Type: Trad, 90 ft
FA: Jeep Gaskin, Don Hunley, 1977
Page Views: 13,249 total · 91/month
Shared By: Nick Stayner on Feb 25, 2007
Admins: Aaron Parlier, Steve Lineberry

You & This Route


118 Opinions

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Description

This may be the most classic finger crack in the state of NC! It's got sustained moves all the way with an awesome fingertip crux. You may have to take a number for this one on a cold, clear Saturday.

Location

The route is just left of the chasm next to Fruit Loops. If you hike left up the base of the cliff from Fruit Loops, you'll find yourself at the base.
To start, either scramble up to the large, trampled ledge beneath the finger crack or climb (5.10ish) up the aesthetic arete to the same ledge. You can belay from the ground or up on this ledge.
Rap from rings.

Protection

The first 60' (the "business") don't take anything larger than a .75 camalot. A variety of small stuff and stoppers.

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Photos

Splitter!<br>
Splitter!
 2
KP on Shredded
KP on Shredded
 1
Shredded Wheat, 5.11a, Rumbling Bald. Photo by Huong
Shredded Wheat, 5.11a, Rumbling Bald. Photo by…
 1
Adam Drain sending Shredded Wheat.
Adam Drain sending Shredded Wheat.
 2
oooooh baby
oooooh baby
 0
The goods, including the .10+ direct start crack
The goods, including the .10+ direct start crack
 0
getting served up a sweet bowl of sweet shredded wheat
getting served up a sweet bowl of sweet shredde…
 0
Shreddin on the Wheat on a blazin day!
Shreddin on the Wheat on a blazin day!
 0
matt down low on the route
matt down low on the route
 0
Tom Caldwell eying up the pro heading for perfect fingers.
Tom Caldwell eying up the pro heading for perfe…
 0
Shredded Wheat!
Shredded Wheat!
 0
moving through the crux
moving through the crux
 0

9 Comments

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ziggy
ziggy  
I didn't find this route to be as sustained as is mentioned in the description. The crux section is obvious from the ground, and is about 10 ft long. The rest of the route is actually quite easy. Rattly finger jams and bad feet make this thing tricky for a few moves. Jan 18, 2010
Ryan Williams
London (sort of)
  5.11-
Ryan Williams   London (sort of)
  5.11-
So much fun! Good fingers to a tips crux. It had a few tricky sections broken up by some good feet. I always thought "rattly fingers" meant tipped out purples or tight greens and there was none of that on this one.

.5's to green aliens, a few good nuts, maybe a .75 somewhere. Dec 12, 2010
goatdavemac Mac
Flat Rock, NC
goatdavemac Mac   Flat Rock, NC
Does anyone have info about the crack/flake that is to the right of SW? There is a large flake 60 feet up with a bolt, and wondering about that line.... May 2, 2011
Edward Medina
Ridgway, CO
Edward Medina   Ridgway, CO  
It's Aunt Jemima.
mountainproject.com/v/north… May 2, 2011
Robert Hutchins
 
Robert Hutchins  
 
While unusually splitter for a NC route, it's hard for me to think of this one as mega classic compared to granite cracks in other states. It is pretty much nice 9+ climbing to a hard sequence. Used to consider it 10c, but feels more slick/polished now, and wouldn't argue the listed grade. As far as being the best finger crack in NC, I don't even think it's the best finger crack in Hickory Nut Gorge. REALLY good route, just too short and unsustained to be mega classic for granite-like cracks. Not what I would be showing out-of-towners as an example of the best NC, or even Rumbling, has to offer. Dec 21, 2011
Kevin DB
  5.11a
Kevin DB  
  5.11a
Pretty sustained 5.10 climbing broken up by good rests to a distinct, fairly hard 5.11 crux. Totally awesome route. One of the best granite finger cracks anywhere. Anywhere. Seriously. It rules. Jan 21, 2013
Nick Ehman
Bloomington, IN
  5.11a
Nick Ehman   Bloomington, IN
  5.11a
Very enjoyable. Whipped off the crux tip locks but it eats up the small stuff so there was worrys. After thinking more about my feet it didnt seem too bad. 5.10 to an 11 crux followed by easier stuff to the top. Mar 20, 2013
Bennett Anderson
cincinnati, ohio
 
Bennett Anderson   cincinnati, ohio
 
One of my favorite routes of all time! Good stances to place bomber gear everywhere you want it makes it a good climb to break into NC trad 11s. Nov 10, 2015
Alexander Blum
Charlotte, NC
  5.11a
Alexander Blum   Charlotte, NC
  5.11a
I think this route is great. The movement isn't as interesting as something like cornflake crack, but it's incredibly splitter and aesthetic. Be careful with your rope ends, the route is almost exactly 30 meters. Detailed beta below, don't keep reading if you want to onsight!

A short 5.10 tips layback leads to the big ledge, then about fifty feet of finger crack to a three move crux. The finger crack is 5.9 if you have big fingers, probably 10- if you have smaller digits, definitely not 10+! It would be great if this section went on for a few hundred feet.

The crux is shallow locks with atrocious feet. This route is safe, fun, and a great choice for pushing your grade! No gear bigger than 0.5 Camalot is needed, but a
.75 could come in handy. Crux protects well with blue and purple Metolius pieces. You can just leave the nuts on the ground if carrying enough finger-ish size pieces (orange Metolius and purple Camalot). Dec 23, 2017