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Intro to NC

Medic741 · · Des Moines, IA (WTF) · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 265

Wow, so the last pitch was bolted?

Bob M · · Alpharetta, GA · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 50

BTW, Medic, you can climb the Nose in the shade this time of year if you get up really early. And of course, you'll beat the crowds that show up even when it's hot. Unfortunately, the second climb of the day will be full sun in this area.

nbrown · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 7,718
boo wrote:Ryan, you didn't offend me. Hardly. (You know me well, in fact.) But, you are typing high and mighty to someone who has contributed a lot to our region. The man can climb slabs! Not like you to be quite that disrespectful of the cuff, hence the brain fart comment. I wish Jim would post more on here, truthfully.
Boo, there are quite a few good slab climbers in this region, including NC. Pappy's smart ass response kinda comes from left field.

Mike added bolts to his old route and it's simple as that. His prerogative.

Maybe we should all have a slab-off... Would be fun! We could meet somewhere in Cashiers. Any takers?
Ryan Williams · · London (sort of) · Joined May 2009 · Points: 1,245
Jim Corbett wrote:Touchy. There used to be a tradition that we(GA types) would tweak you (NC climbers) and generally get you outraged about something or other, but everyone knew it was all just funnin'. Hardly amounts to cursing. It had just never occurred to me before that MP would have a forum I was interested in. I was immediately startled to read that a 'runout' that I actually thought was pretty mellow had been retroed, and more to the point that the retros were known and had survived for more than a day. Certainly Doc would be appalled. And as a personal opinion, I don't think retros should ever be added, even by the FA, except in dire emergencies, or when the previous natural 'pro' falls off, as it did on Wavetech! Not that I would do anything more than grumble if it was done by the FA or with his/her explicit permission. But I would think less highly of him.
Jim, sorry for sending you bad vibes. I'm happy with a bit of rivalry. Even though it will be years before I call NC home again, it's always in my blood.

I was just as surprised as you that bolts got added to Groover. So I went to the route page and sure enough, explanation is right there, plain as day. I've never climbed it with the new bolts and likely never will. I happen to think that it was just fine the way it was… BUT it was definitely inaccessible to some climbers, creating more traffic on Seconds and even Groover. Maybe traffic isn't an issue now, but it is in the forceable future.

boo wrote:Ryan, you didn't offend me. Hardly. (You know me well, in fact.) But, you are typing high and mighty to someone who has contributed a lot to our region. The man can climb slabs! Not like you to be quite that disrespectful of the cuff, hence the brain fart comment. I wish Jim would post more on here, truthfully.
I did not know that was you! You had me reading your old posts, trying to figure it out!

Anyways, you're right, I'm not usually so jumpy, I was probably in a bad mood that day. Well done for calling me on it! Hope you are well :-)

nbrown wrote:Maybe we should all have a slab-off... Would be fun! We could meet somewhere in Cashiers. Any takers?
If we can do it next November, I'm there! Or in 2018 when I can finally move back to NC haha!
Chris Whisenhunt · · Fayetteville, WV · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 995

I learned how to slab climb at LK and Stone and did some of my very first leads there like seconds, manatee fluid, and great white way. It all depends on your head game and ability. Some people use stick clips and some don't. Some sport climb and some trad climb, in the end it's all rock climbing and it's up to what ever YOU want to do. If you find a crazy enough partner to go to LK with you in the summer then I say do it. My first trip was in August and we did seconds and it was the best trip I have been on to date.

Mark O'Neal · · Nicholson, GA · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 3,323
nbrown wrote: Maybe we should all have a slab-off... Would be fun! We could meet somewhere in Cashiers. Any takers?
That does sound like fun. Need to wait till it gets cold again. It's getting too greasy out there now
saxfiend · · Decatur, GA · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 4,221
rock_fencer wrote:Al that being said - i'm equally shocked that groover had bolts to it considering entry level climbers have been at it for a few years now without major incident that i know of.
Well, I'm glad I led it before it got tamed. As has been said, it's the FA's prerogative, but it's baffling that he would feel the need to do this on a route that's been established for over 30 years. Sad.

