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Elevation: 1,454 ft
GPS: 35.23318, -81.27453
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 320,904 total · 1,634/month
Shared By: EricD on Feb 1, 2008
Admins: Steve Lineberry, Aaron Parlier

Description Suggest change

These are the areas accessible from Linwood Road and where the vast majority of climbs are located. These areas include the Practice Wall, David's Castle, Red Wall, and the Fortress area.

Getting There Suggest change

From I-85, take Exit 13 and go Left off the ramp. Continue through the light and the road will become Archie Whitesides Rd. (SR 1122). Follow this for roughly 2 miles until it dead-ends into Linwood Rd. Go Left on Linwood Rd. for about 0.1 mile and make a Right into the parking lot. Here you'll find an information kiosk and restrooms.

From the parking lot, follow the Backside Trail about a mile up a steep gravel trail. Please stay on the trail as land managers have put up a fence and signs to encourage people to do just that. The trail follows a wooden staircase that ends at an overlook and the top of the Practice Wall. This is also (usually) the end for most hikers, so people will congregate here and remark on the view of distant Charlotte (and engage climbers in a discussion of the dangers of climbing and the mental stability of those that climb).

The hike is about 20 minutes or less. There is a summit ridge that travels northeast from the Practice Wall which leads to the rest of the other areas (sans Hidden Wall).

183 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Main Climbing Areas

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a
 109
Gastonia Crack
Trad, TR
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 81
Caterpillar
Trad, TR
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 128
Ooga Chocka
Trad, TR
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 87
Holy Guacamole
Sport
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 163
Opinionated
Sport
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 56
The Wall
Trad, TR
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
 14
Burn Signals
Trad, Sport, TR
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 112
Electra
Sport
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 98
Master Beta
Sport
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
 81
[Redacted]
Sport
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
 35
Burn Crack
Trad
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
 6
Secret Service
Trad, Sport 2 pitches
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
 68
Energy Czar
Sport
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
 10
Butcher of Baghdad
Sport, TR
5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b PG13
 7
Slimebelly Snakeass Sodhole Skun…
Trad
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Gastonia Crack 01. Practice Wall
 109
5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a Trad, TR
Caterpillar 04. David's Castle Wall
 81
5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad, TR
Ooga Chocka 03. David's Castle (b…
 128
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad, TR
Holy Guacamole 07. Resurgence… > Trundlasaurus Wall
 87
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Sport
Opinionated 06. Red Wall
 163
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Sport
The Wall 01. Practice Wall
 56
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Trad, TR
Burn Signals 14. Car Wall
 14
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b Trad, Sport, TR
Electra 04. David's Castle Wall
 112
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Sport
Master Beta 06. Red Wall
 98
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Sport
[Redacted] 06. Red Wall
 81
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b Sport
Burn Crack 01. Practice Wall
 35
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b Trad
Secret Service 13. Two Pitch Wall
 6
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b Trad, Sport 2 pitches
Energy Czar 04. David's Castle Wall
 68
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b Sport
Butcher of Baghdad 04. David's Castle Wall
 10
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a Sport, TR
Slimebelly Snakeass Sodhole… 01. Practice Wall
 7
5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b PG13 Trad
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