One of the places to climb in Linville Gorge is Hawksbill Mountain. With an elevation of 4,009 feet it is an excellent summer time trad climbing destination. The rock quality is great. The views are epic and the people are pretty cool too. Tom Howard and Rich Gottlieb get credit for realizing the climbing potential of Hawksbill back in 1977. The tale of Howard’s brutal fall on the classic “Lost in Space” is sure to spook any climber attempting the move heading out the roof. Today climbers are still pushing it at Hawksbill. Whether it is Pat Goodman turning aid routes into free routes, Mike Stam completing the legendary Dan Caldwell’s project, which has a super sick dyno you can see in the DVD, or someone out there putting up their own new line while trying to keep it a secret.
Below, Mike Stam takes a look before he commits to the crux of Caldwell’s project.

One last suss

Here, Stam is still swinging from a dyno attempt. He stuck the move on the next go for the 1st ascent that he named “Buck Wild”.

Stam swings out from an attempt on “Buck Wild”

Some climbs at Hawksbill require technical rope work. Here Zach and Eric have traversed to their final rappel. Hawksbill is for experienced climbers who are proficient with rope and gear techniques.

Zach and Eric savor the view

Click play below to watch a glimpse of Hawksbill Mountain, NC.

Hawksbill from lvmrock on Vimeo.

LVM Rock caught up with Pat Goodman and Ben Sachs, two locals that prefer to be tied in. For those that don’t know, the Linville Gorge offers up some of the best trad (traditional protection) climbing around. The quartzite rock is superb for keeping gear and not breaking when you put a big heavy load on it. Pat and Ben don’t seem to mind taking a few whippers here and there.
At lower Hawksbill, Ben was warming up on a mixed route known as “King of Kings.” It is rated in the 5.11 range and offers a good pump.

Ben on King of Kings

After a few laps on King of Kings, it was time for Pat to revisit a climb that he holds the 1st free ascent on, which is named Solace in Open Spaces. (5.13 range) It was an aid route prior to Pat’s 1st ascent. Noone else has sent it as a free route to LVM Rock’s knowledge.

Goodman cranking

After a few tries, Goodman cruised through the tough sequence and had a smile. Lower Hawksbill has many more classic routes with excellent rock quality.
It was time to move on to a nearby wall in Linville Gorge called the Hurricane Wall. Ben got on “The Color of Infinity.” (5.12 range)

Going for a tough move

Ben had some really good falls. He knows how to place gear and to then trust that piece enough to go for it. One of his falls lifted Goodman a few feet in the air.

Saved by good gear placement

And a Good Belayer

So Pat had been telling us about a project that he thought he was ready to do. It was just to the right of “The Color of Infinity.” After some slightly technical camera set up, he was ready to go. The moves looked rediculously hard and he said it would most likely go at 5.13 ish.

Pat’s beta

Goodman’s hard work paid off. He got the 1st ascent and it was sick. For him, it was just one more for the bag. Pat Goodman has ticked off many 1st ascents in his career. He continues to push the sport to higher levels and LVM Rock would like to salute him. Click play below to see the 1st ascent of, “A Delicate Place.”

Pat Goodman from lvmrock on Vimeo.

Another big challenge of bouldering in Linville gorge is the logistical hike in. One could make a day trip out of it if they were highly motivated to get on the trail early. The problem with the day trip in the summer time is the sun. If you want to climb the goods on the east side of the river, you have to be there early in the morning to catch the cool shade. You want friction right? LVM Rock recommends making an over-nighter out of it. This, of course, means packing in your provisions, practicing low impact use, being respectful of other climbers and user groups, packing out all trash, and practicing good ethics while visiting. Don’t forget to get the legally required permits from the Grandfather Ranger District if you are camping on the weekend. Camping in the gorge is truly a wonderful experience, even if you get stuck in a thunderstorm half way down one of the steep and treacherous trails and all your gear gets soaked. It begins to feel more like a journey than your average bouldering session. Perhaps it is waking up to the sound of the water flowing near you. Maybe the negative ions in the air put you in the right frame of mind to play all day. Something about this place makes you want to never leave.

When planning on what to take, remember to pack light. The hikes are long and steep. There will be wet rocks and log crossings. Here is a classic example of a rookie gorge boulderer who brought way too much stuff.

Pack lighter than this

Here is a still image taken from the video of the coming DVD showing one of the sweet caves to camp in. Camping in a cave is really nice. No tent or rain fly is required. Notice the food hanging off the ground to keep the critters from being tempted.

The good life

Hang your food

In some areas, like just downstream of dreamland, caves are not as easy to get to. Bring a tent or rain fly or you might just get stuck huddled up with two other grown men in a rain fly built for one while the torrential down poor soaks your clothes and sleeping bag.

A nice rainfly for one

Always hang your food. There are bears in the Linville Wilderness.

Another way to hang your food

There are so many little pleasantries about the gorge. Here, Joey takes a moment to savor the sweet taste of the wild blackberries that grow all over the gorge banks.

Taking time to enjoy bits of heaven

And then there is the magnificent “Like…Water for Chocolate.” Some deep water soloing at the end of your day will put you right where you need to be. Here Stam coaches a climber as he tries the center line. Click play for the action

Down in the Linville Gorge are many challenges for the hungry boulderer. Spotting your partner on any boulder anywhere is a big responsibility, but in the gorge spotting requires much more effort. Spotters must first be aware of the fall line. This is knowing exactly where the climber will fall. This awareness comes from experience and visualizing the fall. The spotter must then position themselves in a spot where they are in a strong standing position and still able to focus on the climber at all times. In a place like the Linville river bed, this could mean standing in the water, on some sticks, on a sloping rock face, or straddling a nasty rock sieve. Here is a classic example of a spotter getting in the right spot for his homie.

Henson spotting Stam on another 1st ascent

Each problem is unique in its difficulty and danger. Here Stam susses out the fall line.

Stam and Henson getting ready for business

There are many overhanging problems in the gorge. Spotting these problems requires knowing where the climber’s head is going to fall as well.

Henson in position

There are some problems that are not so extreme. The super classic “Like…Water for Chocolate” offers deep water to fall in and in August it feels soooo good to fall.

Joey Henson on a problem that is as fun to fall as to send

Down in the Linville Gorge are countless 1st ascents just waiting for the next crusher to come along. Check out Stam as he sends “Panic.” Click playfor the action.

panic from