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Dixie crackheads: Best crack climbs in the South?

spacebrain1991 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 0

Great lists folks! Got some crack climbin to do fosho! Can't wait to break into the 11 and 12 range but there is a lot of classics ten and under as well

Jim Corbett · · Keene, NY · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 10

T Wall has lots of them (Crackattack and Blood on the Rocks haven't been mentioned), but it's not the center of the universe. Some worthy semi-obscurities:

High Point

Silver Platter
High Point
(and Stan's Jams is at least as good as Stan's at Sunset)

Lost Wall

Persistence (duh)
Five Star Sex
Batman

Lots of stuff not in the books, that happens when you have miles and miles of sandstone.

In the Cashiers area, included without location because access is, while not exactly prohibited is at least who you know dependent:

P1 Stone Free
P3 Skyhedral

Shredded Wheat at Rumbling. I'm sure Rumbling has a bunch more.
I'm sure I can think of a bunch more given a little time.

Kevin McGuire · · Lawrenceville, Georgia · Joined Sep 2014 · Points: 10

Agreed about Twall, Jim. I am not climbing at the level yet, but I wonder if Dixie Reality at Rumbling Bald will make the list someday with more traffic. It's definitely got the aesthetics!

Joseph DeGaetano · · Fayetteville, WV but curren… · Joined May 2008 · Points: 560

A lot of the already mentioned ones are classics. Here a few others from various areas that haven't been mentioned yet.

Old Rag

The the
Sunset Crack
Return to Sickbay
The Crackling

NRG
Indian Summer
Basic Bubba Crack
New Fangled Dangle
Carny Crack
Begoon Corner
First Strike
Southern Hospitality
Bushido

Looking Glass
The last two pitches of the Glass Menagerie
First pitch of Dum De Dum

Brian E · · Western North Carolina · Joined Mar 2005 · Points: 348

Here's an obscure one:

Tennessee Tendonitis (which is actually in NC). The approach to Dixie Reality is long. The approach to this one is not.

Tennessee Tendonitis

Brian E · · Western North Carolina · Joined Mar 2005 · Points: 348

Or how about the Super Crack of Linville:

mountainproject.com/v/10873…

wpfister Pfister · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 55

Be Esperanza... where the hell is that?!

Brian E · · Western North Carolina · Joined Mar 2005 · Points: 348

WP, didn't we once have plans to climb that you bailed on? And now you want beta... typical.

Bstriker · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 50

P1) of Refelections (SC)

Cornflake Crack
Captain Crunch (NC)
The Open Book

Hands Across America
Confetti Fingers
Rainbow Delta
Hungry For Heaven (TN)
Suck Crack
Pursuit of Excellence
Blood on the Rocks
Layaway Plan

Pnelson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2015 · Points: 635
Be Esperanza wrote:WP, didn't we once have plans to climb that you bailed on? And now you want beta... typical.
ZING! Oh, and that roof looks badass.

Good to see some shoutouts to Looking Glass's north side. Cornflake, Safari Jive, pitch one of Invisible Airwaves, and the Womb are all badass routes.

That said, for PURE crack climbs– splitters that are laser cut up featureless walls, which have cruxes that require pure jamming as opposed to laybacking, stemming, or face cruxes– are pretty rare in the Southeast. Greatest Show on Earth and Genocide at the NRG, Mrs. Socrates at T-Wall, All That Glitters at the RRG, and even the aforementioned Cornflake Crack at LG are all spectacular, mega-classic climbs, but they're NOT pure crack climbs by this definition. Hell, I'd even argue that the NRG's "Chasing the Wind," which is one of the best pitchs of 5.11 I've ever done, is not a pure crack climb; even though it follows a beautiful crack, you're actually climbing little solution pockets inside the crack that are more like mini-jugs than real jamming constrictions.

Here's a shortlist of the best pure splitters I'm familiar with in the Southeast. Not mentioning anything from Old Rag, VA, just because I've never been there.

NRG:
Luv Nothing (5.120
New Yosemite (5.9)
Indian Summer (5.10)
Black Crack (5.12)

RRG:
Welcome to Ol Kentuck (5.13)
Defibrillator (original, not direct start, 5.11)
Kool Aid (5.11)
Crack Attack (5.9+)

Rumbling Bald:
Shredded Wheat (5.11)

T-wall:
Golden Locks (5.8)
Fingerlocking Good (the crux is just how the name describes, but is super short, 5.10)
Chad Namolik · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 2,905

Yeah +1 on Pnelsons comment about pure cracks. Although I've found some great sections of hands, fingers and fists here in the South. I rarely find the need to foot jam and consistently hand and foot jam for a long distance. Usually foot face holds provide rests or easier crack climbing. Its still really fun stuff, can't complain, I'm having a blast. Just not pure splitters like I've seen in Yosemite or the Needles of CA. But y'all got it good down here, the climbs are steep and less slabby than cracks I've been on in CA. Haven't been to the Creek yet so no comparisons there. Climb on!

