PRINT: Rock Climb Preying Mantis, Rumbling Bald

Preying Mantis

5.9, Trad, 200 ft (61 m), 2 pitches,

Avg: 2.7 from 6 votes
FA: Ken Pitts, Karl Lail
N Carolina > 1. Southern Mou… > Rumbling Bald > Comatose Area

Access Issue: Post Hurricane Helene Accessibility of Crags Details

The CCC has created the list linked below of accessible and inaccessible climbing areas with some caveats. If you decide to head out for a day of climbing, please do not attempt to go to those marked ‘inaccessible’. Please note that all areas in WNC will have extensive tree damage and if you head out, use extra caution for all the trees above, especially on a windy day. Rock fall potential is also highest after a big weather event. Please use extra caution while climbing and prepare to self rescue if injured. Injury response time will be greatly limited for any injury currently, especially for a remote injury. Cell service is limited in all areas. Parking at accessible crags in the WNC/ Upstate SC region will likely be challenging. If the parking lot is full, go to a different area and do not park illegally or in a road. Make a plan B before leaving your house. Expect road detours on the way to the crag. NCdrive.gov updates road closures. Once you get to the crag, expect many trees blocking access trails and of course, come volunteer with the CCC to help us bring our climbing areas back!

carolinaclimbers.org/conten…

Description

P1: Climb an unprotected slab just right of a pine tree aiming for a thin vegetated crack that leads to the dihedral. Climb up the dihedral into a minin roof pulling left into the finger crack and arete. Climb that to a tree below a bolt. 100ft

p2: climb up to the bolt and up the face into the wide flake. Climb under the wide flake with good gear up to where it converges with the gully, through big crack, fun moves on big holds will get you up over the roof to the same pine tree.

Climbing up on the face to the right after the bolt is beeline. Same start. This was put up by Rodney Lanier.

I dont really care who put up which route first. the point is to share the description of these routes which previous to the guide being out were lost in the grass and bushes of the occasional adventuring climber. They are both about the same quality and difficulty.

Rap: 1 70m rope will get you down via the gully or come up a bit shy of conception anchor - but can be attained with some shenaniganry - (tie knots in the end please if going to this anchor!!!)

Location

located 20 feet uphill of conception. look for a short right facing dihedral and finger crack about 80 ft up.

Protection

standard rack...if you want to tackle the wide crack above id recommend double #3, a 4,5 and maybe a six or second five

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

No pro... Photo: Tyler Warwick

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

rock-fencer
Columbia, SC

5.9

dont have guidebook with FA info so if someone PMs me i'll update. This is a really good route that needs some more traffic and will clean up well. Jan 4, 2016

Sean Cobourn
Gramling, SC

you really ought to buy a guidebook.... ;) Jan 18, 2016

rock-fencer
Columbia, SC

5.9

i actually have it turns out...just never realized it Jan 19, 2016

Matt Swaim
SLC

take some webbing for the tree anchor at the top of p2. the old one was laying in a melted pile and i didnt have any to replace, which was not so bright. Feb 9, 2017

Johnny Remein
Salt Lake City, UT

I just climbed this today and cleaned up the old melted tat on the tree ledge. I also inspected both trees and would NOT recommend anyone use them to rappel. When jerking the trees around to test their integrity, all of the surrounding dirt moved with them. It seems this could be a good candidate for a rappel anchor, I'll inquire with the CCC about that. There is a tree to climbers left that was bomber, but it's a little tricky getting to it. Great route! Mar 11, 2017

Rodney Lanier
Asheville, NC

The first pitch is Beeline. At belay Beeline goes straight up ,Preying Mantis goes left. Oct 30, 2017

Mike R

There is now a two bolt anchor that is climbers’ right of (nearly) the top of this route. If you climb the left crack all the way to the top as T describes, you will have to do a short tree rap climbers right to it. Then rap to P1 Concetion anchors. Using Conception anchors avoids the nasty gully and can be done with one 60m. Feb 10, 2019

Curtis Baird
Johnson City, TN

While the climbing was very moderate, there is no gear for at least the first 50 ft. I feel it should get an R/X rating. Mar 4, 2019

Collin Sheppard
Salt Lake City, UT

5.9 X

I don't recommend this route. Fun but sketchy and confusing. Absolutely no potential for protection for the first 50 ft although it is easy climbing. Then you first hanger is a chunk of aluminum that looks like it was machined in someone's garage. Another 20 ft from here before you find a spot for pro. There's a tree way off to the left that I believe is the anchor for P1. This wasn't obvious so I used a BD #3 cam under the overhang and went over then continued up run out slab to the rap rings. There was a vertical crack great for a 0.4 after this. Made it to the anchors and realized I'd climbed both pitches in one go, had to rap to the tree belay, and rap down from there. Even then a 60 m was a few ft shy. Overall a fun route but crazy sketchy. Mar 31, 2019

Scott Gilliam
Raleigh, NC

I cleaned the vegetation from the open book section of the shared corner. It may still be a bit dirty for a while, but holds and gear are now available... until the veg grows back.

It IS a long way to the open book, and your first gear is not readily visible. Above the small pine on the left is a hard to find slot that accepts a microcam. Sling the tree, then find the cam.

And above that, at the roofy transition back left to the fingercrack, you can place a very good medium nut instead of the 3 Camalot.

The bolt has a modern hanger and is not visible from the ground. The homemade hanger is on another route. Nov 28, 2021