NEED RECOMMENDATIONS

 Just like the title says I need recommendations, we live in Orlando. I've done some Trad climbing out west and now that I have are of a pretty large rack  my own I'm trying to go some places closer .  I was thinking Sandrock, Mount Yonah, to foster Falls/ twall. NRG & RRG are a little far  i'm not completely throwing them out of consideration just another 4 hours. I can lead sport pretty hard 5.12 comfortable pushing into 5.13 however on trad 5.8 perhaps. I will also be bringing some partners one of which is more knowledgeable than me but hasn't placed any gear and the other will be strictly following climbing maybe 5.7. I'm looking for a bunch of single pitch routes and some fun multi pitch. Mount Yonah is free from any army training this coming week but I heard there's a lot of slab. SCHOOL ME PEOPLE!

Sunset in Chattanooga has some great single pitch trad. It also is good this time of year, lots of shade! TWall is not the best option this time of year, it turns into a bit of a jungle, so be prepared for bugs and poison ivy. If you get a really early start , or start later in the evening, you can beat some of the heat, but Twall does get a lot of sun. Deep Creek would be another good option, tons of sport climbing, but not much of the easier grades. Maybe look into some spots in NC if you're willing to drive a little bit further, especially for the multipitch you're seeking. Also, the Obed has a lot of great sport routes and a bit of trad mixed in. You can chase shade and cool off in the creek after climbing. Also has great camping at the Lily Pad. 

The Red might have the most variety for what you are looking for (easy trad, hard sport, some 2 pitch routes). I'm sure you can find shade this time of year.  Sunset (trad) will be shady.  Foster Falls will have enough shade (and swimming). 

If you are driving to Sandrock from Florida, I would say just keep on going to Chatt.  

Also, T-wall bakes and is not a real option for summer climbing.

NRG probably a significantly further drive, but I don't know, I've never done it from Orlando. 

Sandrock aside, definitely don''t overlook NE Alabama as an option if driving from FL... Little River Canyon for sport. Jamestown, Steele, etc. for trad of all grades. Camping might be a bit warm during the Summer, but it has been cool enough at night, recently, to still be tolerable. 

Also, take a gander at Western NC crags..... Looking Glass, Cedar, Laurel Knob, and Whitesides. Higher elevations make these very enjoyable in the right Summer conditions....I.E. minimal sun exposure. 

In NC, Ship Rock is kind of the go to for summer trad cragging, North Side of Looking Glass has good stuff but most of it is harder. The Nose area has a couple of multipitch classics at a moderate grade but gets sun starting around noon. If it's a cloudy day the South Side has the best concentration of good, moderate, well protected trad in the state (possibly). White Sides and Laurel Knob get too much sun and are bigger and scarier than what you are looking for. Moores wall has excellent climbing and is pretty shady, but there are few moderates and they tend to be on the harder side of moderate. I also imagine the New would be closer than the Red and has a good bit of variety with some DWS mixed in for those hot days.

So I'm thinking in between The new or Sunset in Chatt. Can anyone tell me if theres any camping close to sunset? How about the new?

Peter Osorio wrote:

So I'm thinking in between The new or Sunset in Chatt. Can anyone tell me if theres any camping close to sunset? How about the new?

Sunset is not a good option for camping, although it's a great option for the climbing you want to do, especially this time of year.  Van camping wouldn't be too hard in Chattanooga outside of Lookout Mtn. Also, if you're going to drive to WV, Seneca would be a good place to visit for moderate trad. But honestly, you're going to have much better access to concentrated climbing and camping in western NC. Linville Gorge sounds like a single destination that satisfies all of your desire, and IMO would be your best bet short of RRG.

Linville Gorge looks like a great place to go however on mountain project it says they are closed until August ):  

Peter Osorio wrote:

Linville Gorge looks like a great place to go however on mountain project it says they are closed until August ):  

There is exactly one popular route that is closed, and that is Bumble Bee buttress. Table Rock, the Amphitheater, Shortoff and >95% of the routes in the gorge are still open, and just about everything that is classic is open. Visit Carolina Climbing Coalitions website: http://carolinaclimbers.org/closures/2016-peregrine-falcon-closures.html for more details on where the closure boundaries are.

 Can you camp directly at Linville,  do they allow dogs,  what is the best guidebook for the area, I hate going to an area on relying on just mountain project .

For Sunset you can camp in the T-wall parking area or Hunters Check Station.  Both are in Prentice Cooper State Forest and are a 15-20min drive away.  I will say that I have always thought the easier routes at Sunset were fairly stiff for the grade, and many things I have climbed there had small or finicky gear.  This may not be everyone's experience, or maybe just the routes I have been on.  

If you've got the time for a longer trip I would go the Red, Linville, Seneca, or the New. 

As far as I know, Shull/ Lambert's  Selected Climbs in North Carolina would be the guidebook for most of NC.  But I'll let the locals comment if there is something more up to date.

Peter Osorio wrote:

 Can you camp directly at Linville,  do they allow dogs,  what is the best guidebook for the area, I hate going to an area on relying on just mountain project .

On the drive in, there are a lot of free campsites on pull offs along the forest road.  Went there in April on a really nice weekend arriving late at night and still had no problem finding a spot along the road.

As for dogs, Linville Gorge Wilderness' website says they are allowed so long as they are leashed and under control.

Don't know about any guidebooks, but my friends and I did all of our climbing solely using MP and had no problems finding routes or doing climbs.  None of us had been there before either.  Just do some research beforehand and you'll be fine.  Also, cell service is spotty there so don't count on having it.

Can people honestly lead 5.13 sport but only 5.8 trad? 

When you don't place and feel comfortable placing gear, your gonna lead way soft on the pro. I like being protected, I never solo anything, but to each their own.

Peter Osorio wrote:

 Can you camp directly at Linville,  do they allow dogs,  what is the best guidebook for the area, I hate going to an area on relying on just mountain project .

Peter, the camping beta is fairly simple. The best place to camp is at the Table Rock parking area, past the picnic area, ~5 minute walk from the car. This area is on the eastern side of the gorge, and has best access to Table Rock, The Chimneys, The Amphitheater and other areas like Hawksbill and Sitting Bear. Technically a forest service permit is required to camp within the Wilderness Boundary between May and October, though the Table Rock area can more lightly policed than others in the gorge, including but not limited to any pull off campsites off of Old 105, or Kistler Memorial Highway, which runs along the western rim of the Gorge. There is no running water other than natural sources, which are all marked on the community preferred map at lgmaps.org. As far as routes and guidebooks the Selected Climbs of North Carolina is the standard, and includes most of the main trad lines. Failing that, driving up to Table Rock parking and meeting the people with climbing stickers is easy enough; it's kind of a hub. 

Any time you wanna scoop me up in Atlanta I can go to Sandrock or Lost Wall. Lots of single pitch and such. If you wanna grind harder I can follow at T Wall or Sunset. I just need transport. Got the rack and skills. 

You honestly need to hold off until September.   The climbing window is all but closed here in NC/TN.  You have so many questions, so many variables, all of which are hard to coordinate by strangers on the internet, and again, in the brutal heat of summer you totally have to know what you're doing to pull it off.   You will have so much more fun in the fall.