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TBD

5.12a, TR, 50 ft (15 m),  Avg: 3 from 5 votes
FA: unknown
N Carolina > 3. Piedmont Region > Pilot Mountain > 12. Big Arete

Description

This tackles the face to the right of Pillar Assault and lies under it's rap line. Stays mostly on the center of the wall without straying on the right wall or anywhere near Pillar Assault until the very end. 

Start on good jugs under a small roof, same as Pillar Assault, but instead of moving left head right and get established on the face via some good sidepull flakes. Stand up and work up via the very positive and obvious vertical crack under the next small roof. Finagle your way up to a hand sized horizontal crack above with a small bush growing out of it and get set up with high feet. Find a way to use this crack to surpass the blank face to some decent crimps to set up for the real battle. Move up a bit more to get established using a series of small holds until you can get balanced under a knob that can serve as a thumb and finger undercling. Work up your feet to gain the shallow right hand pinch and arching undercling nearby. From this strenuous position you have a few options depending on your reach and your beta may vary. There is a bad small pocket and rail out left and higher up is an amazing monopocket with a decent sloper to its right. From here you'll have to find a way to set up your feet to make a big move to the lip at the top of the wall, where if you are lucky or have scoped in advance, you can find a semi-decent lip to close out this section and pull up and over. 

A short much less difficult more direct face lines you up to converge with the finish for Pillar Assault. 

Rock quality is generally pretty good here, but try not to break much as there isn't a lot to work with. It gets thin!

Location

Can be TR'ed via the anchor for that route. Currently a TR problem but I think it has good potential to be set up as a 4-5 bolt sport line.

Protection

To lead it, it is mixed trad gear for the first half and then ties into pillar assault which is bolted, but you can also top rope it off the anchors for pillar assault

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

The four pieces of gear that I use to protect this section before tying it into pillar assault
[Hide Photo] The four pieces of gear that I use to protect this section before tying it into pillar assault
TBD face with a TR on it.
[Hide Photo] TBD face with a TR on it.
Me mid Crux on the line
[Hide Photo] Me mid Crux on the line

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

[Hide Comment] If I did in fact get the FA of this line I suggest the name Plateau Assault, and I would grade it at about 5.12a/b (pg-13) Jan 4, 2025