My favorite route in the amphitheater with solid pro, a splitter crack, tons of variety, and some spice at the end. This is worth climbing just for "The Hole" exit!! A true adventure route.

P1: Starts on Brothers Start (5.7+) but when the crack cuts left, belay from here. P2: Traverse hard left for 30-40 ft to a mini ledge and belay.

P3 (10a): The meat of the climb. Follow the amazing dihedral with some of the best rock and movement in the entire amphitheater. You can place solid gear the entire way with good stances along the way. When the crack peters out start moving up and left to the roof on ok holds. This gets pretty runout but all the 'hard' moves are over (PG-13 section). Take care on the traverse as there are lots of loose flakes. Once you reach the roof, you can place some medium size cams. Pull the roof on awkward holds and good feet and belay on the mini ledge.

You can belay higher on the face, but the rope drag got pretty bad at this point. I recommend belaying right after pulling the roof.

P4: Follow the slabby face to a large ledge. This is very dirty but there are good holds and jams the entire way. Belay from a horizontal after pulling onto the ledge.

Descent: locate "The Hole" and prepare to crawl through it!! Make sure to remove your pack and record your follower as they struggle. This exit makes the climb totally worth doing, and with some traffic the last pitch will be just as good as the rest of the climb.

Overall, this is one of the more sustained climbs I've done in the amp and the crack is pretty pumpy. Every pitch is high-quality and there is good gear when you need it.

Trinidad

Access the ledge below the headwall on the Mummy Buttress via whatever means you like. This line goes up a slabby dihedral and then pulls the roof bulge.  Pretty fun climbing, not overly sustained.

Cryptic Trip

P1. 5.7+ a short 30M lichen covered lower flank with some strangeness, from the ground it seems like up and left is the way but up and right ends up being easier the crack looms over head. Bring your wire brush and cool head. Belay just before the corner overhang.

P2. 5.9 55M the money pitch. Good gear the whole way. Pull the roof and enter the stout corner, relatively sustained 5.8+/5.9 climbing for the first 35ft with a few excellent hand jams and lots of fun stemming. As the corner starts to ease, find a high belay.

P3.

option A. Continue in line with the corner straight up through what looks to be challenging face climbing with little pro (not recommend)

Option B. Continue up and left on very easy ground then eventually finding a left leaning slash offering a good anchor gear. 5.5 60M

P4. 5.4 30m Finish the slash and walk right on the big ledge belay at base of nice looking corner.

P5. 5.8 50M some stronger moves at the start with nice gear eventually tops out to the same location as the prow

You are “in the booty zone”

"Originally they considered calling this "lime drop" because Art fell off on one of the moves"

-Amphitheater Of Linville Gorge Documentary

The Limey

A rarely traveled Linville gem.  This is a great alternative to the Mummy and Daddy on busy weekends, as long as you can deal with all the lichen on the second half of the route.  The first two pitches are gold!

P1 - Climb the very obvious dihedral to a small tree (100 ft)

P2 - Continue up the dihedral, eventually busting around to the right of the huge roof.  Gear belay above roof (100 ft)

P3 - Climb to the next ledge, belay in trees (50 ft)

P4 - Climb the face directly off of the ledge, then drift through the left-leaning dihedral to another large ledge (90 ft)

P5 - Climb/scramble to the top (50-150 ft)

Good Heavens

This is a noteworthy and very fun connector “pitch” between the Limey and the Prow. Climb P1 of the limey. Start climbing P2, climb through the crux 40ft section, it eases for a few moves then there are a few chimney moves, after the chimney moves you are established on the left face, turn to the corner and pull up onto the right face 5.6. I was able to place a very good .3 after making this move. Continue straight up through the over hung face on jugs with excellent gear options and great exposure. sustained 5.7, maybe one move of 5.8. Set belay after the angle rolls in. After this there is about 40ft of easy climbing then it connects to the prow. This allows  you to bypass some of the more mediocre upper pitches of the limey and/or move more quickly up the cliff.

FA: Lead/Onsight mid crusher

The Grimy

S. D. Modiano

One pitch, a beautiful crack with two fairly distinct crux sections pulling through roofs, this line is blatantly obvious when it is in front of you.

Trad anchor is fairly easy to set up top with good options for placements.  Rap off the pine trees or do some bush whack climbing to gain the “lost trail ledge” an off shoot of the amp rim trail

Rattlesnake Crack

P1 clip rusty pin then stainless stopper, then stainless bolt place gear to large slung horn at top of left facing crack 5.11-

P2 bolt and two fixed pins 5.11-

P3 gear 5.8 to top

Land of the little people

An old route and info was very vague but this seems to be the only 5.6 path through the area.

