Groover (Fischesser Finish) 

Given the potential for epics at Laurel Knob, plus the skimpy route information in the CCC mini-guide, this route description is a real public service. Thanks!

The updated version of the NC Guidebook will have a thorough chapter on Laurel Knob.

Good post Ben.

I was geared up and expecting long run-outs on P4, which turned out to be 100+ feet if you don't traverse right out of the 2nd water groove and get some pro in the crack. There is also a marginal opportunity to sling a chickenhead 60-80 feet above the gear around the lower traverse. I was not expecting P6 to be extremely run-out: the traverse away from the P5 bolted anchors and transition into the crack is tricky, wet, slimy, and unprotected (30 feet right). After getting into the groove/crack, it is another 30' until pro is available in a downward facing flake to the right side of the groove. Above that the terrain is easier, but expect 100' runout to the anchors.

The only thing bad about this route is the rappel. We found all the gear on P4 and felt it was easier on the mind than some of the stuff at Stone Mountain. P4 had holds unlike Stone, but we didn't think it was 5.8. P3 felt like the hardest pitch. Also, instead of hiking the awful gravel road, use the Wilderness Waterfall Trail, which is now marked with signs at the trail heads.

If the forbidden fruit groove is wet as it usually is and you don't fancy getting your ropes soaked and you have a 70m lead rope and a 60m tag line, you can rappel 60.5 meters from the p5 bolted anchor of groover variation finish / p7 of forbidden fruit to the bolted anchor of p4 of the new route fruit of the poisonous tree which is in the groove to 15 meters the left. From there it is 4 straight forward rappels in a groove that never seeps to the ground

Very fun route. My thoughts/notes: rack - next time I would only take a blue alien, double green, yellow, grey and red aliens (or whatever you have) and double C4's .5/.75 to 3, maybe some nuts. I don't see the need in the #4 or tri-cams; 12 runners, 2 anchor pieces. P1 - get your slab on - plenty of gear for almost an entire rope lenght. Tree anchor - 200 ft/5.7. P2 - continue and don't forget to place a few pieces along the way. Gear belay - 200 ft/5.6. P3 - continue up crack/slab with probably the single hardest move at a bulge. Gear belay - 200 ft/5.7. P4 - from belay climb up a bit and place a #3, then down climb until it looks easy enough to head into a groove, go up a little and continue over into the second groove (somewhere in a crystal pod I placed a red alien. It was level/slightly higher than the #3 and almost gave the second a TR). I only found that one piece of gear until the climbing got easy. Gear belay - 160 ft/5.7. P5 - continue up crack/slab past bulge to FF anchors. Bolts - 70 ft/5.7. P5 - I climbed up and right on slab to a groove to the top. I found one piece of gear on this pitch. Bolts - 120 ft/5.6.

I thought the hardest move of the route was on p3. I thought the "heady-est" move was off the anchors of FF about 15 feet with no gear. Don't know if I was too far right or what getting into the groove. But the face was lichen covered and the groove was mossy.

There is a bolt now on P6 in the water groove at the crux move. On P4 since my leader didn't use the 0.5 Cam down low, I just traversed up and right from the initial crack towards where the big hole in the groove is. The moves weren't any harder than anything else on the climb and completely avoided having to down climb. (Edited to correct bolt location. I swear I remembered it differently....)

I think you mean pitch 6...last pitch.

No. It is pitch 6 - the last pitch. I was said leader. No bolts on pitch 4...repeat no bolts on pitch 4. The new bolt (at least from the last time I climbed the route last year) was a lone single bolt on pitch 6. Right after you step in the groove 15 feet right of the bolts at the top of FF. It is really the only pro on the pitch.