JL
Jeff Mekolites · · Atlanta, GA · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 5,250
nbrown wrote:Maybe we should all have a slab-off... Would be fun! We could meet somewhere in Cashiers. Any takers?
Oh...now we have something going! We need to have a MP/slab climber anonymous/aficionados/get together. Maybe Ammons Branch or Panthertown CG. Do some serious slab/groove/crimping/crystal pulling throw down! Coming this fall/winter!
rock-fencer · · Columbia, SC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 265
Jeff Mekolites wrote: Oh...now we have something going! We need to have a MP/slab climber anonymous/aficionados/get together. Maybe Ammons Branch or Panthertown CG. Do some serious slab/groove/crimping/crystal pulling throw down! Coming this fall/winter!
shit i hate slab but if i can get away from school....as long as its better than the pisgah climbers festival from a few years back - that was such an awkward event
Tacoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 10

Hey Medic,
I see that you're in Pittsford.
I'm just south of you in Naples.
LG is awesome, been there on a road trip a few years ago.
For a moderate intro to slab, aka friction climbing, head to the 'Dacks and hop on Chapel Pond Slab.
Numerous routes across the slab ranging from 5.4 up.
BTW, the last time I climbed at LG, there was a god damned 4' Timber rattler living in the boulder field below The Nose...

rock-fencer · · Columbia, SC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 265
Tacoma wrote:BTW, the last time I climbed at LG, there was a god damned 4' Timber rattler living in the boulder field below The Nose...
oh they live everywhere around the base - be very careful at hidden wall too as the base of it is untrampled prime snake territory. They wont bother you if they don't get bothered. We had lunch with one just kinda crawling around us from hole to hole - unnerving to say the least
Jim Corbett · · Keene, NY · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 10

I was up at Fall Creek Falls in TN, which is just more of the unlimited rock in TN, wandering along the top of a 150' cliff on a steep scree slope looking for a rumored rap anchor, when a big fat rattler exploded out of the rubble right at my feet. Went straight up in the air for 10' (OK, maybe 18", I'm an old white guy), teetered on the edge on the loose crap and came the closest I can remember to the big plunge. Spent the next 15 minutes throwing off rocks and screaming, because I was going to kill the prick if I could find it. Never did. Oh well.
Then there was 'Flight of the Copperhead'...

Tom Caldwell · · Clemson, S.C. · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 3,623
nbrown wrote:Maybe we should all have a slab-off... Would be fun! We could meet somewhere in Cashiers. Any takers?
We should do it in a neutral zone like Table Rock SC. Its like Big Green, but steeper and still slab.
Mtn. Dumass · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2014 · Points: 0

Ya'll don't want none.

BirminghamBen · · Birmingham, AL · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 1,620
TomCaldwell wrote: We should do it in a neutral zone like Table Rock SC. Its like Big Green, but steeper and still slab.
...is not.

Either way, I'll be there representing the Alabama set.
Manfre · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 0
saxfiend wrote: Well, I'm glad I led it before it got tamed. As has been said, it's the FA's prerogative, but it's baffling that he would feel the need to do this on a route that's been established for over 30 years. Sad. JL
You can make any route less tame by skipping bolts or leaving the rope in the bag. Adding bolts makes the route more accessible to climbers who are not after the "if I mess up, I'm dead" rush.
Paul Barnes · · Gainesville, Georgia · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 30

(Yawn)

Somebody wake me up when they fix Big Green.

:)

saxfiend · · Decatur, GA · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 4,221
Manfre wrote: You can make any route less tame by skipping bolts or leaving the rope in the bag. Adding bolts makes the route more accessible to climbers who are not after the "if I mess up, I'm dead" rush.
Fortunately, this point of view is not subscribed to by most NC climbers. If anyone has ever "messed up and died" on the (former) P4 runout of Groover, I've never heard about it.

JL
nbrown · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 7,718
TomCaldwell wrote: We should do it in a neutral zone like Table Rock SC. Its like Big Green, but steeper and still slab.
Great idea! Would be good publicity for the wall.

Intense place for sure. Wonder if there would still be any shit talking at the end of that day...
rock-fencer · · Columbia, SC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 265

Probably only after we all change pants from doing Andrews routes

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Southern States
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