This is a way more funnerer way out of the gorge than the prow, and it is a little shorter if you solo to the first tree ledge you could top it out in one pitch with a 60m rope...

P1. Many will solo this, you have two options, stay out on the face (right) at 5.6 or hop into the chimney/corner at 5.3 this is the easier and more secure way. Gain the small tree ledge

P2. 5.5 Pull up onto the next ledge and get some #1or #2 gear, aim left into the chimney (not visible in topo photo) at the top of the chimney you will arrive at another tree ledge, a good belay spot and fairly short pitch

P3. 5.6 Enter the right faceing corner with excellent gear options, save a #2 for the end of this corner where it hits a small roof, this is the crux of the climb, pull the roof on the right side and  continue up this face on glory jugs aiming up and left to the dirt and rock corner you finish at nearly the same spot as the prow.

This route offers shade in the late afternoon while the prow is baking in the sun.

Short Cake

This is the first corner you come to on the way down the descent trail on the open book buttress. Climb an dirty lichen covered dihedral and pull over to the slab to take it to the top. belay at the top of the corner for two pitches or take it to the top for one long pitch.

Iguana Crack

60m rope description:

P1: begin in small gully, climb up left facing cracks. Venture to obvious large ledge (could belay here). Continue straight up from ledge another ~35 feet to horizontal crack. Build anchor in horizontal crack and stand on small vegetated ledge. (~180')

P2: climb directly above anchor on jugs for about 15 feet to right trending ramp which leads to a tree. Gain left trending ledge which begins just above tree, follow this to (and slightly beyond) another small tree. Place around here (and not before it) on this pitch to avoid rope drag that would be caused by placing anywhere along the 5.3 traversing bits below. (Alternatively, place gear on the traversing bits and stop to belay on the left trending ledge.) The remainder of the pitch trends up and slightly to the right from here. Continue up the obvious route on jugs to small alcove. Build comfortable belay in alcove. (~180')

P3: Exit alcove up and right, climbing towards obvious splitter crack. Climb crack and finish route on ~20ft of jugs. (~60')

Descent: Upon topping out, walk to the right side of the feature. Rap down gully (currently anchor + fixed pink rope) or walk off top.

The Daddy

Locate a crack up high and left of the Mummy. Slab up on some thin crimps and crystals to get into the crack. The start is the crux and the landing is a little sketchy so take care getting to your first piece. Plug some passive gear and continue up the chunky crack (think slightly harder version of the Mummy) occasionally placing gear. When the crack cuts left, you can belay or continue up to the huge ledge for p2 of the Mummy. Finish on the last pitch of the Mummy.

Brothers Start

Climb (or aid) through the Open Book first pitch until you can bail right on the ledge.  Might be good to belay on Open Book and then move the belay. Fire up the obvious crack to a bolt-protected move up high.  Clip a pin, compose yourself for the lichen-mantle at the top, and bask in the glory that is Linville Gorge climbing.

Turkey Beard

Another old amphitheater classic, doesn't seem like this gets a ton of traffic, the bottom has green stuff growing all over the wall and is likely wet when the area is seeping, it is a good option on hot days since it is in the rap gully.  Watch for loose and delicate rock.

P1  5.8 You should start where the crack meets the ground pulling a small roof on a flexable flake but you can also cheat this and start around the corner to the right.  Continue on easy terrain into the right facing corner system, a small crux establishes you in the corner system. Belay on the ledge on top of this corner system

P2 5.8 The double roof pitch, from the belay make some kinda thuggy moves up and left in the obvious large crack, you will gain a walkable ledge, from here trend up and right to the top right corner of the large roof, excellent gear and over hung jugs and some jams gets you to the lip which is dirty, pull the lip and belay on a number of different pine trees.

Skunk Crack

Commonly overlooked or mistakenly climbed, there is two lower pitches of the Prow that get little traffic.

The Prow (lower pitches)

A great variation to the 4th pitch of Good Heavens. Climbs up into a chimney, to a cave that has a awesome veiw through a hole in the rock. Then takes any number of ways through easy ledges to deposit you on the final pitch of Good Heavens or the large traverse ledge of The Daddy.

Good Heavens variation (a.k.a. Cave variation)

This is a good shorter route that is certain to get you "warmed up" for the day.  It starts on the "Iguana Crack" and climbs up to a traverse left into the corner/ramp feature.  Climb past 4 bolts and gear to a spot where you can step back right onto the lower angled face and climb to a 2 nut anchor just below the easy slab.  Rap from here at 70'.

Out of sight out of mind

The first pitch is really one of a kind and worth doing if you have done the rest of the buttress, I wont spoil it here by trying to describe it although the name hints at what is to come.  The rest of the way to the top is meh.  doing P1 and rapping maybe a good option for most unless you are interested in a tradventure.

