|
| |
Current Ice Climbing Conditions in North Carolina
Welcome to our NC Ice Conditions page, if you have information and/or daily photos please fill
out the form below and submit it for us to share the information. We will post
the information and credit you with the info. Please
email us any photos to and
we will get them on the site. More current ice condition information can be found at this excellent site:
Coolclimbing.com Current
SE Ice Conditions
10 Day Weather Forecast for the following ice climbing locations:
Fox Mountain Guides will be
guiding fat ice in New Hampshire 7-22 February 2009.
Click here
for information on ice guiding and packages including accommodation and food!
We are also offering accommodation and meals for ice climbers that do not wish
to hire a guide for $65 per night.
December
2007:
| December 2nd |
Great day of rock climbing on the Nose, Sundial Cracks and
Peregrine on Looking Glass Rock. R1 layer, sunny and quite warm. No ice on
the 10 day horizon. We have had three bookings for the
Ice Climbing
101 Course, one for the
Ice Climbing 201 Course
and a total of 20 client days booked for ice guiding so far for our
New Hampshire ice climbing trip. Check out
the trip here. Adam |
| December 3rd |
Another excellent day on the rock, probably one of the best
days for climbing this year so far! warm and sunny on the South Face of LGR
and no one out at all. No ice whatsoever in PNF and high 60s forecast for
next week. Adam |
| December 18th |
Cold here in Pisgah Forest this morning! The pond is
completely frozen over here outside my house at the lower elevations in
Brevard/Pisgah Forest. Looks like highs of 50 today and tomorrow and another
overnight low of around 27° tonight. I won't be
able to get out on the ice today as I am getting organized to leave for the
UK tomorrow. If anyone gets out on the ice please email me or use the form
above and I'll post the info. Adam |
January
2008:
| January 4th |
I Just returned from the UK yesterday to these great cold
conditions. Sounds like there is good ice out there with secondhand reports
of climbing at Hwy 215, Graveyard Fields and in Pisgah. No actual reports in
so if you have any info please email me or just use the form above. I would
think there will be good ice across WNC today, tomorrow and into Sunday. FMG
is Guiding ice this weekend but still has a guide available if anyone wants
to hire a guide. Adam. |
| January 16th |
Getting cold here in Pisgah! The pond has frozen over here
and the ice route on the mountain behind my house is in! Looks to be real
cold over the weekend so get out there! In the teens Sat-Sunday night and
low daytime highs here in the Pisgah/Whitesides areas. I have to work
teaching an AMGA Exam this weekend so will miss out and be rock climbing
instead! Enjoy it and send me info to post. Adam |
| January 17th |
Went backcountry skiing this morning with my AT set up on the
mountain behind the house and got a few 'runs' in. Looks like the ice will
be building nicely in Pisgah and other areas for tomorrow and the weekend. A
few of the guides are up at HWY 215 right now so I'll hopefully have a
report for there by tonight. We have guides available for Fri-Sun for anyone
wanting to ice climb this weekend, they really want to guide the ice! We can
climb top rope stuff or multipitch in Pisgah, email
info@foxmountainguides.com or
click here. Adam Karsten, Billy and
Jeremiah had a look at Hwy 215 and said it was coming in but too thin to
lead yet. Should come in with the cold weekend temps. Photo is of Karsten
bouldering at HWY 215 this afternoon.
 |
| January 18th |
Here's a report form Josh Whitmore:
"Drove up past Whitesides late today. Temps above freezing at lower
elevations, but looked to be still freezing on the Starshine side. I looked
at Starshine from the road with Binos, Ice from top to bottom, maybe 5-6ft
wide at bottom. Might be thin 3-4inches at bottom, but looked thicker in the
middle. Looks like it survived the day. Mother Russia is not in yet. With
colder temps the next couple days, I bet Starshine will be climbable on
Sunday and Monday".
Karsten Delap was up at Pickelelsimer Fields in
Pisgah Forest and reports its not in yet. Rich
Christiana reports:
"No climbable ice up at Winding Stair Gap, just a couple of thin
patches of ice that were falling down. A lot of wet rock with water running
down it. Temps in the area (Franklin, NC) for the weekend are supposed to be
pretty cold with lows in the lower 20's and with the highs in the mid 30's". |
|
January 19th |
All the FMG Guides went to Whitesides today and apparently
there were about 15 climbers there. Sounds like Starshine is
not yet in very well, 10-15ft still not formed at all near the top but it
was lead by Ron Funderburke. Mother Russia
is not in. Coyote Ugly was lead but reports say
it was real thin and sketchy.
Tom Gallo reports:
At Hwy 215 three top rope climbs on the lower, larger wall, one or two on
the upper, shorter wall. Nothing near leadable 23 F at 4:00 pm with about 2"
new snow. Sunday should be better.
If you have any info email me or use the form above and
I'll post it. Adam. |
| January
20th |
Ron Funderburke reports all lines are in and leadable at
Doughton Park. Karsten Delap reports
lines leadable at HWY 215. |
| January 21st |
Karsten Delap Reports: At Hwy 215 today the ice
was the best it has been. The high got to around 30 while we were up there.
I think the next few days will be great even though temps are rising a
little the rock has had time to cool.
Daniel Counsel Reports: John's Rock was
still running with water (Ripp Off).
Josh Whitmore Reports: Led Starshine at
Whitesides today early. Good ice top to bottom. 16cm screws going
all the way in. Steep section on 2nd pitch very drippy, with 2-3 inches of
that fine little wet icicle crap on the surface. Had to chop through to more
solid ice underneath. Passed another party as we were on our way out (they
were on their way to Starshine) and saw another party in the parking lot who
had been climbing the gullies above the main Whitesides trail. Stuff will
probably be good thru tomorrow but warmer temps expected on Wed.
I went down to Linville Gorge with Kyle,
parked at the bottom of the hill and hiked into the Amphitheater. Even
though the temps were around 13° and went down to
4° on the drive over RT 181 there was not much ice to speak of, very wet and
partly formed at the back of the Amphitheater. Climbed out the Prow and
found a nice 50ft overhanging mixed section at the top and left of The Prow.
A good morning but as Kyle put it "basically we drove and hiked all the
way out here to climb The Prow on the coldest day of the year!"
Right: Adam on the Prow. Left: Kyle on the
mixed section.
 
