll climb like an express train on this route as there are few stops for rusty old bolts or gear placements. Two bolt belay points are located above or below the dikes making your train pull off the tracks at the stations. I was cruising so fast I blew by the fourth belay bolts  never seeing them in a large bowl below the dikes, barely reaching the bolts at the fifth station on a 200 foot rope. I'd slung two broken rails and placed only two shaky pieces of gear. I sweated a little on this long runout pitch as well, but it had some solid holds now and then to boost my confidence. I felt a little guilty about hogging all the fun, so I graciously offered Steve the last pitch. He went on, then brought me up to the trees. Good climb. Again we communed with some hikers for a while, then hiked down to the cars.

View larger photo of the top of the rock

I thought I recognized the car as I approached the turn onto the campground road. Karen and Chris Braund from Columbia, S.C., had come looking for me to climb with them tomorrow. I'd reserved us a campsite in the campground this morning leaving a red milk crate with a note under it, but the site was occupied when we drove up.

"I never saw any crate" the inebriated behemoth claimed, and since possession is 9/10 of the of the law, I convinced the crew I knew of a good place just outside the gates. I'd noticed a couple cars and tents in a hidden rough field near where I'd slept last night, and I guided them to the spot. Jake, the Braunds' dog, especially approved of the wild site. Karens' suggestion that we check out the Stone Mountain Cafe was well received, and we were soon standing in the crowded restaurant waiting for a table to open. There was live music tonight as a mountain Madonna belted out tunes to her electric piano and kareoke sound tracks. The fare was primitive but appropriate to the setting, and we left as the place closed for the night.

See larger photo of Steve

We parted company with Steve Longenecker Sunday morning. He had a client coming in for a day of guided climbing. Karen, Jeff, and I set off early, but arrived at the rock long after the initial wave of climbers. This was my new partners first experience with Stone Mountain, so it called for an introduction that wouldn't scare them off. I started with an ascent to the Tree Ledge via the Block Route 5.8. It would give them a serious taste of a long friction pitch. Once at the ledge, the typical progression is the Great Arch 5.5, followed by No Alternative 5.6 to get used to the friction and exposure, then on to the higher grades. We'd hoped to start on No Alternative leaving the Great Arch for Steve, but arrived at the ledge simultaneously with another party who wanted it. Since I'd told the others about the route yesterday, I felt obligated to let them have it. Climbers were flocking to the rock today with more teams ascending. We jumped on the Great Arch. Karen followed me, then Chris up the three pitches of corner-crack / face climbing to the trees atop the arch. They liked the climb a lot, it's a good one. We enjoyed the view for a bit, then hiked down the trail to the cars. The lot was packed today with people brought in by a country festival, busy with picnickers, hikers, sightseers and more climbers. We returned to the base of the rock to retrieve Jake, realizing that with this much traffic we'd probably have to wait a while for No Alternative. Unwilling to spend the afternoon waiting, I opted to hit the road back to Gainesville after lunch. We had a great climb, we'll come back when it's a little more quiet. I made the trip home again in 8 hours, 45 minutes, placing this challenging dome a little closer than previously thought in my huge southeastern playground.

Wayne Busch     Steve Longenecker

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