Holy Moses

This crack system is almost camouflaged because of all the lichen, but one good look at it and you can see its potential

P1- Climb or Aid through the roof systems to establish yourself on left facing ramp, follow up to the base of a left facing dihedral

P2- follow he very lichen covered comer to the top

Lost in Space

This is a frequently overlooked area in the amp and my description is possibly different from the first ascent party but there is lovely easy and moderate climbing to be had on this buttress behind the mummy buttress.

P1. 5.7+ Its quite sandbagged a good one for your 5.9 leader. Also dirty, sometimes wet and loose but some thought provoking movement none the less.  Move up out of the rap gully on easy terrain until you can get established in the corner, pick gear placements wisely. Go left around the block and then roof at the end there are lots of good wet hand jams.  Alternatively you can go right up a steeper crack which had a piece of super old gear in it. This is likely 10+ Continue up to one of the two pine trees and belay.

P2. 5.6 This can be linked with p3.  From the pines move up and left weird movement with a leg jam and jugs gets you into a very easy section of loose blocks and moss, continue up and left towards a very nice looking corner on top of the giant disc/roof thing hanging out of the wall. Belay in this area or just before.

P3. 5.7 pull up into the corner over the disc and straight up following the cracks and on into easy face climbing. Gain a blocky ledge and belay in the green corner.  Alternatively you can also belay in the corner to the right of here with a small pine. Either corner or crack climbs nicely.

P4. 5.6 it is easy to bail off right on a number of ledges.  Ascend the green corner and up into the “s” crack on top of the “s” crack step left and pull up onto the face on lovely face holds. Head to the top of the buttress. Belay on a small pine or nest of small cams at the top.

Turn around and walk 20ish feet to the rim trail, right to the rap gully, left to exit the amp.

Please note this is all trad anchors the “X’s” in the topo are suggested anchor spots

Heckfire Left var.

This is an alternate finish pitch for the prow, really listing to help others navigate this section of rock since there are frequently multiple parties climbing the prow.

go up p1 and p2 of the prow ramp

p3/4 once on the large ledge traverse right, the old Thomas Kelly book says pull the roof... I wasn't able to pull it on anything easier than 5.10... so keep going right to the end of the massive roof on excellent jugs, at the end of the roof go straight up the rock, you can more or less pick any line through here taking the face to the left of the tree infested corner keeps you on glory jugs and avoids a dirt/rock stem.

The Prow Right

Start: On the left side of the Amphitheatre near the bottom, not far from where the wall turns outward to face the gorge.

Pitch 1: Begin with low-angle climbing, then move into a slightly overhanging crack system with good holds to a two-person sized belay (5.6+).

Pitch 2: Begin by veering slightly left on the slab with a nice low-angle crack system (5.3). Finish on a huge ledge. Belay near the right end of the ledge (see topo photo).

Pitch 3: Move out right from the belay and then straight up an easy, mossy, yet exposed slab to the top (5.3).

Variation: Move out left from the belay at some thin cracks and climb through a short chimney to join up with the last part of the mossy slab (5.5).

The Mummy

P1. 5.6 90ft starts downhill from the mummy on some flakes, we avoided the larger loose looking flake to the right. Wanders up and left to belay below overhanging wall.

P2. 5.7 160ft work up and left from the belay into the middle of the overhung section in nice holds, then continue on easy ground until you find a nice belay spot many options.

P3. 5.3 180ft continue up on easy terrain, many climbers come through this area on variations of the mummy

pitches 2 and 3 cannot be linked with a 60m rope a 70 will likely work though.

Sister Seagull

Instead of climbing the dihedral climb up on the first little ledge the head out right toward the outside arete. Climb in one long pitch or break it up in two, then combine with Good Heavens standard. The start slab is a little sandbagged especially with the lichen but eases up as the face gets more featured.

Good Heavens Prow

Traverse out onto the main corner after passing below the start of Open Book.

Pitch 1: Belay and climb the first easy pitch for 50m or so. There is a nice airy belay ledge.

Pitch 2: Wander up the expansive slab to a ledge under a headwall.

Pitch 3: Strike up the left slanting diehdral at the left edge of the ledge. Stay out on the lower face and utilize great big jugs. Head left for the arete and enjoy the phenominal exposure. Belay on the next big ledge.

Pitch 4: Traverse some goofy stuff across a gap and then head up into the vegetation to a nice ledge where it is obvious people have camped. Belay, and then scramble up the chimney to the top of the wall.

Great route for the grade with great position.

The Prow

This climb offers some of the best jams and stems in the gorge.  When you see it you will know why and you will want to climb it.

From the rock ramp climb your way up to a roof and bulge.  Continue up the incredible corner to a tree covered ledge, building a belay mid way through the corner.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Amphitheater