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Laurel Knob Runoff

Original Post
Curtis Baird · · Johnson City, TN · Joined Oct 2013 · Points: 1,041

Its been pretty wet here lately. I was thinking of going to climb Fathom on Wednesday. Never climbed it before so I do not know how runoff is. Will a couple days of dry weather be enough?

nbrown · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 7,718

It's hard to say. If it is wet there will still be plenty of dry non-groove options. A neat phenomenon is how the grooves at LK tend to recede during the day then run water again as the sun get low. You'll often be just below the wetness on the way up, and be racing it down on the rappel.

Curtis Baird · · Johnson City, TN · Joined Oct 2013 · Points: 1,041
nbrown wrote:It's hard to say. If it is wet there will still be plenty of dry non-groove options. A neat phenomenon is how the grooves at LK tend to recede during the day then run water again as the sun get low. You'll often be just below the wetness on the way up, and be racing it down on the rappel.
Thanks for the information. Do you have any suggestions on routes if it is wet? I have never been there and my partner has only been there once so we are not familiar with the routes.
Jeff Mekolites · · Atlanta, GA · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 5,250

As Nbrown said, it depends. Based on the drought earlier this fall, I wouldn't be surprised if it is dry. If it is wet, it will be near the traverse to the crux pitch. That section can probably be passed without much trouble. You can also bail there easily if need be. I have found Central Pillar dries pretty quickly as an alternative. Have fun!

Tom Caldwell · · Clemson, S.C. · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 3,623

Central Pillar is great. Permission Granite is another fast drier. Oasis and other similar groove routes often dry by the time you get to the parts that would be wet higher up. You can also use Squirrly Man to get to the higher Oasis pitches without needing to cross a wet groove. If P2 of fathom is wet, that could make it a little tricky, but not impossible. I really like Route of the Living Dead. One of the first things to dry on the wall and the crux pitch slashes are amazing!

Brian Payst · · Carrboro,NC · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 10

Somehow when we last did fathom I got the wet pitches. The traverse pitch was seeping,definitely made it interesting. It was totally doable, just a bit more heads-up.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Southern States
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