Rockclimbing | Ascents | North America/United States/North Carolina

Fruit Loops (5.7)

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 4 - Good way to start a day with lots of rock milage

Micro Chip (V3)

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 2 - .

Slash and Burn (V8)

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 4 - left to right, harder...9ish
On the main rumbling boulders page as mad Mardigan. needs to be deleted.

The Sail (V4)

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 5 - .

Boyz N Bary Dickcheese (5.10d)

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 3 - *

Chickenhead City (5.9)

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 3 - Not a good way to to finish out the day, after 4 other climbs. Fat and worn out. Made for a interesting lead. Had trouble pulling up my own ass. Got through it though had my doubts at the time.

Chinese Torture (V6)

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 2 - .

Dimpsty Dumpster (5.10a)

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 3 - *

Finger Crack (5.11a)

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 3 - I think this is the finger crack in the cave below Sisyphus

Lost at Sea (5.8)

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 4 - .

Lunatic Arete (V3)

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 5 - Big shelf felt surprisingly solid, more solid than I suspected. With one pad and one spotter, the spotter stays pretty busy dragging the pad around to keep it under the climber topping out. Way cool.

Patio Arete (V4)

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 5 - Fun moves, sustained, and a nice landing. Just fantastic.

Peek-A-Boo (5.5)

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 4 - Only the first pitch...didn't make "The Move". :( ...Give me a break though...the temps were in the teens and the route had some snow and ice on it. Alright, alright...I chickened out. I've climbed 5.11b roof cracks that were not as heady as that move. I'm a gumby and I have to live with it.

Slimen Hymen (5.10a)

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 3 - *

The Cave Route (5.5)

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 3 - It was extremely cold and windy, but this route was still fun...it could do w/o the bolts on the first pitch though. The terrain is quite easy, and without wife and kids, I would consider free soloing the first 2 pitches. The view off the second pitch "ramp" is quite beautiful.

The Matrix (5.12c)

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 5 - First roof seemed harder than thin crux. 12 C section is less than vertical. 12 A section involved a bit of trick climbing. Up high, the climbing is reasonable. Take care at the last crux. No fall areas on positive holds, with the possible exception of the last crux. Limited natural gear. A few cams 1/2 to 3 inch and a medium nut or two.

The Mummy (5.5)

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 4 - Although bitterly cold, windy, and icy, I still thoroughly enjoyed this climb (and the Amphitheater)...although the approach should be factored into the grade as it is THE crux in the winter. Either descending the ice and rock choked main Amphitheater gully (which my parner Josh and I named "The Devil's Grundel", or traversing the rotten and disintegrating rim trail, and rapping down behind the Mummy Buttress (the latter we indorse wholeheartedly), it's surprisingly a dangerous, wild place for the Southeast U.S. in winter. With the short days and difficult approaches, don't expect to climb the last piches of the day in anything less than pitch black....and if you're lucky, maybe it won't snow. It's just good, miserable fun! Enjoy!

The Prow (5.4)

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 3 - My friend and I roped up for this one (in the dark), but now that it's over, we both agreed that we would simul-climb or free solo it to get out of the Gorge next time. Nothing scary about it. ..And a GREAT view of the Mummy Buttress, and Shortoff Mtn. an few miles down the Gorge! Beautiful.

The Prow (5.4)

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 5 - Good pro everywhere, nice ledges, be sure to protect the traverse for a noob on the last pitch. Great views and exposure.

The Vermin (5.10b)

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 3 - *

Voodoo Chill (5.11a)

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 3 - Voodoo Child

White Trash (5.10a)

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 3 - *

Second Coming (5.7)

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 4 - linked the 2nd and 3rd pitch together

Papa Bear (5.9)

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 4 - Climbed this before but noticed that the main hold for moving out around the roof flexes in a bad way. Eventually this thing is going to snap off and hopefully not hit the belayer on the way down! The way we tried it it became a lot harder as you basically need to reach way out to the lip from the hand jam and just grab a crimp. From there it's up to a right hand jug and work your way up flailing with somewhere to put your feet.

Baby Bear (5.11a)

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 4 - The start lets you know what you are getting into and it doesn't really let up until you land the jug at the top of the finger crack. Still haven't quite gotten though the one move below that but it's going to happen soon.

Short but fun finger crack climb. Good intro to harder climbing for newbies.

Granola (5.8)

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 4 - Great climb don't overlook the start it will bite you.

Comatose (5.8)

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 5 - Love this climb. Lots gear and rests the bottom half. I pull the roof out left before the wide 4" section, but no gear to the top 40+ feet easy climbing.

Overhanging Hangover (5.11b)

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 4 - Yea, it's a good route. The crux comes getting around that first roof. Beta will help make it happen without it being too difficult. Granted, it's not easy, but it feels easier with the right moves. Going to go back and try leading it soon.

Blind Prophet (5.12c)

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 4 - Climbed a TR someone put up on this (thanks Ed!) and loved it. Fun and kind of hard face moves up to the roof section. The roof was a bit tricky without much in the way of feet and a long reach to a jug. That roof move was pretty strong. Just above the leader had placed a cam between the last bolt and the next which was very useful for staying in the right place if one fell off. We ended up on the anchors for black and blue velvet, but the route continues up through the big roof. Recommended, but there was a creepy blood stain (kind of a lot!) at the base of the climb, so be careful if you lead it! Pretty sustained for the grade, and only 11a if you go to the BBV anchors.

When Shrimp Learn to Whistle (5.11a)

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 3 - I've been on this a couple times and haven't done it cleanly yet, although I've only been to the first set of anchors. The move up the arete via the crimpers is pretty darn hard. Actually, there are two hard moves then you are through the hard bits, at least for this part of the climb. Looking forward to working through it and then trying the roof section. Relatively easy for the rest of the climb, but the crux is harder than others of this grade at Pilot I think.

Black Rain (5.9)

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 3 - *

Devil in the White House (5.10d)

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Rating: 4 - This is great. Last time I contemplated this, it was covered in wasps (late fall) so I skipped it. Pilot can have a lot of bugs - wasps, bees, and lady bugs! This time a friend led it and I got a TR. Recommended, although it's a bit on the stiff side.

I suggest a tricam or cam for just below the first bolt. The climb up to that point isn't bad, but I thought there was a little bit of a move to clip the first bolt, which isn't really what you want when you had to free solo up through 15 feet of easy stuff. Good climb the rest of the way though!