Looking Glass April 2012

First Day Climbing the Nose

A friend and I took a climbing trip to Looking Glass Rock in Pisgah Forrest in North Carolina. It was a guided trip by Fox Mountain Guides through REI. The trip was great, we were able to climb both Saturday and Sunday despite a horrific weather forecast.

We arrived on a Friday night in Pisgah and woke early the next morning to go to an area called the Nose. It was drizzling soon after we arrived and it looked like we would be leaving before long. We climbed in the rain for a bit (thankful for having rain gear) and it wasnt too bad but not ideal.



The above picture is me on the wall (Sundial Crack -- 5.5) during the first rainy day. A few of the group wanted to leave but we stuck it out and it turned into a great day.

Day 2 of Climbing

The second day we went to a new rock face on the South Side and set up a few top roping routes. The routes were great with varied difficulty (5.4-5.8) and ledges to rest at.

We climbed to nearly 5:00 and then set up for a hike out. If anyone is intersted in a good guiding service in Western North Carolina I would strongly recommend Fox Mountain Guides.

Fox_Mountain_Guides_Website

Getting There

Getting to Looking Glass is relatively easy. Once in Pisgah National Forrest, there is an access road to the trail heads. Getting to the Nose area is a short 10-15 minute hike. Getting to the South Side is about 30 minutes with what some would consider scrambling (very minor). From my experience, the South Side is going to have some easier routes for beginners (like me), with more options. It is worth the extra time to hike in, which is still relatively short compared to some climbing areas.

Images

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