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Zombie Woof

5.10b, Trad, 160 ft (48 m), 2 pitches,  Avg: 3.4 from 25 votes
FA: Carlton Ramm 1978
N Carolina > 3. Piedmont Region > Hanging Rock SP > Moore's Wall (R… > Amphitheater
Warning Access Issue: Post Hurricane Helene Accessibility of Crags DetailsDrop down

Description

P1: Climb either Breaking Rocks Is Hard To Do or Stab In The Dark to their shared belay on a ledge. If you wore a helmet, it would be best to leave it here.

P2: Climb the splitter 5.8ish crack up to some old, ratty looking slings. Going right is Doan's Pills, left is Zombie Woof. Go left! the first ten feet or so is probably the technical crux, but nothing about the wildly exposed roof traverse is as hard as it looks from the ground. At the end of the roof haul yourself up into the alcove and abandon the rest of your rack for your second to deal with. Wiggle out of the weird cave/squeeze chimney/slot and remember, it is not over until you are 100% out!

Location

Ampitheatre

Protection

The roof traverse takes mid sized/bigger gear well.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Carlton Ramm (1955-2021) on the FA of Zombie Woof. 
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RIP  my sweetest, bravest and best climbing partner.
[Hide Photo] Carlton Ramm (1955-2021) on the FA of Zombie Woof. RIP my sweetest, bravest and best climbing partner.
Squeeze chimney.
[Hide Photo] Squeeze chimney.
Peering through the squeeze
[Hide Photo] Peering through the squeeze
Push!
[Hide Photo] Push!
Beta for the claustrophobic
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April, 2016
[Hide Photo] Beta for the claustrophobic April, 2016
Victor "enjoying" the exposure. About to pop a vein.
[Hide Photo] Victor "enjoying" the exposure. About to pop a vein.
You can get a sense of the whole route here. Lots of options for a gear anchor up top.
[Hide Photo] You can get a sense of the whole route here. Lots of options for a gear anchor up top.
Almost there
[Hide Photo] Almost there
Looking up at Zombie Woof (left-trending crack) and Doan's Pills (right-trending crack) from the belay. Climb the corner then choose your adventure! I believe the chimney starts at the dark spot where the left-trending crack turns upwards.
[Hide Photo] Looking up at Zombie Woof (left-trending crack) and Doan's Pills (right-trending crack) from the belay. Climb the corner then choose your adventure! I believe the chimney starts at the dark spot wh…

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

twdexter
Kent, WA
 
[Hide Comment] It was tight enough to make me consider getting a new, thinner harness... or eating less cheeseburgers. Being claustrophobic didn't help either. Fun climbing under the roof. Mar 21, 2011
G Loomis
Blowing Rock, NC
[Hide Comment] Great route. I didn't climb it as an offwidth and therefore really enjoyed it. After the juggy traverse, I would suggest briefly crawling in the chimney to place a #4 friend above your head and then coming out of the chimney to pull the roof on jugs. We rapped off a large tree up and right which put us right ontop of the anchors. I don't think many people climb this because its intimidating but it's a classic for the grade in NC. Jun 29, 2011
sanz
Pisgah Forest, NC
 
[Hide Comment] One word pretty much sums it up - Epic. Apr 16, 2012
dlm
[Hide Comment] I had to ditch all my gear to fit through the final slot, but that forced me to belay off trees up and left which created horrible rope drag. I think next time I would hang the rack from a sling and drag it through the slot so I could build an anchor right after emerging. Double ropes might help too. We tried to rappel off an obvious large tree (~2' diameter) up and right, but our rope wouldn't pull until I added some cord and rap rings around the tree. Using these rings will put you down perfectly on top of the Breaking Rocks anchors and the rope should pull easily.

Excellent climbing under the roof and then some very memorable moves to the finish. Jun 10, 2012
dave Hause
carrboro, nc
 
[Hide Comment] If you think you may be slightly claustrophobic, don't do it. You'll never believe a human body can get through that squeeze cave and you may be the one that doesn't fit.

Use the trail and walk off. Jul 31, 2015
Samuel G
Laramie
[Hide Comment] Very "unique" and great position. If you wonder how sausage is made give this one a try.

I wonder how much the squeeze varies in size over the years. May 20, 2019
Ray Knight
Browns Summit, NC
[Hide Comment] I climbed Moore's in the early mid 70s. I was following this a couple of days after Carlton Ramm did the FA.....got stuck, and had to back out and tie my rack to my foot and pull it through behind me. Sep 2, 2020