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Bombs Away 
Flying Fortress 

Bombs Away 

5.8

   
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Type: Trad, 3 pitches, 310 feet
Consensus: 5.8 [details]
FA: Forrest Gardner, Peter Henley - 1985 FFA: Mark Cartwright, Todd Wells - 1999
Season: Fall and Winter
Submitted By: Amy Denicke on Nov 25, 2007

You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (11)
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BETA PHOTO: View of the Flying Squirrel Buttress at the road.

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Description 

Who would have thought you could do an alpine climb in Tennessee!

P1: Scramble up on a small ledge, climb a right-facing flake, then step right and climb to an alcove beneath a bulge. Squirm throught a slot in the bulge, angle right to a vegetated ledge. Walk approximately 30 feet to the left on a very narrow ledge to a solid root on a cedar tree and belay (5.8) 140'.
P2: Move left from the belay and climb loose and crumbly rock for two or three moves, then move right below a huge right-arching corner on good rock. Angle right, pull an awkward overhang and belay on a solid tree (5.8+) 100'.
P3: Head up towards the large roof for a couple of moves then gingerly move left onto the face of the buttress on various sized blocks. Be careful as some of the blocks are loose. Climb left of the roof to a live tree on the top of the buttress (5.8-) 70'.


Location 

Located on the Flying Squirrel Buttress. Start: 50 feet to the right of the orange rock on Flying Fortress (5.10a). A double rope rappel is needed to reach slings on a tree at the top of the first pitch. A total of two raps are needed from the top. Killer hanging rappel from the roof top.

The Flying Squirrel Buttress can be seen about 1.1 miles up the canyon road at a large pull out on the right. Scramble down the hillside, cross the creek and make your way up to the buttress easiest way possible.


Protection 

Standard rack with some smaller sized cams. Nothing larger than a #3 BD cam.



Photos of Bombs Away Slideshow Add Photo
Start of Pitch 2

Start of Pitch 2

A fun hanging rappel from the top

A fun hanging rappel from the top

Start of Pitch 1

Start of Pitch 1

View from belay on pitch 3

View from belay on pitch 3

Start of P3...good quality rock right off of the belay turns somewhat loose above...

Start of P3...good quality rock right off of the b...

Working the 2nd pitch

Working the 2nd pitch

Double rope rappel (we used a 60 and a 70) gets you from the top of P3 to the top of P1 with plenty to spare.

Double rope rappel (we used a 60 and a 70) gets yo...

On P2,after following the off-width up and right, traverse right along the 3 horizonal finger cracks.

On P2,after following the off-width up and right, ...

We replaced the slings at the rap station on P1 with some new 1". :)

We replaced the slings at the rap station on P1 wi...


Comments on Bombs Away Add Comment
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By Paul Barnes
From: Gainesville, Georgia
Dec 16, 2007
rating: 5.8-

The photos posted here by Amy are very helpful in locating the start of pitches 1 and 2. Continue left on the ledge at the top of P1 past a big pile of loose rock and a tree, to the 2nd (smaller) tree.

By ChillFancy
From: Chattanooga, TN
Nov 25, 2012
rating: 5.8

First off, I would like to thank Amy and all of those who came to this route before us. This route is gold for any aspiring adventure climber. As far as total height is concerned, P1 is around 90, and P2+P3 are around 160, making the route around 250 ft tall. With that said, the actual distance climbed is probably over 300ft. I found several distinctive cruxes but route finding can be just as challenging as the cruxes. Love this climb, despite several sections of choss/lose rock.

By DaveJD
Jan 11, 2013
rating: 5.8

We just recently did this route a few days after some rain. The creek can be crossed if you have the necessary river reading skills and dont mind taking your pants off to cross(Dont get yourself killed). Pitch 1 was partially wet but very climbable and had really neat sequences with quality rock. Pitch 2 starts off with extremely loose rock for the first couple of moves and then turns into the highlight of the climb with a solid face with horizontal cracks and underclings in a somewhat exposed arch. Pitch 3 was somewhat confusing in terms of route finding, but it can be climbed nearly all over that face of the buttress. Extremely loose rock here for nearly the entire pitch, be very careful as to what you pull on.

We had difficulty finding the rap station on pitch 3. We assumed that someone removed any sort of gear that was up there. We rapped off the tree above the large ledge with a sling and biner. If you head up there bring along some webbing. The rap station on top of pitch 1 is bomber.

The pictures really did help and this climb is pretty fun so dont let the loose rock and approach turn you away.