Multipitch climbs in Tennessee that aren't in BSF

More specifically, anything in East Tennessee 2 pitches or more? I've heard there's some stuff in Chattanooga but i don't own any guidebooks to that area (besides LRC guidebook, but something tells me LRC doesn't have multipitch). I know there's a few climbs in Big South Fork, but for how far away it is from me i'd rather just travel to NC.

Sandstone in the east typically does not get over 150' tall. T-Wall has a few that are "multi", but nothing really over two pitches. Like you said, just go to NC. Laurel Knob is the tallest climbable face east of the Miss.

Go on up into Suck Creek Canyon after skipping the left on River Road to go to the Tennessee Wall. Drive up a ways and look for a buttress on the right with a pine tree growing at approximately mid height. Bushwhack in and start here.

TomCaldwell wrote:Sandstone in the east typically does not get over 150' tall.

There is always good comedy around here by god.

there are some 3 pitch lines up in suck creek. Bombs Away is good. The whole cliffline is chossy. Its called "Bombs Away" for a reason. There are also some 2 pitch sport and trad lines at devil's racetrack (35 min N of Knoxville). T wall has some 2 pitch lines.

Tyler S wrote: There is always good comedy around here by god.

How is that comedy when it is true. Unless it is quartzite or conglomorate the walls typically aren't that tall. Out west is a different story.

Tallulah Gorge is not far from Knoxville.

KHall wrote:Tallulah Gorge is not far from Knoxville.

3 hrs and 13 minutes. Linville is about an hour closer.

I'll have to check out Devil's Racetrack and Suck Creek.

TomCaldwell wrote: How is that comedy when it is true.

Man he just gets funnier.....bravo. You need to get out more.

Tyler S wrote: Man he just gets funnier.....bravo. You need to get out more.

Okay so I am new to the east, where is all this sandstone that is over 150 feet tall?

"Okay so I am new to the east, where is all this sandstone that is over 150 feet tall?"

Check out the BSF, I know the OP excluded it but Tommy boy said in the "east" too much to list. Next stop Sequatchie Valley, then North Point in Chick Gorge.I did one of the best legit 2 pitch routes there Sat but I guess my 70m done shrunk! cuz for sure it culdnt bee ovah 150'!!! Then on your way back to town hit up Suck Creek, In particular do Sudden Death Playoffs at the Arena (try it in one pitch), any line on the F. Squirrel Butt which is about 230' (again unless my rope dun shrunk). Then on to the Upper Passes for Battle Wagon, dang my rope must shrink lots! Then hit up some lines at the C Camp left of the main area.

Plenty of taller stuff out there, given that majorly popular cattle areas are round 100' or so doesn't mean you should write the whole state off as single pitch. Your not gonna get Whitesides length but stuff over the deemed "150'" is plentiful, all I'm saying. Carry on.

To continue Tyler's whirlwind tour, once done with Suck Creek, point your chariot directly southward to the convergance of the NE and NW corners of your neighboring states...

okay so 80 feet over 150.... not a huge difference.

Like he said the MAJORITY of SE sandstone is under 150 feet. The rest is MAYBE 90 feet taller, not a huge difference in my book, thats like half a pitch. You need to get yourself out west!

Yes, lets debate the definition of "typically" and flame everyone that doesn't use it to your liking. I need to check the website to make sure we aren't on rcdotcom. Out of the tens thousands of sandstone routes on the east coast, we named like 20+ routes that are actually "mutli-pitch". 35' longer than a 60m rope length, wow! Tyler, I will admit that I didn't know about Suck Creek's huge multi-pitch climbs if you can admit that you have no tact and can't follow guideline #1. Seems like a fair trade for someone like yourself that generates so much quality information on this forum.

Leftwich wrote: You're absolutely right, nothing much over 200' around here. In fact, anything over 100' is all choss guarded by ticks, snakes and rednecks ready to break in you car and make meth in the back seat. Maybe it's best if you stay "out west" where none of us poor southern boys ever get a chance to "get ourselves"... and we'll leave the discussion of southern sandstone to those that actually climb and explore southern sandstone.

haha what the hell are you even talking about dude. I live in the south now and the original poster was right on... There is not much sandstone in the east over 150 feet, how can you argue with that? Coming up with one or two climbs that are 210 feet is not proving the point.... TYPICALLY sandstone in the east is not over 150 feet, how can you argue with that statement?

Anything in southern Kentucky?

Hey Evan,

Not sure why you are excluding BSF? It's about as close to Knoxville as everything else mentioned, except Devils Racetrack. Plenty of walls there that are 150', up to 250' or so on O&W wall. Lots of multipitch routes, most pitches are short and steep, but offer full value climbing. You are not going to find any rope stretching multi pitch routes in Tennessee, you will have to go to NC for that. Maybe think about buying the Tennessee guidebook.

NOFF wrote:Hey Evan, Not sure why you are excluding BSF? It's about as close to Knoxville as everything else mentioned, except Devils Racetrack. Plenty of walls there that are 150', up to 250' or so on O&W wall. Lots of multipitch routes, most pitches are short and steep, but offer full value climbing. You are not going to find any rope stretching multi pitch routes in Tennessee, you will have to go to NC for that. Maybe think about buying the Tennessee guidebook.

I'm excluding it because it's far enough away that I'd just want to drive to North Carolina to do longer multipitch routes. It's about 2 hrs 15 minutes from where I am in Knoxville (I live pretty near the Old City), and Linville is somewhere between 2 and 2 1/2 hrs depending on traffic. With the quality of climbing that is Linville Gorge, that drive is more worth it. Chattanooga is only about 45 minutes away.

Someday, I probably will head over to Big South Fork. But probably not until i get bored with NC, or until I'm over that direction anyway (which may be over the winter if the rock allows, but it's going to be dependent on the weather)

Cool, can't beat Linville for fun long routes. If it gets too cold in NC, I recommend anything in the Main Gorge in BSF. Most of those walls face south or southwest.

It's true that "typically" sandstone in the east is shorter than its western counterpart. But there are cliffs in WV, for example, that are much taller than the stuff in TN. Seneca is probably the most famous of them all.

Back to the subject... NC climbing and BSF are a much different experience. I love the stuff here in NC (especially linville gorge), but BSF offers the kind of stuff you won't encounter here. We once climbed a 2 pitch route there (at the crackhouse) that goes from crack, to steep pocket pullin' (think RRG), to a wild water runnel/flared chimney/OW (think the desert). All in 2 pitches of steepness. We also climbed a very adventurous aid route up the O & W wall that required a rope lasso of a pine tree to surmount the roof.

NOFF wrote:Cool, can't beat Linville for fun long routes. If it gets too cold in NC, I recommend anything in the Main Gorge in BSF. Most of those walls face south or southwest.

Awesome. How's the quality, lots of choss or is there a full day's worth of climbing?