Chad Namolik · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 2,905

Just back from Rumbling Bald and I really enjoyed Frosted Flakes. Great #3 size hand jams & R foot jamming. Sustained and pumpy.
Granola even was good for a spicy undercling/fingerlocks and slab traverse at the start up to a really nice small hands/lieback crack. Didn't do P2 though. Looks like some fists. (?)
Fruit Loops was a good one too for more of the same small hands/lieback stuff. Great 2P chimney climbing.

Reminded me a bit like the Valley. Cereal Buttress cracks would be a good prep for anyone heading to Yosemite to climb cracks.

kyle howe · · Knoxville, TN · Joined May 2013 · Points: 394

I stood beneath Crack Attack at RRG in the pouring rain and still have yet to climb it, but it has to be one of the best splitter cracks anywhere in the South.

Knife Crack - Jamestown
Finger Lockin Good - TWall
Golden Locks - Twall
In Pursuit of Excellence - TWall
Birds Nest Crack - Steele
Bumblebee Buttress - Linville
Rock Wars - RRG
Autumn - RRG
The Rose - Suck Creek
Rusty's Crack - Sunset

Kevin McGuire · · Lawrenceville, Georgia · Joined Sep 2014 · Points: 10

Agreed on the purity or lack thereof of cracks in the South (not that I am experienced climbing elsewhere, but hey, I see things)- still though, love what we do got.

Thanks for the recommendations everybody. My to-do list is long.

Doug Jones · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2023 · Points: 0

Liposuctor at clear creek in the obed (a rare 130 foot pure splitter with off width to hands to fingers on overhanging face). tons of lines at T-wall. many lines on north face of looking glass. several lines at rumbling bald. some hidden gems in Big South Fork and Sequatchie Valley. many lines at Sunset Park. many lines on endless wall. avoid red river. rock quality terrible for trad imo. seems like bama has some hidden gems as well. 

Ti ck · · souf yeast · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 1,760

Love "straight gas crack" at shortoff  short n stout crack i'm shamlessly plugging because its sick

the womb on looking glass 

p2 of T&B at Looking Glass

p1 Umdee dum dum @ looking glass

cornflake crack @ looking glass

Bloody crack @ looking glass

p1 invisible air waves @ looking glass

p1 Reflections 

p2-3 of groover at laurel knob

p2-3  double dihedral

p2 rattle snake crack @ johns rock

p1 rattle snake crack @ linville gorge amp

p1 Carbo man @ looking glass

p1 vomiting verglass @ cedar rock 

p1 dandy line @ cedar rock



looking good but have yet to touch:

supercrack @ shortoff

Tim M · · none · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 293

Nice second life to this thread. After scrolling through, I haven’t seen any mention of Seneca Rocks. Crack of Dawn (10a), Climb and Punishment (8+), Dirty Old Man (6) to name a few top shelf routes. 

Danny Birchman · · Chattanooga, TN · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 171

Octopod palace at Twall (no one does it but it's tits), Of Vice in men or BGP at Twall, did someone mention Finger locking good? Hungry for Heaven, crack attack, people's express, seal test, Time takes a cigarette, day's work, cake walk, rape conducive (one of the few route names that really bothers me), precious orr, golden gloves, centerfold, celestial mechanics (it's rare that it's dry and it is now), fists of fury, air raid, air born, Hookers and blow, electric ambiance, all the colors of love (F that crux

Danny Birchman · · Chattanooga, TN · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 171
Doug Jones wrote:

Liposuctor at clear creek in the obed (a rare 130 foot pure splitter with off width to hands to fingers on overhanging face). tons of lines at T-wall. many lines on north face of looking glass. several lines at rumbling bald. some hidden gems in Big South Fork and Sequatchie Valley. many lines at Sunset Park. many lines on endless wall. avoid red river. rock quality terrible for trad imo. seems like bama has some hidden gems as well. 

Trad at the Red is some of my favorite on the east coast. Be ready for desert quality rock but probably a little better. As people don't stop climbing after it rains and the place isn't trashed yet. 

I say climb it at the Red and enjoy a break from the crowds. Just be conservative if you're a novice gear leader. 

Danny Birchman · · Chattanooga, TN · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 171
Tim M wrote:

Nice second life to this thread. After scrolling through, I haven’t seen any mention of Seneca Rocks. Crack of Dawn (10a), Climb and Punishment (8+), Dirty Old Man (6) to name a few top shelf routes. 

West Virginia isn't really the south. As a matter of fact that's why there's a West Virginia to begin with. 

I need to make it to Seneca 

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Southern States
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