Smack dab in the the crux of Encore... and the Fat Lady. The two routes share the first 20 feet or so, and then Encore breaks left through even steeper terrain. This is the character of Hawksbill climbing -- steep, clean, juggy and TRAD! Photo by tuna.

Is it the single best trad route of its grade in the state? I think so. Jugs almost the whole way, text-book letter-box TCU placements... what more could you want? Oh, right... an ever-steepening, breaking wave of impeccable high-quartz sandstone including a stunning, foot-cutting, heel-hoooking roof finish! Photo by Tuna.

C-Murda running a lap on the Encore finish to The Fat Lady

This is Hawksbill as seen from Wisemans View.

Summer slopers in the High Country. One of the many great routes in and around Hawksbill, King of Kings is a summertime classic that Jacob insists "is always dry."

If you look closely you can see the cam in his mouth. In order to hold the correct body tension, he had to climb with the cam in his mouth and place while on a really bad sloper. This was the first free ascent of this established aid line.

After a few tries Meesh made it happen. King of Kings is a great mixed route that offers steep, well protected climbing. Hawksbill, North Carolina.

Lower Hawksbill has got to be one of my favorite places to climb in NC! King of Kings is a fun, steep mixed route that gets lots of traffic for the area.

Hawksbill, located in NC's Linville Gorge is home to some of the best trad/sport climbs the state has to offer!

Sarah Anderson slacks off on Labor Day weekend, 2004. Photo by j_ung.

Sarah Anderson out for a day of slabbing at Hawksbill.

Second in a series of Sarah at Hawkbill on Labor Day weekend, 2004. Photo by j_ung. Color enhanced.

j_ung gettin' his climb on during a much needed day off. Photo by Wendy Young.

Seth Finkelstein on Line of Fire. Seth was given a tour of NC by some unsavory characters...

This is me seconding up the beautiful roof on "Lost in Space." My partner Ron is chilling on the ledge above after a beautiful flash of the route. And this picture is taken with a digital zoom on a camera from the ground by my roommate Seth.

Seth getting awfully close to the rock while seconding on the first pitch of Lost in Space. This was also his first attempt on multipitching...not a bad intro ehh?

Hope this isn't 'too' offensive. But this is a funny shot of my partner and I after the second pitch on "Lost in Space." My friend took it with a digital camera standing on the ground about 180ft below.

This route was really cool. It is definitely a classic line at Hawksbill. We did only the first pitch but the second pitch is supposed to be just as stellar.

Standing on the summit of Hawksbill

Luke on a one of the 5.10 sport routes at MIddle Hawksbill. This is the 4th route downhill from "If you bolt it, they will come"

Luke climbs one of the 5.10 routes at middle Hawksbill

Phil Hoffmann on the Crux Pitch of Swing Your Partner