Heat, humidity, rain, chiggers, no-see-ums, mosquitos, deer flies, poison ivy, stinging nettles, secret local crags with no topos where they don't think Eric is the end-all and be-all of climbing, rattlers, water mocassins, copperheads, local good-ol'-boys in big trucks with Dixie horns and guns, mean dogs, poor white trash neighborhoods next to the crags, no decent coffehouses next to the crags, southern girls in tiny shorts that hate pretty boys and snobs, sneaky hateful policemen in speed traps, forest rangers with an attitude toward big-city climbers and out-of-states plates, rough roads, unmarked intersections, high-priced gasoline and microbrews AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS that keep all but the toughest, strongest, hottest, smartest, most party-hardy folks from up North and the transplants from out West right where they are... up North and out West, wasting time peeing on the South when they all tell us how much rock they've got to climb...

Loved the Big Ditch, Needles, Red Rocks, J-tree, Hueco, Jacks, Devil's, Shelf, all those places, but there was always something missing. Been to all 48 of the Lower, been to the Islands, and now I'm back home in West(smile when you say it)by-God Virginia, with 12-month-a-year rock 2 miles away, Seneca just over the ridge, Franklin (and a handful of my rigs) just down the road, and NRG just a short morning commute to the south. After 29 years of wandering around back in these woods, I'm just starting to tap the potential of this place... hell, the only reason God covered WV with trees was to keep all the rock this place has got a secret from out-of-towners busily following their Falcon Press directions to the crag Mr. Horst never climbed at...

for those that need a little background soundtrack...John Denver's "Take me home, Country Roads"

naaaawww...

More like Charlie Daniel's "Long Haired Country Boy."

To quote my neighbor-

"Don't need no music from no coke-sniffin' colorado boy who couldn't fly his own plane..."

Yeah, I know... but most of the ones who DID don't waste their time trying to play "The West is The Best".

I made the reverse migration--grew up in WY, moved to NC for school!

I moved from Alabama to Colorado a long time ago. I still sigh whenever someone posts a pic from Sandrock, or Palisades Park, or T-Wall, or Sunset. My old stompin' grounds. Best part of the south is that hard southern sandstone, which I consider the finest climbing medium available. The south is just a bit shy on the walls though. Whitesides is about the only option of really big routes.

But most people in the south are just plain friendly. It's not just a sterotype. I used to be able to go out to Sandrock if I didn't have a partner and just sit down next to some folks and next thing you know they'd be asking if I wanted to join them. Made some great friends that way.

Old Dude- Looking Glass and Laurel Knob also have some big routes. Whitesides ain't the only game in town.

I've always said the southern Appalachians is my favorite area. The big difference from out west is that it is green. We have seasons and water (usually) which brings awesome and ever changing flora and fauna to our climbing areas.

And by the way, why is Kentucky considered "southern"? It is one state removed from Canada for gosh sakes.

Kentucky may be part of the south, but the cast of characters at Miguel's usually aren't. Too many Michiganites and Ohioans. Better to go to the T-Wall and meet cool southern characters like Jeff and many others whose names escape me.