PRINT: Rock Climb U Slot, Stone Mountain

U Slot

5.7+ PG13, Trad, 140 ft (42 m),

Avg: 2.4 from 109 votes
FA: unknown
N Carolina > 3. Piedmont Region > Stone Mountain > Stone Mtn S Face

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

One of a number of ways to get to the Tree Ledge for the big climbs, this is an interesting route in its own right. Be ready for some of that hairy Stone Mountain runout. A good warmup for things to come!

Starting up a left-facing corner and hand crack, the climbing is well protected until you're about two-thirds of the way up. From there, a 30-40' runout section will get you to a shallow overhang, where you can thankfully place a cam before pulling the balancy move onto more friction to a short finish at bolted rap anchors on the Tree Ledge.

Location

Starts just above the boulder field at the base of the mountain, about 30' right of Block Route. Scramble up to a left-facing corner with trees at the base. You'll need two ropes to rap down.

Protection

Medium gear; bolted anchors at the top.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Met Swain after he took his first ever fall on gear low on U-Slot. He kept on going and successfully finished leading the route.

You're never too young or too old to slab climb!

Climber Joe starting U-slot.

U slot from the approach scramble.

The rope shows the basic line you want to take when climbing u-slot. Note the black center mark on my 70m rope. It's a good 20 to 30 feet up.

U-Slot topo

Having fun on U Slot

Follow the rope line for the route we climbed on U-slot. He climbed through the low spot between the two ropes.

Climber Joe on U-slot.

Plugging a piece before pulling the "slot".

A good view of the arete/flake before the slight runout.

Another line up U-Slot. A bit run out between the top of the arete/corner and the roof but there's at least two bomber good pieces before you pull through the slot and one just below the overlap.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Adam Kimmerly

Not knowing where the route actually went, I aimed up and left from the starting crack toward what I thought looked like a "U" slot in the overlap. I plugged a cam below and left of the notch and pulled the overlap with a big high-step and a good left-hand crimp. A bit heady and with a bad slab fall if you blow that move, this variation isn't any harder than the 5.8 rating given the standard route. Mar 26, 2007

George Heib

5.7+ R

Selected climbs says to use the arete (sp) and climb that up and then straight to the lower portion of the overlap. We used the dihedral and protected there before heading up. There is a very small u shape on the left side of the main block. It makes the route more difficult and I really thing the run out brings it very close to a ground fall if you don't protect in the narrow water groove. For a 5.7 it is a very heady runout and I don't think many people that know much about slab should have any business on this route's runout. I honestly think one bolt in between would make this a much more enjoyable classic climb, but again, if you go straight up the feet are there and it can protect after the runout. I think I slipped once on the whole route but wow this was a very big wake up and introduction to Stone. So much that our group realized this was a different kind of slab as supposed to LG and we thought it best to rap after this climb to train up a bit more. What a fun climb though and a great view from the belay station. That one little bolt would put this as a super classic in my book, but then again, almost ever starting route at the base's first bolt is what: 30-35ft up. Gotta love NC's very unique ethics. Oct 2, 2010

Mike Holley
Boone, NC

Nice Climb and good way to access tree ledge. There are numerous ways to climb this route but taking the low line, using the crack, seems to be the easiest and offers the most pro. Do not let the mantle onto the large ledge near the top freak you out of this line because it protects like non other!

I think you need to link up two ropes if you want to attempt a standard TR*

Oct 20, 2011

Corey Scheip
Saluda, NC

Mike you are absolutely right, you need two ropes if you want to set up TR or rappel down from the tree/anchors.

I have made this mistake before :/ Dec 13, 2011

chris mcguigan
belmont, nc

5.7+ PG13

Learned today if you want to climb the route in the pic to the right of the tree on top of the traditional line bring some tri-cams and cams for flared cracks. Dont let the line pull you off to the left too far much like the guy in the pic. Jan 29, 2012

Will Bradford
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Note on needing two ropes to get down from tree ledge:
If you get up to tree ledge and find yourself needing to rap down with one rope, it is possible to do so using the anchors for U slot and carefully making your way climber's left about 30 feet laterally and ~60 feet down to reach the belay station for a neighboring route (not sure the name) about 40 ft off the ground. A 60 m rope will JUST BARELY reach so make sure you tie knots in the ends. Would strongly recommend bringing two ropes to rap from, but this is a possibility if you have no other choice. Feb 22, 2015

Steve Lineberry
Charlotte, NC

Yea, i think you are referring to the mid anchors on block route. Feb 23, 2015

Will Bradford
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

You are correct- they're the first anchors for block route. Mar 25, 2015

Nate Thompson
Columbia, SC

5.7+ PG13

I've climbed this route twice in the past two weeks and I could not decide which direction over the "roof" was on-route. I believe the correct route is actually to the right after following the initial crack up over the depression in the "roof" since you land just below the rap rings in this scenario. Lambert and Shull also outline the route in this way in their book. However, the more pronounced "u-slot" which perhaps is the namesake of this route on the left is way more fun. I can confirm the right foot high step with two crimp holds to get over the ledge - super fun move. At any rate I hope this alleviates some confusion. Apr 24, 2016

Colin Taggart

I found the top section after the overhang to be a bit dirty, which is scary after 30-40 feet since your last piece. Easy climbing, not harder than the hardest slab bits lower on the route, but I found it to be the headiest part. Jun 4, 2017

Charles Ciaffone
Asheville, NC

Dang. Last time I headed right. I guess I need to just take the plunge straight up and do it the old-fashioned way. Maybe Entrance Crack again on Sunday, since I bailed on it 25 years ago. Dec 31, 2017