| Dragon Boulders |
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Left Middle and Right Dragon Blades
Description Start in the Mcafee's Knob parking lot and take the AT headed towards Dragon's Tooth (not the Dragons Tooth trail). The Dragon Boulders are a series of protruding, overhanging blades that are a short two minute hike up from the parking off of the Dragon's Tooth Trail. These boulders offer several amazing boulder problems to choose from and are a great destination if you dont want to make the hike to the top of M-Knob. These blades are nice to include for your Roadside circut and the area is a bit quieter (less traffic/hiker distractions). The Dragons are of average height, being not too short and not too tall. Local developers/crushers Truc and Adam climbed most of these lines years ago, hopefully they wont care what Ive called the lines... If so just shoot me a message and fill me in!
Getting There Start in the Mcafee's Knob parking lot and take the AT headed towards Dragon's Tooth (not the Dragons Tooth trail). You will only walk for about two minutes.
The ClassicsMountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Dragon Boulders:
Browse More Classics in Dragon Boulders
Featured Route For Dragon Boulders
Firedrake V3 VA : McAfee's Knob : ... : Left Dragon
To the right of the obvious crack on the middle of the boulder you will see a right ascending line of featured hands and crimps. Sitstart at the lowest hands and trend up with the holds to the right to gain the jug crack, topping out useing the nice fin at the top.... [more] Browse More Classics in VA
Steve on the sit start
| Sheila working the line
| Elliot on the start
| Steve making moves
| Hugh working the arete
| Elliot making moves
| Arete moves!
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| Comments on Dragon Boulders |
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By Dave West From: Roanoke, VA Nov 23, 2011
| We cleaned out a huge redneck campsite here a couple years ago. We rolled a wheelbarrow up the trail and hauled out a huge load of trash. They abandoned everything, tent, camp chairs, etc. There's actually a decent lowball or two on the right hand set of fins. |
By Aaron James Parlier Administrator From: Boone, NC / Grayson, VA Nov 24, 2011
| Thanks Dave! haha, oh man... Gotta love the necks. I suppose thats where the scorched lower part of the Left Dragon came from huh? Yeah I scoped out the right lowball as well. It looks fun! Thanks for all of the hard work up there, Im sure getting a wheelbarrow up there was no easy task! If there are any names/grades/problems/history here that I can post just let me know. I feel the hillbilly camp clean-up should be added as some history as well. |
By Dave West From: Roanoke, VA Nov 29, 2011
| Yeah, I think what I called lowballs are listed on here as the Middle Dragon. The scorching was definitely from that camp site. There were at least 2 cases of empty Bud Light cans piled up around the base of that thing. |
By P. Sully Aug 3, 2012
| good on ya Dave for cleaning up these dragon fins of yore. wheelbarrow wielding peaceful warrior |
By Jay Shultis Administrator From: Blacksburg VA Oct 24, 2012
| Truc and Adam climbed most of these lines years ago, but I don't get the feeling they care what they are called. Thanks for the cleanup Dave! We took out some more and keep an eye out for glass, etc. A good little session for the V5 and under climber. More options than roadside for the V3 and under climber. Dragon circuit: climb 2 aretes on L Dragon (V0&V1), then, the Dragon Crack (V2), Firedrake (V3), then add Hydra (V4+), then Piasa (V5), and pump out on Middle Dragon Traverse (V4), Warm-down on Serpent Arete (V1). |
By Aaron James Parlier Administrator From: Boone, NC / Grayson, VA Oct 24, 2012
| Word up Jay, I just updated the page to relfect that. Its a cool place that doesnt get alot of traffic despite the short walk. Most of these lines are awesome! |
By Stuart Hickey Dec 25, 2012
| Hey went looking for these boulders today. Walked about thirty minutes up the trail until I decided I really must have gone to far. Any more info on the hike to the boulders would be great. |
By Aaron James Parlier Administrator From: Boone, NC / Grayson, VA Dec 25, 2012
| Stuart: Yeah you went WAY further than needed. Walk literally 2-3 min from the parking lot and look way up on the hill to your right. There is no sign for it or peculiar rock to look for. Feel free to go off trail to look for the area, there not too hard to locate. From the trail you will be looking at the back side of all the boulders/steep fins of rock so they will not look very "bouldery" from the trail. Walk no more than 5 min and back-track to the parking lot in that direction if need be. You'll find them. |
By Stuart Hickey Jan 8, 2013
| Thanks Aaron. I need to look further up the hill than I was I think. By the way glad to hear someone is working to develop the Va area. Im a Roanoke area native and know the state has great potential it just needs a little effort to develop. Keep up the good work and I look forward to the GHSP guide to come out. I want to work to get some more color photos of the Mcafee's area to post on Mtn Project. |
By Aaron James Parlier Administrator From: Boone, NC / Grayson, VA Jan 8, 2013
| Stuart, awesome to hear! M-knob is an amazing place and it would be great to get a few more photos up for it. Va has so much potintial, it's a great place to be! |
By Stuart Hickey Jan 11, 2013
| Hey Aaron, I found the boulders. I was looking on the Dragons Tooth trail out of the actual parking lot for Dragons Tooth off 311. I didnt realize you still meant the Mcafee's Knob parking lot and you walk south on the Appalachian trail out of the Parking lot. I was wondering if it would be too much to change the directions to say the Mcafee's Knob parking lot not the Dragons tooth lot and its the AT headed towards Dragon's Tooth not the Dragons Tooth trail. I hope I'm not overstepping here. It was very confusing initially reading the directions to figure out where exactly you were talking about. Of course it wont be hard for me to find now but I think it would definitely help others find this spot. And it definitely is a nice hidden gem of a spot with great routes Thanks again for doing such a great job on working to improve the climbing in Va. Im really looking forward to the climbing community growing in this area and you are doing a great job at encouraging that. |
By Aaron James Parlier Administrator From: Boone, NC / Grayson, VA Jan 12, 2013
| Nah, you're good man I was just going off of a map on the internet, it could've been wrong for sure. I changed it, let me know what you think. |
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