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All Locations > North Carolina > Stone Mountain > Stone Mountain South Face

Mercury's Lead

5.9 YDS 5c French 17 Ewbanks VI UIAA 17 ZA HVS 5a British R


 Avg: 3.2 from 31 votes

Routes in Stone Mountain South Face

Anchor Rode T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
Another Alternative T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
Autumn Speaks T,S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
Banana Breath T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a R
Between The Ways S 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13
Block Route T 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13
Blood On The Tracks T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
Bombay Groove aka Yankee Go Home S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13
Captain Crunch T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c PG13
Closer to the Heart T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
Crystal Lizard T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
Direct Start to Arch T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
Dirty Crack T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
Discipline, The S 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b
Dixie Crystals T,S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
Dream On T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
Dream Waves T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
Electric Boobs T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a PG13
Entrance Crack T 5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a R
Face Value T,S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a X
Fantastic T,S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
Father Knows Best T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
Fleet Feet T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
Fuddy Mucker/Deception Crack - 5.9 T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
Grand Funk Railroad T 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c
Great Arch, The T 5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a
Great Brown Way T,S 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b PG13
Great White Way T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
Impossible Dream T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
Mcgrady's route T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
Mercury's Lead T,S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
No Alternative T 5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a PG13
P.F. Flyers T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13
Pandora's Way T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
Peer Pressure T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
Pulpit, The T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
Purple Daze T,S 5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c PG13
Purring, The T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
Rainy Day Women T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a R
Rice Krispies T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b R
Scimitar S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
Sermon, The T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
Storm in a Teacup S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13
Strawberry Preserves T,S 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b PG13
Taken For Granite T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
Toilet Bowl T,S 5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b R
U Slot T 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13
WOSL T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
Wahoo Start T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
White Way Direct T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
Yardarm T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13
Zoo Love T 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c
Unsorted Routes:
Type: Trad, Sport, 300 ft, 2 pitches
FA: Bob Rotert, Tom McMillan - 1974
Page Views: 6,902 total · 55/month
Shared By: nbrown on Jan 18, 2008
Admins: Ryan Williams, Aaron Parlier, Steve Lineberry

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Description

Climb to the very high first bolt. Clip it with great relief, and continue up past one more bolt to several belay options. Either belay at a flake on gear, The Great Arch bolts, or the belay atop "Storm In A Teacup." From the "Storm In A Teacup" belay, move out right past a short flake/crack (possible to get gear) and climb a long, but easier pitch past one bolt to an anchor just below the top (there may be one more bolt on this pitch, I can't remember).

Location

Just to the right of "The Great Arch."

Protection

Very light rack. Consult the guidebook for further.

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Photos

Birmingham Ben leading P1 of ML
Birmingham Ben leading P1 of ML
 19
Joe keeping it together on lead. Super fun route!
Joe keeping it together on lead. Super fun route!
 5
Mercury's Lead first pitch, 5.9R.
Mercury's Lead first pitch, 5.9R.
 1
p1 MERCURY'S LEAD
p1 MERCURY'S LEAD
 1
topo anchors for mercury's lead, and a few other routes.
topo anchors for mercury's lead, and a few othe…
 1

7 Comments

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Floridaputz
Oakland Park, Florida
Floridaputz   Oakland Park, Florida
Standing on the ledge and looking up, like most stone routes, its hard to see any holds at all. Once you get going on this a pattern of small edges (I mean small) appear and lead to the first belay. There is one opportunity to place about a #2 cam about 3/4 of the way up the second pitch. The rest goes easier.. Apr 7, 2008
Bob Rotert
Bob Rotert  
nbrown thanks for the route write up. Just a little comment on the line & intentions for the way this route was first done. The intention of this line was to stay well right of the Great Arch & be an independent line. I wanted it to fill the Gap between the Great Arch & Rainy Day Women.

It was a very long time ago but what I remember of the first ascent was the climbing and line put me where I ended up placing the second bolt a little bit left of the first bolt. When observed like a directissima line. So to compensate for this, from the second bolt the first ascent line actually goes up & trends right, at about 1 o'clock from the second bolt. My intention was for the line to move further back to the right, away from the Great Arch. I believe I belayed from a crack/flake & somewhat of a ledge system at the end of this. Pitch 2 goes up this.

As I recall doing it this way, is definitely a bit more difficult then going straight up or a bit left from the second bolt, I remember a distinct crux high above the second bolt just before getting to easier climbing and the belay. At the time it was quite exciting/nerve wracking and as I was "sweating it out" I remember wishing I had wings on my feet to make it thru the moves. Hence the name "Mercury's Lead".

As I mentioned it was a long time ago, Easter weekend 1973, but as I recall we didn't belay for any pitches in the Arch for this route... Jun 2, 2008
john strand
southern colo
 
john strand   southern colo
 
I also went up and right , not into the arch. I seem to remember a thin belay on a small ledge. Great route Bob. I guess sticky rubber brought this one down a ways. Mar 24, 2009
saxfiend
Decatur, GA
  5.9- R
saxfiend   Decatur, GA  
  5.9- R
It didn't seem as hard as I was expecting, but that may be because I'd just finished leading Great White Way. Exciting climbing nevertheless, and hats off to Bob Rotert for a great route!

JL Feb 28, 2010
Mike Holley
Boone, NC
 
Mike Holley   Boone, NC
 
Fantastic small featured climb! Almost like face climbing versus friction. LIttle holds lead you up, up and away! Pulling the slight bulge at the top of the first pitch seemed like the crux for me, but the line is pretty sustained overall! Totally recommend it!! Oct 20, 2011
Tim Fry
Charlotte NC
Tim Fry   Charlotte NC
The description makes it sound like you don't get gear until the second pitch. That's incorrect; (unless I screwed up the way this route is supposed to go) you need it either to build a belay at the flake or for pro if you're heading to the Storm in a Teacup anchors.

No gear for P2 as far as I remember.

Don't screw up on the last 1/4 of the first pitch-- it eases off a wee bit but there's decking potential there. Nov 25, 2013
Jonathan Dull
Boone, NC
  5.9 PG13
Jonathan Dull   Boone, NC
  5.9 PG13
P1 is amazing and super fun face/friction climbing and very exciting (and runout) after the second bolt - I'd recommend plugging a .5 and/or #2 in the small left facing corner after the long run from the second bolt and continue to the bolted anchor on the face. P2 is pretty chill (5.7 slab) but has a ~70' runout between the first and second bolt - while the climbing is never overly difficult, screwing up in the wrong places could have some major consequences. A great route overall. Jan 17, 2017

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