All Locations > N Carolina > 3. Piedmont Region > Stone Mountain > Stone Mtn S Face

The Great Arch

Name: The Great Arch
Rating: 3.5

5.5 YDS 4b French 13 Ewbanks IV+ UIAA 11 ZA MS 4a British

Routes in Stone Mountain South Face

L › R R › L A › Z

	Adrift T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
	Amtrak T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b X
	Anchor Rode T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
	Another Alternative T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Autumn Speaks T,S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
	Banana Breath T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a R
	Between The Ways S 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b PG13
	Block Route T 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13
	Blood On The Tracks T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
	Bombay Groove aka Yankee Go Home T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13
	Brown Sugar T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13
	Captain Crunch T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c PG13
	Caveman T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b PG13
	Closer to the Heart T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
	Crystal Lizard T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
	Direct Start to Arch T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
	Dirty Crack T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Discipline, The S 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b
	Dixie Crystals T,S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Dream On T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Dream Waves T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Electric Boobs T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a PG13
	Entrance Crack T 5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a R
	Face Value T,S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a X
	Fantastic T,S 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a PG13
	Father Knows Best T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
	Fleet Feet T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Fuddy Mucker/Deception Crack - 5.9 T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Grand Funk Railroad T 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c
	Great Arch, The T 5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a
	Great Brown Way T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b PG13
	Great White Way T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Hook and Bladder T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Impossible Dream T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Last Dance T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c R
	Mama's Goin' Crazy T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b X
	Mcgrady's route T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
	Mercury's Lead T,S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
	No Alternative T 5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a PG13
	Orange Blossom Special T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c X
	P.F. Flyers T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13
	Pandora's Way T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Peer Pressure T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
	Permission Granite T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Pulpit, The T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Purple Daze T 5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c PG13
	Purring, The T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Pyromania T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a R
	Rainy Day Women T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a R
	Requiem to a Dream T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a PG13
	Rice Krispies T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b R
	Rock Island Line (Grand Funk alt. finish), The T 5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a PG13
	Saturday Night Live T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a R
	Scimitar S 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Sermon, The T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Storm in a Teacup S 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13
	Strawberry Preserves T,S 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b PG13
	Sufficiently Breathless T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a X
	Taken For Granite T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Teflon Trip T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b R
	Toilet Bowl T,S 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b R
	U Slot T 5.7+ 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13
	Wahoo Start T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Wet Dreams T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a X
	White Way Direct T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
	WOSL T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
	Yardarm T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13
	Zoo Love T 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c

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Type:	Trad, 400 ft (121 m), 3 pitches
FA:	Bill Chatfield, Fess Green - 1965
Page Views:	64,709 total · 295/month
Shared By:	saxfiend on Nov 15, 2006 · Updates
Admins:	Steve Lineberry, Aaron Parlier Page Updates (admin only)

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Access Issue: Post Hurricane Helene Accessibility of Crags Details

The CCC has created the list linked below of accessible and inaccessible climbing areas with some caveats. If you decide to head out for a day of climbing, please do not attempt to go to those marked ‘inaccessible’. Please note that all areas in WNC will have extensive tree damage and if you head out, use extra caution for all the trees above, especially on a windy day. Rock fall potential is also highest after a big weather event. Please use extra caution while climbing and prepare to self rescue if injured. Injury response time will be greatly limited for any injury currently, especially for a remote injury. Cell service is limited in all areas. Parking at accessible crags in the WNC/ Upstate SC region will likely be challenging. If the parking lot is full, go to a different area and do not park illegally or in a road. Make a plan B before leaving your house. Expect road detours on the way to the crag. NCdrive.gov updates road closures. Once you get to the crag, expect many trees blocking access trails and of course, come volunteer with the CCC to help us bring our climbing areas back!

carolinaclimbers.org/conten…

Description

The Great Arch is probably the most prominent and noticeable feature on the face of Stone Mountain. It's a huge right-facing dihedral that arches almost to the summit of the mountain from the Tree Ledge. It's also one of the earliest routes here, put up in the days before cams and sticky rubber climbing shoes.

Unlike the typical runout Stone Mountain friction climb, The Great Arch is one of the few climbs here that has plentiful protection. A real classic, it's very popular and guaranteed to be crowded on weekends -- so arrive early to avoid long waits.

P1 -- starting at the base of the arch, climb the dihedral using the hand/finger crack and good friction footwork to a bolted belay. 5.5, ~110'.
P2 -- continue up the crack and dihedral, slinging trees for pro if you like, to a bolted belay. 5.5, ~120'.
P3 -- follow the diminishing arch to its end on easy ground. Clip a single bolt and finish at the final bolted anchors. 5.3, ~120'.

Location

To get to The Great Arch, gain the Tree Ledge using any of the approach routes, such as Direct Start, Block Route, or U Slot. The start is easy to locate at the left end of the Tree Ledge. Rap off with double ropes or walk off the trail from the summit.

Protection

As noted, this route is easy to protect with a standard rack (medium cams or passive pro) and some slings for the trees that grow out of the crack. Belays and anchors at the top are bolted.