Rich Christiana reports: Hiked into Graveyard Fields.
The road was snow covered, but easily hikable. The ice was in great shape
with at least 7 or 8 leadable climbs (plenty of 13cm screws) on the Upper
Wall and a bunch of the shorter routes on the Middle Wall. |
| January 22nd |
Mark Rineer reports: Hwy 215, 8:30am this
morning. Melting badly, wet, a few TRable lines left.
Greg Leonard reports: Went to Doughton Park,
ice is in due to very cold conditions over the past several weeks. The main
toung is climbable but there is a top layer that is very fragile and flaky,
with a good solid foundation under. My first time there, lots of fun but
better bring a 250ft rope if you plan to toprope. this weekend should be
awesome since temps are supposed to stay frigid. |
| January 25th |
Real cold here today in Brevard. Got down to 17°
last night even at lower elevations. I don't have any reports in so if you
get out or here anything please send them on and I'll post them. Adam Its 10.05pm and I have just got home. Conditions are
looking good for the weekend, cold here again tonight but 50°s
forecast for daytime highs here on Sunday could melt things off a little.
Adam |
| January 26th |
I had to work and AMGA Single Pitch instructor Assessment so
went rock climbing at the Nose Area or Looking Glass Rock. Actually a nice
day for climbing, not too cold but a little ice hardened snow at the base of
the Nose and Sundial. Adam
 
Karsten Delap reports: Ice was incredible today at
Hwy 215 . It was as plastic as it could get. Not great leading
conditions due to the plastic ice but most lines were TR-able and very good.
I don't expect it to be there much after tomorrow, so get out while you can!
Jeffery Wiese reports: Starshine at
Whitesides went down pretty effortlessly Saturday. Great conditions,
huge flow, nice comfortable temperatures and plenty, plenty of ice. Great
trip! We were more than surprised (to say the least) that we didn't see a
single climber the whole day! Some people missed out!
 
Daniel Councell reports: I did get out today and went in
the search of the ice that I saw off of 215. This is probably the best ice
flow I have seen in North Carolina yet (granted, I haven't climbed
everywhere in NC). it is at most a half a mile hike in, then probably 400
feet of ice begin (can see from road). of course not all of it is vertical
but there are 3 main tiers. the first one is probably 50 ft of WI2 then 100
feet to next tier, which is very promising--something out of Colorado. This
2nd tier is maybe WI3 (60 ft) with 15 feet of dead vertical (there is a
pillar to the left which is a little overhung-unfortunately too detached to
climb right now. another 100 feet to the next tier which is smaller but much
more vertical (40 ft). It took me five rappels to get down with one rope.
Conditions were great! Really good ice-- probably 3 ft thick on the 2nd
tier. If anything, it made for a nice solo.
  |
| January 30th |
No ice reports in and it
looks to be getting warmer. I'll post reports up until next Tuesday after
which myself and most guides from FMG will be leaving for the New Hampshire
Ice Climbing Trip till February 26th. We still have some availability left
in the Ice Climbing 101 and 201 Courses as we as private guiding. If you are
an ice climber and you do not wish to hire a guide, you can stay at the
cabin for $60 a night. This includes all meals and accommodation. Contact
me for more information 1888-284-8433 or
adam@foxmountainguides.com
I have been slow in getting the ice
reports out for the last few days as we are finishing off the house we have
been renovating all winter. If you are looking for a place to live in
Brevard we will be renting rooms that will be ready by March 1st. We have
two rooms for rent in the house Which has been totally renovated.
It's a three bedroom, two bath house with a main living room (cathedral
ceiling) and two additional rooms. Hardwood floors, new kitchen, new
bathrooms, etc. with a one acre garden all at the entrance to Pisgah
National Forest. Three of the guides from FMG live in the
apartment next door and the guy who will be living there in one of the rooms
is a climber so we are looking for other 'climber types' to rent these
rooms. If you're interested please e-mail me. Adam |
| February 5th |
Real warm here with a high today of 70°
in the forecast and looks like just no ice around as the ten day
forecast looks like it will not dip down below freezing for the next ten
days. Myself, Billy and Ron leave for New Hampshire today and Karsten left
last week to prepare for the NH Ice Trip. We will be in NH till the 26th
February but John, Todd and Jeremiah will be down here in NC if anyone
wishes to hire a guide for ice or rock. I will not have access to post
reports here till I get back on the 26th February. Adam |
| February
26th |
Just got back yesterday from the New Hampshire Ice Climbing
Trip! As far as Ice Reports for NC it looks like the season is over with
rain here today and 60° temps being forecast for
the next ten days into March. You never can tell though!
The NH trip was great, perfect ice the
whole time we were there and "the most snow fall in 50 years" as one
newscaster reported. Lots of skiing (resort and backcountry) and ice
climbing was done over the trip. We guided 46 'client days' over the time we
were there on the Ice Climbing 101, 201 Courses and private multipitch
guiding. The date for next year are Saturday 2nd to Monday 23rd February
2009, we will be offering private guiding and Ice Climbing Courses between
these dates.
Here are a few pictures of the
2008 New Hampshire Ice Trip:
 
|
|
Fox Mountain Guides
