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Bear Cub

5.8-, Sport, 75 ft (23 m),  Avg: 2.3 from 133 votes
FA: unknown
N Carolina > 1. Southern Mou… > Rumbling Bald > Flakeview Area

Description

Bear Cub follow bolts up a featured face (crimps, edges, slopers) to a ledge with trees. Watch the start - you have to step down a touch to start the route, and you a looking down a steep gully to the base of Fine Line, etc - if you fall you will tumble a bit.

NOTE: Many people get this route mixed up with Bear Hunt; it isn't well-documented and the topo for Flakeview in the Selected Climbs guidebook is a mess. As noted above, Bear Cub starts at the left end of a small ledge where it drops off into a steep gully. Bear Hunt starts about 15' to the right, near the right end of the small ledge.

Location

Located up on a ledge that is above and right of Fine Line and Drivin' and Cryin'; starts about 15' left of Bear Hunt.

Protection

Bolts, rap tree (shared with Bear Hunt).

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Onsight of Bear Cub. Fun warm-up
[Hide Photo] Onsight of Bear Cub. Fun warm-up
Flake is gone above 4th bolt (clean white area in the photo above 2nd visible quickdraw) right before 5th bolt. These moves now to the 5th bolt feel 5.8+/9-
[Hide Photo] Flake is gone above 4th bolt (clean white area in the photo above 2nd visible quickdraw) right before 5th bolt. These moves now to the 5th bolt feel 5.8+/9-
Here's the slings at the top as of 19 JAN 2013
[Hide Photo] Here's the slings at the top as of 19 JAN 2013

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

saxfiend
Decatur, GA
  5.8
[Hide Comment] I'm pretty sure the description above is actually for an un-named route just left of Bear Hunt. The real Bear Hunt has only one bolt about midway, as I recall, and starts on a more secure ledge instead of right at the top of the gully. This un-named one definitely has an exciting start and is a fun route. Mar 10, 2008
Bryan Hall
Portland, Oregon
[Hide Comment] This is not bear hunt. Bear hunt is farther to the right of this and has gear for the 1st 1/2 and 2 bolts to get you up to the ledge. Dec 15, 2008
saxfiend
Decatur, GA
  5.8
[Hide Comment] This route has been updated based on information from the CCC website. The historic name of the route is Bear Cub. Dec 15, 2008
ziggy
 
[Hide Comment] Decent route, it's got a bolt everywhere you need one. Felt considerably harder than Bear Hunt. If Bear Hunt is a 5.7, then this thing is probably a 5.9. Nov 30, 2009
Pete Spri
5.8
[Hide Comment] Definately worth doing, and gives you a chance to eye up the really nice .10a to the left of it. Aug 14, 2010
Tom Gallo
[Hide Comment] Sling the pine tree until you clip the first bolt to protect the fall down to Driving and Crying. Mar 6, 2011
John91
[Hide Comment] How many bolts are there? Feb 26, 2013
Bryan Haslam
Asheville, North Carolina
[Hide Comment] 6 Bolts. Sporty but not a sport route even though no gear necessary. A little runout on the easier terrain. Oct 19, 2014
Ryan Frederick
 
[Hide Comment] I agree with Tom Gallo. Threw a sling as high as I could reach on the tree and felt like the whole route was adequately protected. My belayer is light, so she tied into the base. Not a physical climb, but a lot of fun. The run out at the top is on easier terrain. Sep 7, 2015
Russ Keane
Salt Lake
5.8
[Hide Comment] Good climb on typical Bald beautiful rock. A little nervy on lead for some reason. Kind of balancy and no let up. There are two spots that feel 5.8. Jul 9, 2016
Micah Rogers
Asheville
 
[Hide Comment] Webbing around the tree is no longer there as of 10/23/16. We just built our own anchor for the follower and then rapped directly off the tree when finished. Oct 24, 2016
Al Smith III
Sylva, NC
[Hide Comment] above the 4th bolt, right before the 5th bolt, the flake that used to be on the wall is no longer. My best guess, this short section getting to the 5th bolt now feels more like 5.8+/9- with thin moves and a balancy clipping stance.

Enjoy!
--- Invalid image id: 112505124 --- Feb 20, 2017
Mark O'Neal
Nicholson, GA
  5.8
[Hide Comment] Well crap. No wonder making that 5th bolt clip today felt harder than 5.7. I wondered what the clean patch was that I didn't remember. It's probably 5.8ish there now. The rap anchor is back as of today Mar 18, 2018
Ian C
MA
 
[Hide Comment] solid anchor on the tree w/ 2 biners as of 3-19-19 Mar 23, 2019
Rob Owens
Columbus, NC
[Hide Comment] Someone added a shiny new bolted anchor for this recently. Discovered it yesterday 9/27/20 Sep 28, 2020
Sasha Timkovich
Huntersville, NC
 
[Hide Comment] Stick clip the first bolt to protect the fall to the left. There are now five bolts to the trees or the bolted anchor if setting up a top rope. Dec 13, 2022