North Carolina, Badin, falls reservoir cave

does anyone know if there have been any climbs done at this rock. It's a man made cave system for the damn on Lake Badin near Badin NC.

Here's some videos that show it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cdBIJPqT7k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s01bUQ59Ho&t=2008s

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4184385,-80.0909916,487m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu

This looks cool! How deep is the water? Does it look like people have climbed it?

Tom Caldwell wrote:

This looks cool! How deep is the water? Does it look like people have climbed it?

I have no clue myself as I haven't been there. I'm just asking if anyone else may of climbed it, somehow out of curiosity since my dad has asked me if anyone has.

Access to the spot seems pretty hard. You either have to own a kayak or something like so and kayak upstream from the boat ramp further down, where in some youtube videos i saw, said you have to walk in the water along the edge to get to the caves (Just normal people kayaking for fun and exploration).

I did look at google maps and it might potentially be possible to walk to the caves if you drive around through the national forest and hike down, but that's just from looking at google maps.

I can't imagine the water is that deep though but I have no clue.

The biggest problem with walking around the area is it's most likely on private property (whoever owns the damn), since from videos and photos, it looks like the left side of the caves, looking into them, it looks like there is man made concrete structures very close by on the hill that looks like it has a ramp.

I grew up near Badin, and often went fishing/hiking around that area. I haven't kayaked in the Falls Reservoir, but I do know Badin and Tillery are fairly deep so my assumption would be the reservoir is as well. It honestly might be deep enough to deep water solo but as always you should make sure it is deep enough prior to climbing.

As for access, you're going to have to take a kayak in, the only land access looks like you would need to cross the spillway and you would most likely get turned away if you (try to) walk over it.

I am curious to learn more about this spot, maybe something to check out next time I visit family.

I haven’t been to that cave, but I’m knowledgeable about bouldering in the Badin area. Once Raleigh signs off on the new Morrow Mountain State Park plan, bouldering will be an officially endorsed park activity, opening up 2 boulderfields.

There are some lone bolted routes not far from there, I think I have a picture of one of them and let me see if I can pull the GPS data. I also did some trad out there that questionably could have been FAs a few years back, though I honestly doubt it. One was a 50ish ft hand crack. 

between (35.3914686, -80.0674441) and (35.3849745, -80.0594813) I cannot get a clear enough view in Google, but between those sets of coordinates there will be a cove with a small waterfall. There are a few bolted lines in that cove. 

i myself do not have a kayak, but that might be something i could work towards getting and go out there to check it out, idk. Don't expect that to happen, but I hope. It'd be cool to explore some places like that.

I've just been trying to map out and find boulders/climbing areas around Charlotte. I only have 2 spots currently that aren't on mountain project. I don't have crash pads though so I'm not going to be going out anytime soon to figure out routes on anything.

a little closer to town, theres a route I helped put up in newsome. There’s a few routes out there the best one is probably 5.10+ and it’s thin climbing through bolts then a crack that goes from 1s to 3s 

This is an hour from my place.  Let's check it out!

Making it all the way to the spillway is (was for me) a daunting task and I bailed.  The current starts getting pretty strong right below the dam but I was on a SUP and it might be considerably easier in a kayak.  That said there is a boulder that overhangs the water that seems to have potential and there might be a wall but the water landing situation still needs to be explored.  I've already taken a brush to the start holds on the boulder and it looks fun.  Not super keen on bouldering over water solo.  Anyone want to check it out.