The Cereal Buttress is possibly the most popular spot at Rumbling Bald. It has a plentiful variety of routes, some multi-pitch; most are crack climbs, from moderate on up.
This area got its name back in the mid-70s, when pioneer Jeep Gaskin was scouting out the rock on a rainy day. Back home, he reported finding a "surreal buttress" and someone jokingly asked what kind of "cereal" it was. The name stuck.
Getting There
From the parking lot, follow the rutted old jeep road up right about three-fourths of a mile to where it peters into a trail. Follow the trail past a boulderfield; at an obvious split, go left for the left end of Cereal Buttress or the Comatose Area; go right for the main Cereal Buttress and Cereal Wall.
This may be the most classic finger crack in the state of NC! It's got sustained moves all the way with an awesome fingertip crux. You may have to take a number for this one on a cold, clear Saturday. ...[more]
One of the most prominent aspects of its' surreality is the 'air-conditioning chimney'--you can hear the water gurgling back in there somewhere, and yet the thing appears as dry as can be. If you've blown it by showing up at the Bald on a hot, steamy summer's day, you'll appreciate this feature perhaps more than any other.
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