All Locations > N Carolina > 1. Southern Mou… > Laurel Knob

Pipsissewa

Name: Pipsissewa
Rating: 4.0

5.13 YDS 8a French 29 Ewbanks X- UIAA 30 ZA E7 6c British R

Routes in Laurel Knob

L › R R › L A › Z

	'Shimer Down T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	A Second Way (Variation Finish to Seconds) T,S 5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Aloha slab T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b R
	Annie Get Your Guns T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Arrested Development T 5.12- 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Before the Settlers Arrive T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
	Better late than never T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
	Biopsy T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Black Flag T 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c
	Buried Treasure T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13
	Canyons of Laurel T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Central Pillar Direct Finish T,S 5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Central Pillar of Laurel T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Clippidy Doodah... S 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Clowns to the Left of me T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13
	Cotton Pony T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c
	Cruising with the Top Down T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Defective Sonar T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Dike hike - Monster Groove T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Dillard Arete T 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
	Don't call me surely T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
	Dry streak T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b PG13
	Fathom T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Fathom Direct T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b R
	Fathom Escape Hatch T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c A2
	Finger Lickin' Good T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
	Friction Addiction T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
	Frolictown T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
	Fruit of the Poisonous Tree T 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b PG13
	Funky Chicken, The T 5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c
	Get it while it's hot T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b R
	Gibbet, The T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c PG13
	Girl friend route T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Groover (Gaskin Finish) T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Groover Variation (Fischesser Finish) T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Groovin' in the name of the Laurel T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b R
	Have and Not Need T,S 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	High & Dry T 5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c
	Hone Ranger T 5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c X
	Hostis Humani Generis T 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b PG13
	Hypocrite's Corner T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
	Jokers to the right T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13
	Keel Hauled T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13
	Laurel's Girdle T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
	Laurel's Snake Dike T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Legendary "F" Bomb, The T 5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c R
	Manatee Fluid T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
	Manatee Left T 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
	Mechanical Bull T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c R
	Mirage T 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b PG13
	Mirage Direct Finish T 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
	Monster Groove Direct Start T,S 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b A0
	Monster Groove Reject Start T 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b PG13
	Mutiny T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
	Nana's Bananas T 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a
	Nanna Gets Her Groove On T,S 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b
	O.K. Corral T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b R
	Oasis T 5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c
	Old Times' Sake T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Permission Granite T 5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Pipsissewa T 5.13 8a 29 X- 30 E7 6c R
	Pirate's Cove T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
	Pirate's cove Alt start T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
	Pirate's Cove direct finish T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b PG13
	Puff The Magic Dragon T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Quantum Mechanic's Arete T 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a
	Rejected Radar T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a A0 PG13
	Rock Eating Tree T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c PG13
	Route Of The Living Dead T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Seconds T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Squirrely man T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Steep in the Teacups of Laurel T,S 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b
	Stegg, Roy Fathom ALT. T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
	Stellar Sonar T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13
	Stemming Laurel T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
	Stingray T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
	Stranger Than Friction T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c PG13
	Tastes Like Chicken T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b PG13
	Two Rattlers in Your Face T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Unfathomable T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c A1 R
	Use It Express T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Use It Or Luge It T,S 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
	Use it or Luge it Direct Start T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	Walkin' Da Plank T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b PG13
	Wild Turkeys T 5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c PG13
	Wild Wild West T,S 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c PG13
	Wormhole T 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c

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Type:	Trad, 1000 ft (303 m), 7 pitches, Grade IV
FA:	DV & Zeb Hammerly (ground up)
Page Views:	1,133 total · 34/month
Shared By:	Dylan Valvo on Mar 10, 2022
Admins:	Ky Bishop, Steve Lineberry, Aaron Parlier Page Updates (admin only)

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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…

Access Issue: Falcon Closure 2024 Details

Laurel Knob Jan 15- Aug 14: All routes in the Dillard Canyon are closed to climbing during this period.

carolinaclimbers.org/conten…

Description

Pipsissewa: to break down stone
If you are interested in repeating this route and would like more beta feel free to reach out and I’d be happy to provide further details as well as any asterisks on our ascent and my time working it. This is a hard climb to just get up let alone free in a day.
Pitch 1 Boulder up corner over bulge and cut left onto the face. From here head up to the fold above. On the first go I climbed left along this overlap then hit the right leaning crack and took that back out to the bolt above. This required back cleaning the crack completely and slinging everything below long to reduce drag which also left the follower unprotected (if they tried to follow that route). Against usual style of keeping the hole count down I added one bolt and straightened the line up for a future ascent. Now climb right around the overlap. Follow bolts out right through deceptive climbing then head up to the dike hike belay 5.12 160’ (7 bolts & gear)
Pitch 2 head straight off the belay into the most sustained pitch of the climb following bolts through bulge and some wacky movement eventually gaining another massive dike to a bolted anchor. All bolts 5.12+ 175’ (8 bolts)
Pitch 3 continue up sustained slab possibly extending a couple draws to eliminate drag on off balance climbing. Climb up to a set of bolted anchors where you can belay and see your partner for the entire pitch or belay farther up in the crack under the next pitch for a more “attentive” catch. All bolts .5-.75 pieces for upper natural anchor 5.11 180’ (7 bolts)
Pitch 4 this pitch was bolted by Shannon Stegg and company but was abandoned. I left everything as they had established it. A pink tricam keeps the first moves off the belay. Climb up low percentage moves and make a couple wild traverse move right (crazy beta) to the groove. The groove let’s off for a minute before a final boulder problem to gain the anchors. 5.13 90’ (7 bolts)
Pitch 5 hold it together for one more tough slab pitch following bolts eventually building a gear belay in a large seam under a bulge. All bolts .75-2” for anchor 5.11 120’ (7 bolts)
Pitch 6 climb over the left side of bulge and up easier runout terrain to a single bolt (long) ring anchor on horizontal shelf 5.9 70’ one piece of gear
Pitch 7 continue scramble upwards to the summit if you fancy and Pitch 8 anchors for the fischesser finish on groover that traverses out into Dillard canyon 5.8 (0 bolts)
Either continue heading towards Dillard canyon on the Fischesser finish (not advised as the climbing look far from inspiring) or rap the route with double 60s (0 bolts)

Location

This climb starts in a left facing corner down and right of the dike hike. Reference photo

Protection

To climb this route I would bring tricams from black to blue, a 00/0 offset cam (or a 00) and a single set of cams .5-2” cams, alpine runners to extend some pro.