So, I finally got to find out what all the hype is about....ice climbing is fun!! Some friends of mine were kind enough to take me out for some "southern-style" ice climbing this past weekend and I had a great time. The first day was spent top-roping at a roadside crag known as "215." Here I was able to get the feel for moving on this new medium....awkward at first but I soon found the rhythm.

The next day we headed up to climb an 1800 ft. drainage in the Shining Rock Wilderness area. Basically you climb some steep snow then climb a 50ft. section of vertical ice, then steep snow, then more steep ice and so on. It was one of the most fun days I have had in the mountains. Hard to believe we were in North Carolina.





-Brian Williams (Brevard, North Carolina)