Ice Visor on Whiteside Moutain NC

Ed Maggart AMI Climbing Guide

Climbing guide Ed Maggart and Tim Barton and I climbed at Whiteside Mountain in Cashiers today.  The drive in revealed that Starshine was fat and in truth the biggest I have every seen it.  Things were looking good.  We decided to climb the gully pitches off the trail in an attempt to get in as many pitches as we could.  In cold condition or dry ones the upper gully routes will not come in well as the water locks up in the ground.  The cold had did its job.  The entrance pitches were thin to vapor.  Scotch was doable so I lead the first pitch by just climbing 40 feet.  This all0wed Ed to lead a pitch and Tim to lead the third.  I ended up leading the last pitch too.  We took turns leading the upper pitch as there were many options and the ice was reasonable fat.

Patrick Weaver AMI guide

We walked off and headed down to checkout the other gullies.  the next one we can to looked like the upper pitch was good, but the bottom was vapor.  I decided to lead it anyway.  Robin showed up and we talked some before I cast off.  The begining was the worst part, thin and sketchy.  I made this and was able to hook some trees.  I slung two trees and worked up 1 1/2 ‘ ice to an frozen moss pile.  The sticks were great in the moss.   I placed an ice piton and move up to some more ice.  There was a place to sink a 13 cm screw.  I move up to where the ice ended and started pickin frozen moss.  I end at a big ledge with a tree for a belay.  The next pitch look great, thin ice.  It was lower angle as not to pump out.

Tim Barton

Tim led this pitch and easily made the moss to place the piton again.  Ed and I took off and as I headed up I got a great look at the head wall.  It was an overhanging visor about 8′ tall.  I drew the lead on this as Ed’s shoulder was sore.  I place two screws and work my way up.  I threw up and heel and caught my cramps to hook over the lip.  It was great fun and a great time.  We walked off the top and enjoyed 7 pitches of ice climbing in North Carolina.  What a great place.