Rock Climbing : Insider Tips

Western offers more rock climbing than any other state east of the Mississippi River, with more variety, diverse rock types, and climbing styles to boot. Beginners can learn to climb at the chimneys of Linville Gorge, Mount Holloway, and the crags along Hwy 221. Lead climbers will enjoy Looking Glass Rock, Rumbling Bald, and the towering walls along the Linville rim. The seasoned multipitch leader will find the tallest walls on the eastern seaboard at Whitesides Mountain and Laurel Knob.

Fortunately, Transylvania County is home to a number of professional climbing outfitters, most notably Appalachian Mountain Institute, Fox Mountain Guides and Climbing School, Looking Glass Outfitters and Pura Vida Adventures. Any one of them would be an ideal starting point to arrange guide service and instruction, buy or rent equipment, or just get pointed in the right direction.

The Adventurist asked Ron Funderburke, an AMGA Certified Rock Guide and Senior Guide at Fox Mountain Guides and Climbing School and Phil Hoffman from Looking Glass Outfitters to give us their takes on the local climbing scene. Here’s their best advice for the different categories of climbers, with recommendations for both Transylvania County and beyond.

Beginners

Phil Hoffman

“Here’s the thing that’s different about climbing: it’s not an instant gratification sport. You have to achieve a foundational level of knowledge to climb safely. There are a couple of good guidebooks that are available locally, but they will read like a foreign language if you don’t have the background. And the best way to get that background — here or anywhere else — is to hire a guide at one of Transylvania County’s four excellent and reputable guide services. That’s the best place to start.

“The first time out, you’ll learn how to get into and out of a harness, how to belay, how to tie some basic knots, and how to communicate using verbal signals. You’ll top it off with several toprope climbs. It makes for a long, exhausting day. But I have to tell you, most first-time climbers find it an exhilarating experience. And when you’re done, you’ll have a solid foundation upon which to build additional skills.

“At Looking Glass Rock, first timers do a top rope climb of “Lichen or Not”. It’s graded 5.5 on the climbing scale (the scale starts at 5.0 and goes to 5.15b). It’s a physical challenge for a beginner, but once you reach the top, there’s a real sense of accomplishment. Another top-ropable climb is Short Man’s Sorrow rated 5.6.”

Ron Funderburke

“At the start of their climbing careers, beginners are short on equipment and technical expertise. So they need a place like the boulder fields of Rumbling Bald, near Chimney Rock, NC, a place where climbing shoes and a bouldering pad will safely deliver hundreds upon hundreds of 10 to 20 foot boulders. Those climbers who know how to set up a top rope can easily access The Chimneys, near Table Rock,

The Land of Waterfalls | Transylvania County, Brevard NC | visitwaterfalls.com | 1-800-648-4523 (Continued) p.2

Rock Climbing : Insider Tips perched high atop the eastern rim of Linville Gorge. Here you can gain experience on 50 to 60 foot rock climbs of all difficulties, highlighted by miles of plummeting terrain as the Linville river murmurs in the distant backdrop.”

Directions to Rumbling Bald: “One of the main attractions in North Carolina’s Chimney Rock State Park, Rumbling Bald is most easily accessed via the village of Chimney Rock. From the village, head east on Hwy 64 for one mile until Boy’s Camp Rd emerges on the left. Take Boy’s Camp Rd uphill for another mile as the towering walls of the Bald emerge to the north. A steep uphill left turn leads to the signed gravel parking area. Chris Dorrity’s excellent guidebook will help all newcomers find the choice boulders and best trails to access them.”

Directions to the Chimneys: “The picnic area at Table Rock, high on the eastern rim of Linville Gorge is easily located on any road map. Travelling North on Hwy 181 from Morganton, one will arrive at signed left turn into Gingercake Acres, directing visitors to the Table Rock Picnic Area. A long and bumpy forest road winds south, past Sitting Bear, Hawksbill, and the Spence Ridge Trailhead to signed right turn. The road winds steeply, up and up, to a large and commodious picnic area. Climbers will want to hike south on the white blazed Mountains-to-Sea trail and pick a chimney of their choice.”

