Little River Canyon - Alabama

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Messages 1 - 15 of total 15 in this topic
martygarrison

Trad climber
The Great North these days......
Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 15, 2008 - 01:36pm PT
While I was living in Atlanta I tested the regions climbing. My two favorite spots were Whitesides in NC and Little
River Canyon in Northern Alabama. Completely different styles, where Whitesides was really runnout mulitipitch and Little River was very steep sport. Both were a lot of fun.....Anyone climb in these area? Any pics?
snakefoot

climber
cali
Dec 15, 2008 - 02:17pm PT
hit the little river back in the late 90's, was low key with so much potential then, i'm sure many new routes have gone up...will look for a few pics later tonight...what about the gadsen area... spray paint, damn goood rock and redneck capital.
martygarrison

Trad climber
The Great North these days......
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 16, 2008 - 11:33am PT
bump....come on there have be some southern climbers here.....
scuffy b

climber
On the dock in the dark
Dec 16, 2008 - 11:55am PT
Dirtineye has posted a fair bit about LRC over the years.
I think his crowd does more at the Southeast website than
here.
A few years back, when the SCC (or is it SECC) site went down,
this forum got a big shot of energy from bored SCC members.
quartziteflight

climber
Dec 16, 2008 - 02:28pm PT
I've climbed in the south quite a bit, but never at LRCaynon.



Whitesides is cool a little scareh at times!
The Alpine

Big Wall climber
Tampa, FL
Dec 16, 2008 - 04:01pm PT
Litte River:







Whitesides:


snakefoot

climber
cali
Dec 16, 2008 - 04:14pm PT
bump for southern sandstone, the best.......
RRK

Trad climber
Talladega, Al
Dec 16, 2008 - 04:16pm PT
I grounded out there in Nov of 1980 and broke arms and legs on my one-and-only trip to LRC and haven't been back to climb. Trip report went like this: I'm riding down the rim road checking out the rock with my partner; rock looks like crap; thinly bedded and looks very loose (soft); suddenly there's a solid cap band with a crack splitting it so we hit the brakes, turn into a pullout, grab the gear, rap into the canyon, cross the river and rack up. I drew short straw and headed up through the thin stuff for a bit, tossed my first (and as it turns out only) piece blindly above a roof till it stuck, clipped it, pulled the roof move and saw that the gear was hung on some loose dirt, couldn't make the next move and couldn't reverse due to having committed to the roof so tried to lower slowly. Gravity suddenly appeared and smacked me around a bit. We tied off the gusher with a sling and did damage assessment. Nothing was sticking out through the skin so we self rescued to the car where a new bottle of JB was waiting in the back seat for the ride to the hospital. Car-to-car in about 3 hours plus-or-minus.

Since that trip my idea of what crappy rock looks like has been influenced by several trips to the desert (Cutler makes LRC look like granite) Still there's not much there for the trad climber. I hear that there is lots of sport on the road-side but nothing across the river. I took my 8-year-old to scout camp up there this past spring and we rode back down the rim road while I tried to find that crack again but I couldn't locate it. So much for my recollection of things.

I think that the SEC website has some info on this place. My understanding is that everyone has to tippy-toe around the Rangers and get permits, etc. Since there's plenty of "free" rock close by I really wouldn't be interested in applying for permission to go sport climbing. That being said, the people that I know who sport climb all think that it's a great place.

RRK
martygarrison

Trad climber
The Great North these days......
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 16, 2008 - 05:14pm PT
alpine, thanks for the pics. LRC is a great sport climbing place if you like edges and overhanging rock. I can't see doing much trad there. Whitesides is one scary place. Better be real solid on way run out 5.9.
micronut

Trad climber
fresno, ca
Dec 16, 2008 - 06:10pm PT
http://www.bigwall.com/whtsdtr.html

here's a little diddy I wrote a few years ago on my first and only trip up Whitesides. LRC was fun back in the day. I went to Auburn University in Alabama. War Eagle!
The Alpine

Big Wall climber
Tampa, FL
Dec 16, 2008 - 06:47pm PT
No permit needed to climb at LRC in Alabama. Bouldering at the LRC(Little Rock City) in Chattanooga does require a permit.
RRK

Trad climber
Talladega, Al
Dec 17, 2008 - 09:12am PT
The Alpine wrote:
"No permit needed to climb at LRC in Alabama. Bouldering at the LRC(Little Rock City) in Chattanooga does require a permit"

Yeah apparently I was wrong about that. I remember some issues with access from back when the NPS acquired land or maybe the late 80's. Since LRC was not on my trip list I just made a mental note of access problems. Seems like I also remember the SCC talking about access at some point several years back. In any event it appears that any access issues are history and that climbing there is not restricted in any way. If I am wrong about being wrong then maybe some of the more knowledgeable of the SCC guys will straighten it all out. I guess I need to buy a few draws and go check it out again, huh?

RRK
The Alpine

Big Wall climber
Tampa, FL
Dec 17, 2008 - 09:18am PT
You're right. I believe there were a few issues years ago, but a climbing management plan(and bolting moratorium?), was drafted to make all the right people happy.

There's some great sport wankin' there. I'd leave the gear at home though...
Crimpergirl

Social climber
Boulder, Colorado!
Dec 17, 2008 - 11:23am PT
Here are a few photos and short TR from a trip to Whitesides a few years ago. I'd love to get back. I LOVE southern climbing!

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=313825&msg=313825#msg313825
cowpoke

climber
Dec 17, 2008 - 11:44am PT
please more photos...

we head south for chattanooga and ‘bama on the 23rd -- this is getting me SO psyched!!!
Messages 1 - 15 of total 15 in this topic
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