Trip Reports - 6/30/01- My first visit to three NC climbing areas.

Story and photos by Wayne Busch

Chris Braund and I crossed the narrow bridge over the muddy Linville River in darkness, swollen from the recent deluge of rain as we snaked our way past Lake James and on towards the southern end of Linville Gorge. This would be my first visit to climb at Shortoff Mountain. Leaving the pavement, we turned uphill on to Wolf Pit Road driving cautiously up the washboard, trying to avoid the scars left by the cascading runoff. It deteriorated the higher we climbed towards Shortoff Mountain. I was relieved to find a level parking area at the end of the road, and we stretched out in the back of the van for the night. The rain came infrequently but in torrential blasts when it passed over.

View large photo of Shortoff north face

A whip-or-will woke us at the first hint of morning glow. Fog enshrouded the hillside, the warm dawn air thick and sticky, hinting at the heat of the day to follow. We ate a light breakfast before starting up the trail that leads to the top of the mountain. The sun burned red through the mists, forecasting the possibility of more rain later in the day. We emerged atop the granite faces that line the southern end of Linville Gorge, and made our way to the steep descent gully that cleaves the cliff line. Emerging at the bottom, we worked left crossing steep terrain still showing the results of the fires which burned through this area last fall.

See large photo of Shortoff cliff south

The rains left many of the routes wet, some with water still cascading off them. We progressed along the base of the wall, the soil loose and muddy, charred branches and fallen logs in our path.  It didn't take long to orient to the guide book, and we started looking for our first challenge. We chose to follow the Maginot Line 5.7*, described in Thomas Kelly's guide as the "best 5.7 in North Carolina". Chris would lead. It follows a large dihedral up two pitches to a position beneath a large roof. You then exit to the right, climbing out and around the roof, then up to the top of the wall. Though the book lists it as a four pitch climb, we made it in three. It was a great line, a nice climb. I'll have to repeat it on lead before I can confirm it is the "best 5.7 in NC", but I can highly recommend it.

Enlarge photo of The Maginot Line

It was approaching noon, and I felt uncertain about the weather. The sky above was mostly blue, though a few low clouds drifted across the gorge and higher up, cumulus white ones billowed upward with gathering moisture. I suggested we move on to a less remote location as I didn't want to be caught high on a wall in a storm like those that had come through the previous day. We stowed the gear and  hiked down the trail to the car, then  drove south to Rumbling Bald.

Enlarge photo of "easy" route

I'd never been to Rumbling Bald, as previous descriptions had warned me off - though there is a lot of rock here, it had been reported to be very steep and difficult, especially the multi-pitch routes. It proved to be true. Our goal was to find a route or two that were easy enough for first time climbers to get a taste of stone. Chris is building a house on Lake Lure, and it would be nice to find something for friends and family who visit to climb. We spent the remainder of the day evaluating the cliff faces on the hillside, looking for that "beginner route", but never finding a line that fit the bill. Of the easier ground we did find, it was wet and slick with moss, dissuading exploration. Eventually, near the end of the day, I led "Comatose 5.8" before we departed. It follows a large arch until it intersects with another, jumps over the bulge, and runs up to a set of anchors. There was little else here I was going to be comfortable climbing.

By the end of the day, I was exhausted. Though the rain had not developed, the heat and humidity remained oppressive. We'd covered a lot of ground and I felt I was still wearing much of it. We took a cool bath in Lake Lure, then drove into town for dinner. We passed the night at Chris's house.

View large photo of Comatose 5.8

Thursday morning, we arose early and drove south to Crowders Mountain. It's located well to the east of the mountains, one of a few small bumps on the otherwise flat ground that continues to roll to the Atlantic coast. It's convenient location Gastonia, good access from the highway, and proximity to Charlotte make it a very popular destination for beginning climbers, giving it the nickname "Crowded Mountain". The rock is heavily featured and coarse, the faces are short enough to allow of top roping of most of the routes.

Enlarge photo of Crowders

We started by dropping a top rope on "Eye Sockets 5.10", and flailed around on it for a while, never making the challenging roof move, now harder that one of the key holds was broken off. We moved around the corner and played on the Fortress Wall, climbing Big Crack 5.3 and Finger Crack 5.6. We moved next to The Middle Finger, an impressive feature. I attempted to lead the 5.7 route via a direct (more difficult) start, and was rebuffed until fear and exhaustion caused us to move on. We then roped Ooga Chocka 5.8 and The Nose 5.5 on the David's Castle wall. With the heat of the day now at it's peak and the crowds of climbers growing, we'd had enough. We hiked down to the car, and departed for home.

See larger photo of Crowder's Ridge

I'd visited three new places. Shortoff Mountain, Rumbling Bald, and Crowders Mountain. Rumbling Bald has little to offer for me. The climbing is way above my abilities. Crowders Mountain is as I'd heard, a place that sees a lot of attention due to it's location. I may revisit in cooler weather to explore it a little more. Shortoff Mountain holds the most promise. Though the approach is long, the climbing opportunities are abundant here on great rock with fantastic views.

Enlarge photo of Wayne on Finger Crack

Linville Gorge Climbing Area page
Linville Gorge Gallery

How to send your Trip Report

Top of Page

`