PRINT: Rock Climb Supercrack, Linville Gorge

Supercrack

5.11d, Trad, 300 ft (91 m), 3 pitches,

Avg: 3.9 from 28 votes
FA: Tom Howard, Jim Okel, Bill Newman
N Carolina > 2. Northern Mou… > Linville Gorge > Shortoff Mountain

Access Issue: 2023 seasonal raptor closure (January 15th-August 15th) Details

fs.usda.gov/detail/nfsnc/ne…

Shortoff Mountain South: All routes between and including C.O and Paradigm Shift are closed.

Shortoff Mountain North: All climbing routes, cliff rim, and campsites within the red band marked on the map are closed to entry. No foot traffic or camping above or below the cliff in this section. Contact the USFS for more details: 828 652 2144.

NC Wall/Apricot Buttress/The Camel: On the NC Wall, all routes between and including Tightrope and Bumblebee Buttress are closed. Apricot Buttress and The Camel are closed.

Bynum Bluff: All routes are closed.

Access Issue: Shortoff Mountain South - Falcon Closure Lifted for 2021 Details

Description

Pitch 1, Start on a bouldery crux on the chalked holds through some thin holds to an obvious broken crack feature. Crank through this pumpy crack for about 40 feet to slightly easier terrain then to a horn with slings.

Pitch 2, Climb 5.8ish over a bulge straight to the top of the buttress.

Pitch 3, Head 50 feet to cross a chasm to top out on a short step section to the top.

Location

Located to the left of Stopperhead Arete on the obvious crack system up beautiful solid stone. If you come to the Paradise routes, you've gone too far.

Protection

Typical NC rack.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Jenny Abegg savoring a fine spring afternoon on P1

Fantastic crack and jug climbing!

Good angle of the steepness on bottom half of P1
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Photo by John Sheppard

Good angle of the steepness on bottom half of P1 Photo by John Sheppard

Fun stuff.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Neil Rankin
Winston-Salem, NC

5.11d

Nbrown is correct. The first pitch is about 80 feet. Aug 30, 2013

nbrown

5.11a/b

Cleaned up the ridiculous amount of tat at the top of pitch 1 today and left 2 bomber stainless cabled hex-like chocks instead. Much safer and much less of a visual impact. Mar 11, 2014

nbrown

5.11a/b

Needs stainless quicklinks on the anchor. Some knucklehead pilfered the biners and left a single rusty quicklink (on the clean stainless cables). This will only enhance degradation time. Seems like 5.11 climbers would know better.

Edit (2019): The 10mm ss quick link I placed at the anchor last year is still there and in good shape. Feb 6, 2017

Karsten Delap
North Carolina

5.11b/c

One locker and a old quick link at the chains now. Dec 5, 2017

Phil York
Winston-Salem, NC

5.11d

Thank you Karsten, hopefully those will stay for awhile-- and thank you for the ride back to the lower parking area at Looking Glass this past Sunday! Dec 5, 2017

nbrown

5.11a/b

Karsten, your locker didn't stay long. Someone pilfered it and replaced it with another cheapo quick link.

I removed the junk today and put a proper stainless link in their place (only had one but another would be good). Feb 27, 2018

Thomas Chapman
Telluride, CO

Heading to yosemite soonish. Would the first pitch of this make for good CLEAN aid climbing practice? May 31, 2018

Austin Goff
Winston-Salem, NC

5.11d

Not really. Its not really like anything you would climb in yosemite. May 31, 2018

Thomas Chapman
Telluride, CO

Not really trying to get yosemite style but just the practice of getting back on the aid ladders May 31, 2018

Adam Kunis
Athens

An absolutely incredible p1 and a p2 that should not be skipped. P2 is sustained (but never hard), adventurous, and has a little bit of everything, ending at a fantastic belay ledge. A great cool-down pitch if this is your last climb of the day. Jun 3, 2019