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Paradigm Shift

5.11, Trad, 65 ft (20 m),  Avg: 2 from 1 vote
FA: Tom Howard, Jim Okel
N Carolina > 2. Northern Mou… > Linville Gorge > Shortoff - Upper Wall
Warning Access Issue: 2023 seasonal raptor closure (January 15th-August 15th) DetailsDrop down
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Description

Climb the obvious large left arching corner system to the roof. Pull the roof and move right and up steep terrain to the top. There is an old hex anchor below the top that's probably not trustworthy.

Location

Between "Reacharound" and "Footloose".

Protection

Standard rack

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Than Ward pulling over the first roof on Paradigm Shift
[Hide Photo] Than Ward pulling over the first roof on Paradigm Shift
Old Chouinard hex on some shredded cord that I cleaned off a mid-height anchor. Given the lack of traffic on this route could be FA era.
[Hide Photo] Old Chouinard hex on some shredded cord that I cleaned off a mid-height anchor. Given the lack of traffic on this route could be FA era.
Below Roof #2 on Paradigm Shift
[Hide Photo] Below Roof #2 on Paradigm Shift

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Nathaniel Ward
Winston-Salem, NC
  5.11 PG13
[Hide Comment] We thought we were on “Going for Baroque” and this was the only dry line on the wall that day. Full disclosure, I had to bail from below the last move at the lip because it was running water, the gear placements were soaking wet, and the holds at the lip were soaked and mossy, so I tapped out. No send but I did learn the route. The topo in the old Kelley guide describes the line accurately; go up the slabby face past a .5 cam slot above the right facing triangle flake, trend left onto a foot ledge to set gear below the roof, boulder out the roof, then step right onto the ledge and climb up the face and arete to a stance below the final roof, pull the wild roof to top out.

Despite some friable and suspect rock in places there is cool climbing on this, and the crux roof at mid height is really cool movement on interesting holds. Look out for some pretty crucial and hard to see overhead finger size gear above the first roof.
Single rack to #3 Camalot including tricams. Fun in its way, if you’re into this kinda thing. Dec 30, 2020