Things I enjoy about the South and rock climbing.

Paul - eerrrrummm, yeah, Friday night. And yeah, I usually have a few beers in me by the time I plant my arse on the couch...you know me too well.

Ben - I'll take ticks and chiggers over AMS and frostbite...you're welcome back any time.

bbrock - Your first point could be true. Your second is undeniable...bbbrrrrppp, brrrrpppp...

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..."

Ronin wrote:...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...

Awesome, sir. Just awesome.

Ronin wrote:...the transplants from out West...

I know its hard to believe, but some climbers out west actually grew up out west.

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

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.

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

Yes, I suppose that's true. Never been to Laurel Knob. Been on the Glass a bunch, though, but usually just the 3-4 pitch type stuff. Never did anthing on the north face. I've done the Original Route on Whitesides a few times. Never got on the henious stuff left of that - the aid routes/really hard stuff. I wasn't experienced enough for that when I lived there.

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

Some of us resemble that comment... Well it ain't north and it ain't northeast and it ain't (yes, I said ain't three times) Midwest...so...

Jeff Mekolites wrote: Some of us resemble that comment...

Resent that comment, resent is the word you are looking for. Proof enough that you ARE from the south

Drew Hellams wrote: Resent that comment, resent is the word you are looking for. Proof enough that you ARE from the south

uh, no. I meant to say resemble...as in...uh nevermind. You wouldn't get it, your from the south. Just like I also meant to say ain't...

Nick Stayner wrote:Kentucky may be part of the south, but the cast of characters at Miguel's usually aren't. Too many Michiganites and Ohioans.

that statement reminds me of this past weekend climbing at the New...made the mistake of trying to get in a quick day at Junk Yard Wall (yesterday - Memorial day) before making the long haul back to A-town. We get there at 9:30 and there are top ropes on practically every starred route in the guide book...with nobody climbing them. So we politely asked if we could lead through..."uh, no, my friend is going to climb next..." "we have three more people..." the only place I have seen this is the New and the Red. Like you said too many Michiganites, Ohioans, Pennsylvanias, Marylanders and New Yorkers...with all that being said...the climbing there (esp Endless) is AMAZING!!!

Partly sunny skies, 70 degrees, Endless Wall, incredible views into the gorge, cold beer waiting in the car and Pies and Pints afterwards...

Sorry, but WVa ain't The South either. Again, my criteria being it is one state removed from Canada. Definite hillbilly vibe though....
Perhaps KY and WVa should be considered Middle East, wait, that's taken, Mid-East perhaps?

Sean Cobourn wrote:Sorry, but WVa ain't The South either. Again, my criteria being it is one state removed from Canada. Definite hillbilly vibe though.... Perhaps KY and WVa should be considered Middle East, wait, that's taken, Mid-East perhaps?

Technically, South of the Mason-Dixon line is The South. Since WV is the Mason-Dixon, it's South. It's just not The Deep South.

While I love WV and lived there for a bit. It is not the south. The only reason that WV exists is due to the fact that they seceeded from Virginia to join the Union. That makes them a northern state in my book.

Do you all realize how hard it is not to violate rule #1 with this topic???

whiskey, caving, & golf; that's about all the good I can say about y'all. Otherwise Georgia is pretty much the armpit of the U.S. with WV being a nosehair.

Mark Nelson wrote:Do you all realize how hard it is not to violate rule #1 with this topic??? whiskey, caving, & golf; that's about all the good I can say about y'all. Otherwise Georgia is pretty much the armpit of the U.S. with WV being a nosehair.

It really isn't that hard Mark. Maybe it was the "God's Country" title that chapped your ass, but I going to go out on a limb and say it was tongue in cheek. Plus, it sounds like you didn't even go climbing while you were down here. Golf...really??

While I'll agree that GA has it faults, I've lived in CO and it comes up a little short of being paradise as well. Lets not forget that half the state (CO) is flat as a board and it has more white trash there than at a paper recycling plant. But I didn't give a crap because of all the gems the front range has to offer, I focused on the positives.

It is all what you make of it. I don't plan on staying here (GA) forever but I'm going to enjoy myself while I'm here and not whine. So come on down again and check out Tallulah(GA), T-wall(TN), Sunset(TN), Looking Glass(NC), Whitesides(NC), Yellow(AL), Laurel Knob(NC) and countless sport and bouldering destinations too all in a days drive from the ATL airport(which does suck). You'll never look at an arm pit the same way again.

Mark Nelson wrote: Otherwise Georgia is pretty much the armpit of the U.S. with WV being a nosehair.

I completely take offense to this statement. Obviously you have no idea what you are talking about. Alabama is the armpit of the country not Georgia and I'll bust anybody in the head with a bucket of fried chicken that says otherwise.