Shortoff Mountain: Rock Climbing with Granite Arches

Description:  600 feet in some places, this steep featured granite wall is a continuation of the North Carolina Wall, and holds some of the best remote wilderness multi-pitch rock climbing on the east coast. Shortoff, however, has considerably few moderate routes, but a host of climbs to tempt the intermediate climber.   Also like the Linville Gorge, this area is not recommended for novice or intermediate climbers without a guide due to rapidly developing storms and the remoteness and length of the climbs.  Thus climbing here is more serious in nature than most east coast climbing locations.   

Location: Shortoff Mountain, N.C. is located near Morganton N.C.  It is an hour's drive from Asheville, N.C.

Climbing Season:  Climbing is best in Shortoff Mountain in the spring through the fall.  Like the Linville Gorge, Shortoff Mountain is cooler than most areas in the summer due to its elevation, but can be quite hot.  The winter can be frigid, but good climbing days can still be found in mid-winter.

What We Offer: Granite Arches offers professional rock climbing guiding and instruction year-round at Shortoff 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 instructors in the southeast U.S., and the only one with Wilderness Advanced Life Support (WALS) training and wilderness paramedic certification.

To go to our main rock climbing page and to learn more about Shortoff Mountain, our guiding services and the courses we offer, click the underlined link.  

To make a climbing reservation, click here.