The Carolina Climbers Coalition has posted a handy topo map of the approach trail to Laurel Knob (or as some of us call it, the Bataan Death March). The map, combined with the written description in the Laurel Knob mini-guide, should help you avoid an epic just getting to the cliff.

The map can be found here

The approach is not that bad......and honestly, for the sake of the resource, i'm glad it is what it is......lest yet another climbing area become pedestrianized



"Give me convenience
or give me death"
dead kennedys

i stole the term from porter jarrard. he used it in describing the tendency, in developmental terms, of the urge by users for climbing areas to become more accessible......the striving towards unfettered access becoming the slippery slope by which ease of access, and the accompanying impacts, become the death knell of the area itself

Is this the face you can see on hwy 276 on the way to Brevard. If so thumbs up to the climbers coalition. I drooled over that rock for years on my drives up north.

Maybe you're drooling over Table Rock.

That's what I was thinking too.

JL

Now that I actually take the time to look at a map I'm pretty sure you right. Its table. What a beautiful piece of rock. Almost makes me think I could tolerate living in the south again.

Basically like going into Big Green Mtn. unless your buddy has a nearby piece of property (I wonder). Being familiar with the area, that's quite a hike. I heard that a "shorter," 45 min. right-of-way was offered by the Jensens (the lumber yard folks), but was turned-down (again, curious).

If its hwy 276 near brevard it could be a couple of things...Cedar Rock, John's Rock or Looking Glass. Those are some of the granite domes you see around Brevard. Table Rock in near Morganton in Linville Gorge.

Ah, Table Rock, SC. I think that might be SC HWY 11 (Cherokee Foothills Parkway) then, not HWY 276. 276 is the highway that runs through Pisgah National Forest and onto Waynesville, NC.

Correct me if I'm wrong (saxfiend), but I think I read somewhere Ben that the "shortcut" was turned down because the property owners wanted some say in the management or something of that sort......

Might be hard to find a solid answer on that one. I have heard lots of different stories on that one...personally I have no idea.

I know a couple of guys on the CCC board, I'll ask them if there's anything to the story of easier access being offered.

JL

That'll be the f#@$'n day.

Stef,

What I heard was that the CCC turned it down. The reason given was that the current approach provides more of a wilderness experience. Again, this is hearsay. The only real difference is in the length of the approaches.

Ben

PS - hopefully you and Danny aren't experiencing crack withdrawals like I was.

Ben,

I don't know if we updated you, but we're moving to NC (Asheville). Actually Danny is already there!! So I got to get my crack fix last weekend when I went to visit Danny in Chattanooga at T-wall!! We were both kind of scared about moving to the SE for fear of losing our beautiful cracks, but it appears there are plenty there as well! However, we'll be missing the flared and offwidth splitters of Lumpy and Vedauwoo, sigh...... You'll have to come out and climb with us sometime! (although from what I remember you've climbed in that region before)

However, I have been jonesing for some front range crack, but have not been on any, although have seen plenty on the CSU campus (ladies pull up those low-rise jeans).

Ladies, do NOT listen to Stefanie! Leave those low rise jeans right where they are.

There are many who think the world is in terrible shape, what with wars, global warning and overly strenuous approach trails. For these pessimists and whiners, I have one answer: low-rise jeans for women have come back into fashion.

JL

Sax,

Thanks. I'll forward that to the rumor mill. However, the approach I described still isn't too short. It's around 45 minutes to an hour (if I remember correctly), but still shorter than current approach. Are the people who own the lumber yard the Lonesome Valley folks?