Crowders Mountain NC Rock Climbing – Energy Czar

Crowders Mountain Energy Czar

Energy Czar is a 5.11 sport route on David’s Castle Wall at Crowders Mountain.  It is pretty popular as it is near Caterpillar, a 5.7 chimney, and Electra, a 5.10c sport line.  I don’t really have all that much to say about it but I wanted to post some pictures I took while I was hanging on from the anchors of Electra.  If you want to read the humiliating story of how I got to the top of Electra just look at the previous post (link) but let’s just say I can’t climb 5.10c.

Crowders Mountain NC Rock Climbing – Electra

Crowders Mountain NC Rock Climbing Electra

I wish I could say that I’ve climbed Electra at Crowder’s Mountain but alas that would be a lie and after filing my taxes I think I have lied enough lately.  Electra is a 5.10c sport route on David’s Castle Wall of Crowder’s Mountain and is definitely one of the more popular lines.  It’s near Caterpillar, a 5.7 chimney and Energy Czar, a 5.11a sport route which means that it’s both easy to find and there are always people down there if you need to catch a ride.

The reason I bring up Electra even though I didn’t climb it is that I wanted to get some pics of somebody leading it but I hate the stereotypical “butt shots” that are oh so typical.  My climbing partner Ben had just put up Electra as a warm up for Energy Czar and after twenty minutes of pointless thrash-n-dangling I did what any climber with no self-respect would do, I bailed.  But damn it, I was determined to take some pics so I grabbed my prusiks and began both a grueling and humiliating “climb” to the top.

Once I got up to the anchors I was pumped, gassed, wasted and every other word for exhausted but I was at the anchors and that was a small victory.  The effort was worth it in my opinion.  I got these shots including a nice little sequence of a (thankfully) tame whipper.  I hope you enjoy them because I literally but blood, sweat and tears into them.

Crowders Mountain – Predestination

I have climbed a lot at Crowders Mountain in North Carolina in my day.  It is the local crag where I go if I don’t have time for a full day epic but absolutely must scratch the climbing itch.

Most of the time when I am at Crowders Mountain I climb on Practice Wall, Davids Castle or Red Wall which are all on the east side of the crag.  I like climbing on that side of the mountain during the summer because because it is shaded by the sheer walls.

Today I decided to climb on the west side of the crag on Two Pitch Wall which in actuality is a misnomer.  I guess the name came from the ability to break up the climb into two pitches because breaking it into two pitches is definitely not a necessity.

I hate when people give beta on a route when you don’t ask for.  To me its like spoiling the end of a really good movie.  So I leave you with this… the crux is at the very top of the climb and there are many variations.  Choose wisely.