Author Archives: Mike Reardon

Southern Pisgah Rock and Ice Guide Book

Ground Up Publishing is currently working on a full color guidebook of the massive Southern Pisgah Region. Major areas covered:

Looking Glass Rock, John Rock, Cedar Rock, and all areas between. Ice crags as well.

Rumbling Bald Rock Climbs will be a model for how this book is designed and laid out. It will be just as much of a field guide as it is a visual and verbal account of the great climbers that have graced our NC cliff lines. If interested in helping with the endeavor, via photos, outlandish stories, FA’s, etc., please contact mikereardon80@hotmail.com. Thank you!

Expected 2018, summer. Who knows, Looking Glass is BIG!

Buffalo Creek Park

 

 

Buffalo Creek ParkBuffalo Creek Park: The Town of Lake Lure, lead by town manager Chris Braund, has recently created a beautiful park located on the north eastern flanks of Rumbling Bald Mountain. Buffalo Creek Park is now equipped with a three mile loop trail perfect for mountain bikers. The Town of Lake Lure also noted sizable boulders within the park and has invited us, the Carolina Climbers Coalition, www.carolinaclimbers.org, as caretakers. This is an incredible opportunity because we can plan for mitigating user impact before it happens. It will also be a good alternative to Rumbling Bald, with similar rock. CCC board members and Access Fund members worked with the Town of Lake Lure to establish a trail that heads directly to the boulder field. There are about 8+ sizable boulders and who knows how many problems, maybe 40+.

Driving: buffalocreekpark.org/ has great directions from anywhere in the world. 30 minutes from the Bald, 45 minutes from Asheville.

Approach: The new boulder approach trail is finished and easy. Less than 15 minutes. Park, head to the trail head, hike 5 minutes to the loop split. 100 yards after the loop split, look right for a newer less defined trail heading uphill. See map

 

Low Expectations V1

Low Expectations V1

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Two Faced Boulder: Rock Eating Tree, V5 climbs the left side of the arete. Collaboration V1 climbs the right.

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Alesha inside the Tatanka’s mouth, above Tatanka Chin V5

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Kids in the Chasm

 

Rumbling Bald Rock Climbs Corrections and Updates

We are only human! Please add to this thread as you see updates or corrections needed in the guide or email mikereardon80@hotmail.com. Thanks for visiting!

Corrections:

Pg. 108: #18. The bad bolt on Gumbies in the Roof has been replaced.

Pg. 129: #28 (name unknown) has been named Gusdefied, FA Gus Glitch

Pg. 134: #3 “Cave Arete” has been named Bulgus, FA Gus Glitch

Pg. 149 “Mad Dog Variation” has been named “Underdog” FA Gus Glitch

Pg. 164: The upper bolt drawn on #4 Rocket Science should drawn lower. #3 Co-Pilots also has two of its own bolts.

Pg. 166: FA on Z Crack should read Doug Matthews

Pg. 168: Cooter Bug Anchor has been removed. If climbing the 180′ to the top, it is now 5.8X without the anchor.

Pg. 176: That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles should be 120 feet, not 70 feet

Pg. 254: Slither and Flap should be 5.7+. It is marked correctly on the topo but incorrectly in the description.

Pg. 240: Lightning Corner should be marked 5.6. It is marked correctly on the topo but incorrectly in the description.

Left Field Area: In the photo topo, Huffin Cedar’s line should be drawn about 5 feet further left. In the photo topo for Knuckle Balls, the line should be drawn further right.

 

Additions:

Pg. 168: An unknown 5.9 has been added by an unknown party just left of the 5.8 Crack in the Test Pilots Area.

Pg. 197: There is another unknown route just right of Obamanation climbing an arete flake past a high bolt.

Cedar Rock Guidebook Updates

Below are some corrections and updates from Cedar Rock and Satellite Crags. If you find anymore, please email mikereardon80@hotmail.com.  cedar covers for news_Page_1
1. There have been a few routes added to the Morning Glory Wall (AKA North Cedar) and Cedar Main recently. Check out the Mountain Project page and you will likely find them
2. The top pitch of North by Northwest is about 120 feet to the tree line, meaning you need 2 ropes to get down (unless you want to rap from a single bolt lower)
3. Approach directions to the Morning Glory Wall (AKA North Cedar) are a bit vague in the book. Follow directions to Stone Depot but before getting to the steep 3rd class ascent, you’ll see a campsite on the right. The trail to the Morning Glory Wall is on the left and leads 5 minutes to the Red Fern Area.
4. The second pitch to Black Swan/ Operant Conditioning does not have a bolted anchor, it is a tree rap
5. The parking lot for Cedar Rock, if coming from the Fish Hatchery, is about a mile further than written.
6. If coming from the Parkway, the parking for Victory Wall is at the second stone bridge (the one in the photo on the parking description page).

7. There is now a two bolt anchor atop the 2nd pitch of Oh! Mr. Friction

8. Here is a better map of Cedar Rock: Cedar Map