Foster Falls Climbing

Foster Falls is a major destination for sport climbing in the south. Near the town of Jasper (just west of Chattanooga), it features high-quality sandstone and challenging climbing in a pleasant locale. Though you might want to stay away in the hottest or coldest seasons, Foster's season is pretty much year-round.

If you're just getting started as a leader, you can hone your skills on a few easy routes like Gravity Boots (5.7) or Jacob's Ladder (5.8). But the real fun at Fosters begins at 5.9 with favorites such as Ankles Away or Twist and Shout, and doesn't stop till you get to the ferociously overhung 5.13 routes in the Bunkers sections. There's a little something for everyone at Fosters.

Amenities include camping (fee-based), picnic facilities and bathrooms at the parking lot. There's also hiking trails if you need a break from climbing, and in the summer you can cool off in the pool at the base of the falls.

For routes not covered on MountainProject, the Dixie Cragger's Atlas by Chris Watford has much of the content or else Chatt Steel by Micah Gentry would the definitive guidebook for Foster Falls.

The sections listed below run from right to left as you face the cliff, starting from where the trail ascends to the cliff from the suspension bridge at the base of the falls:

• White Wall
• So What Area
• Crime Buttress
• Right Bunker
• Left Bunker
• The Dihedrals
• Jimmywood
• Gutbuster Area
• Sanford Wall
• Rocket Slab
• Rehab Slab
• Snatch Wall
• Red Light District
• Zone 3 (aka Dog Boy Village)