Lead Climbers

Ron Funderburke

“Once a climber has spent enough time seeking instruction and mentorship, they will probably learn to lead climb. In North Carolina, the Sport Climbing did not emerge at our most prominent crags; it was, in fact, intentionally eschewed when climbs could be naturally protected. So, the North Carolina lead climber must learn to lead traditionally protected routes. But that’s okay, because there are hundreds of such routes, at all difficulties. You can stand in a 500 foot sea of eyebrows, jam and stem your way up long corner systems, or grapple endless edgy face climbs at Looking Glass Rock.”

Phil Hoffman

“For someone who possesses climbing skills but has never been to Looking Glass Rock, I would recommend ‘The Nose.’ In fact, you can’t come to Looking Glass and not climb this route if you’re capable. It’s very long, about 400 feet, which equates to four pitches. It was the first route ever established on Looking Glass in 1966 and it’s the most popular. I’ve climbed it twenty times and every time I go up, I’m amazed at how good it is.”

Directions to Looking Glass: “From Brevard, take Hwy 276 North into the expansive . A left turn on Forest Road 475 will wind its way past the hiking trail to Looking Glass’ summit and the Fish Hatchery until a right turn can be made onto the Forest Road 475B. The three prominent parking areas for Looking Glass’ South Face, Nose, and North Face areas will sequentially pop up on the right.”

Directions to Table Rock: “Follow directions as for the Chimneys, mentioned above. At the Table Rock picnic area, instead of hiking south on the Mountains-to-Sea trail, as for the chimneys, hike North. After a short distance, a climber’s trail turns right off the Mountains-to-Sea trail and circumnavigates the South, East, and North Faces of Table Rock.”

The Land of Waterfalls | Transylvania County, Brevard NC | visitwaterfalls.com | 1-800-648-4523 (Continued) p.3

Rock Climbing : Insider Tips

Experienced Climbers

Ron Funderburke

“When a climbing team has learned to move efficiently over difficult terrain, manage occasional runouts of moderate climbing, free climb cruxes with precision, improvise a little aid when necessary, and get themselves out of an impromptu thunderstorm, their imaginations will drift to the two biggest walls in the east, Whitesides Mountain and Laurel Knob.”

Whiteside Mountain Directions: “Whitesides Mountain has a clearly signed pull off and parking area that one will discover driving west on Hwy 64 from Cashiers, NC to Highlands, NC. A maze of trails attract hikers and tourists, but the rock climbing party will want to take an inconspicuous steep right turn off of that summit trail. This climbers trail descends steeply and wanders east along the base of the southeast face of Whitesides.”

Laurel Knob Directions: “Laurel Knob is accessed via a long and beautiful hike through Panthertown Valley. The following directions were taken directly from the Carolina Climber’s Coalition website. The CCC owns the crag, so a visit to their website will educate climbers about the rules for climbing the Knob, trails systems, and how climbers can help support the CCC to preserve more climbing areas in the Carolinas. Check out www.carolinaclimbers.org to learn more.”

To access Laurel Knob: U.S. 64 west through Sapphire, NC. Turn right on Cedar Creek Road, then right on Breedlove Road all the way to the Panthertown Valley trailhead parking area. Park here, walk-in, and follow the CCC climbers’ trail to the base of the cliff.

1) From the Saltrock Gap parking area, hike down the gravel road toward Panthertown Valley.

2) Take the easy turn into Big Green Mountain, bear left at the first tight switchback and follow this established road, cross Frolictown Creek. As the road approaches Deep Gap, the CCC trail (single- track) veers up and to the right. Please note Deep Gap and road beyond are located on Private property – stay off!

3) Follow this contouring trail to a log over a stream and then on to the corner marking the property line between the USFS and the CCC.

4) From the corner marker, the very obvious trail heads southwest following the straight line of the easement boundary line. You will contour across a mossy stream and about 100 yards of mossy slab.

5) Soon the slab becomes steep and the trail makes a short curl back down and left into the woods then back right and follows along the edge of a laurel and rhododendron thicket and below the steep mossy slab.

6) You will see a gravel road in the gap to your left. Do not hike near or onto that road. That is all private property. Stay on the CCC built trail and pass the CCC info kiosk on the right.

7) At 100 yards past the kiosk, the trail begins the 600-foot descent down many switchbacks to the very base of the main face of Laurel Knob. The first route that you will come to is Manatee Fluid. Continue down and around to the other routes.

The Land of Waterfalls | Transylvania County, Brevard NC | visitwaterfalls.com | 1-800-648-4523