Climbing near Durham NC

Hi,

I'm an italian phd student and I will be six month (from january) at Duke Univesrity for a research period...but...there is some good place where climb???

There is sport climbing areas or in the NC the use is to climb trad as in UK ??

Which kind of rock???

I am thinking to carry with me friends, nuts...

There are some rock climbers here from durham ?? :-)

I will be without partner for climbing...I am not a top climber but I have experience of mounaneering, trad climbing, moltipitch...

There is a place for indoor climbing??

I'm studying the climbing-geography of the NC...

thanks!

Don't bother with Roxboro. I've been there a few times and it's pretty terrible. The cliffs are really short and the bouldering was terrible. The area is also on private property. Years ago the landowner was really cool and I always made a point to ask him if it was ok before we headed up and he was cool with it.

As far as gyms goes I would head up to the Triangle Rock Club which is near RDU, or Vertical Edge which is close to Durham. Just head up to Triangle Rock Club and start looking for partners.

Not a lot of very close climbing. There is a good bouldering area about 1 hour away in Asheboro. The cliffs near Winston-Salem are what you are looking for. About 2 hours, mostly trad climbing. Check out Moore's wall. If you can travel 3+ hours the stuff near Boone and Asheville is awesome. Bring your trad gear, sport climbing is limited. Most of this climbing is on Quartzite or Granite (or gneiss that might as well be granite). You will be able to find partners around Durham no problem, just hit up one of the local gyms.

Marco,

There is some excellent climbing in the North Carolina Piedmont, but most of it is VERY traditional without many bolts or fixed protection. There is sport climbing though, and some is not far from you in Durham.

Moore's Wall is one of the best crags in the whole state (maybe the whole eastern US) but it is mostly traditional. There are some sport climbs in the Hanging Garden Area, but only a few and they are all 8a and harder. This area is good from March to November.

Cook's Wall is also in the piedmont and has a few dozen sport routes, mostly 6b-7a. I don't know much about this area, other than that there is no published guide and the approach is wild and crazy, about 2 hours. There is a hand drawn topo here. This area is good from Nov to March.

Pilot Mountain has some good sport, but can be crowded. It is a winter area.

All of the above areas are within a two hour drive form Durham, and all are accessed via Hwy 52 North from Winston Salem.

Crowders Mountain lies close to Charlotte and is maybe three hours from Durham.

The New River Gorge in West Virginia is one of the best climbing destinations in the US and is about 4 hours from Durham.

I personally don't care for Pilot or Crowders, but there is good climbing there. Between Moore's, Cook's and The New, you have a lifetime of climbing.

There are A LOT of other areas in NC, but they are 3 to 6 hours from Durham.

For a gym and partners, go to Triangle Rock Club. It's hands down the best gym in the area and you will easily find partners there. Tell them Ryan Williams says hello from London!

Where are you from in Italy? I spent a month in Tuscany working last summer, near Viareggio. Climbed at Candalla a few times.

Duke also has a climbing wall

Ryan Williams wrote:Marco, There is some excellent climbing in the North Carolina Piedmont, but most of it is VERY traditional without many bolts or fixed protection. There is sport climbing though, and some is not far from you in Durham. Moore's Wall is one of the best crags in the whole state (maybe the whole eastern US) but it is mostly traditional. There are some sport climbs in the Hanging Garden Area, but only a few and they are all 8a and harder. This area is good from March to November. Cook's Wall is also in the piedmont and has a few dozen sport routes, mostly 6b-7a. I don't know much about this area, other than that there is no published guide and the approach is wild and crazy, about 2 hours. There is a hand drawn topo here. This area is good from Nov to March. Pilot Mountain has some good sport, but can be crowded. It is a winter area. All of the above areas are within a two hour drive form Durham, and all are accessed via Hwy 52 North from Winston Salem. Crowders Mountain lies close to Charlotte and is maybe three hours from Durham. The New River Gorge in West Virginia is one of the best climbing destinations in the US and is about 4 hours from Durham. I personally don't care for Pilot or Crowders, but there is good climbing there. Between Moore's, Cook's and The New, you have a lifetime of climbing. There are A LOT of other areas in NC, but they are 3 to 6 hours from Durham. For a gym and partners, go to Triangle Rock Club. It's hands down the best gym in the area and you will easily find partners there. Tell them Ryan Williams says hello from London! Where are you from in Italy? I spent a month in Tuscany working last summer, near Viareggio. Climbed at Candalla a few times.

Thank you Ryan...I'm from Roma. Roma isn't very close to any good climbing area but there is some tradition about mountain climbing...but at least I have to drive 1 h to find a good place (about 3h for mountaneering).

Trad climbing is great (here only sport climbing)... Pheraps I am creazy but my first problem in my 6-mounth period in USA is to climb... ;-).

That's not crazy at all. I don't have much to add to the above other than to say that if you like trad, you can stay busy for years and years in North Carolina. Linville Gorge and Looking Glass are my favorite places to go, but Moore's Wall is an amazing place for trad cragging.

Scott O wrote:That's not crazy at all. I don't have much to add to the above other than to say that if you like trad, you can stay busy for years and years in North Carolina. Linville Gorge and Looking Glass are my favorite places to go, but Moore's Wall is an amazing place for trad cragging.

Thank you Scott...I hope that this ''research'' periord will be an opportunity to discover a diferent approach to rock climbing as well as an occasion for my PHD ;-).