Whitesides Mountain:
Guided Climbing with Granite Arches
Description:
Up to 1000 feet in some places, Whiteside Mountain is the epitome of
committed serious climbing in the Southeast. This steep
granite wall rises abruptly from the North Carolina highlands.
Whitesides has considerably few moderate routes, but several climbs to
tempt the intermediate climber with a competent guide. The most climbed route on the mountain is
the one we guide the most. The "Original Route" is more than ten
pitches and is rated 5.11. However, many parties aid through the
very short 5.11 section, and the majority of the other climbing is in
the 5.7-5.9 range. Also like the Linville Gorge, this
area is not recommended for novice or intermediate climbers without a
guide due to the relatively poor protection, rapidly developing storms, and the remoteness and length of
the climbs. Climbing here is thus more serious in nature than most east coast
climbing locations.
Location: Whitesides
Mountain, N.C. is located near Cashiers, N.C., about 1.5 hours from
Asheville NC.
Climbing Season: Most of the rock at Whitesides
is south facing so it remains relatively warm when compared to the surrounding area.
However, due to it's elevation (around 5,000 feet) it remains a bit
colder than piedmont region climbs. The best time to climb Whitesides is
the Spring and Fall, or during high pressure, clear conditions in winter.
What We Offer: Granite
Arches offers professional rock climbing guiding and instruction
year-round at Whitesides Mountain. Granite Arches offers private
guided instruction only, so you or your group will not be with any other
climbers. Our 'courses' are not set in
stone, because our instruction is private and custom tailored to each
client. Instead, instructional goals of varying levels are
integrated into "focus areas" to be seamlessly woven into your
climbing day at the crags. The focus areas covered by you and your
guide are determined by your technical skill and practical knowledge and
follow a natural progression.
Our Credentials: Our climbing
guides are professionals who have climbed and guided rock,
snow and ice allover the Southeastern US., but also in South America,
Greenland, Europe, and Canada. They bring that experience to your rock
climbing adventure. Swis
Stockton, head guide at Granite Arches, is
one of only four American Mountain Guides Association and United States
Mountain Guides Association certified guides in the southeast U.S., and
the only one with Wilderness Advanced Life Support (WALS) training and
wilderness paramedic certification.
This page was developed to help you find our services. To go to our
main rock climbing page and to learn more about Whitesides
Mountain, our guiding services and the courses we offer, click the
underlined link.
