“Wide, steep, & loose” is the description I received when I was told I should go climb this thing. Definitely not for the faint of heart. A true Chattanooga adventure climb that can help in preparation for places like the Canadian Rockies or The Black Canyon. Double ropes are recommended as there’s a few nasties on route. The description I am giving is for the direct finish Todd Wells and Rick Mix established. On the FA Forest didn’t have wide gear and escaped on terrible rock through seriously friable terrain going out right before finally getting a lone pin to stick. This route can easily be done in 2 pitches by combining 2&3. Half ropes and extended gear make this not a problem. Position your belays accordingly with the potential for rock fall.   Pitch 1: (5.9, 80') Climb up corner system pulling through the steep crack and slot to land on an absolutely amazing belay ledge that overlooks the Tennessee River. Amazing position. Pitch 2: Continue up the crack to a small roof. Pull this roof on the right and keep climbing up the dihedral until you reach the "crazy flake slot." The original finish (Gardner/Henley) traverses hard right at slot and climbs unprotected crumbling rock to the arete. A lone knife blade is still visible there from the FA. This traverse, the line of the FA, has never been repeated and rightfully gets an X rating. Pitch 2: Lusk Point Horror Direct (Mark Cartwright, Todd Wells, 1998, 5.10, 90')- At the hanging flake, squirm up the slot on the right side and mantle onto the crumbling face. This unprotected mantle move leads to more secure climbing that trends slightly left. Climb over ledges to the steep face above. A knife blade in a thin crack protects the overhanging exit moves. Belay where feasible.Pitch 2: Lusk Point Horror Direct-Direct (Todd Wells, Rick Mix, 2000, 5.10, 90')- This is now the "preferred" way to climb Lusk Point Horror. Climb/chimney directly over the hanging flake and shamu onto the ledge above. Climb the crack upwards to a stance and an optional belay. (Belaying here facilitates communication with your partner). From here continue up the face on better rock to the finish described above. From here the top of the buttress, rap to the base with double 60s or go adventuring skiers right and make multiple single rope raps somewhere down the cliff.

Lusk Point Horror

Ballew Balls

Mace & Chain

Fantastic Voyage

J.C.M.

Mr. Big Stuff

Free White and 21

Redneck Direct

Ride the Pony

Buff Rubenesque

Brown Smack

Corner Bar

Bursting at the Seams

Little Tree

Buff Rubes

Layaway Plan

Kaboom

Any Way You Slice It

Unintentional Imposition

Heavy Hors D’Oeuvres

The Steve McQueen Memorial

Pleasure Burn

Suck Boy

Vine Wall Route 1

Mein Kampf

Plate Lunch

Undercling initial roof, pull into shallow corner with a hand crack. Climb the corner till it ends, continue up face above traversing slightly left. 

One of the most eye catching lines at the suck. Climbs the “tower of choss” Pitch 1 climb Ride the Pony and scramble up on the ledge through trees to the base of the next rock band. Pitch 2 I believe this route was originally climbed by going right through the choss band angling towards the corner at an easier grade. We climbed more or less straight up through the overhang on “better” rock and then traversed right around the corner. This is the second pitch for Plate Lunch but makes for a good pitch to access the third pitch of mace and chain if you want to do more sustained climbing. Pitch 3 The meat and potatoes. Grab your hammer and the rest of the rack. Nail, hook and hang your way out through the large roof and pull the lip. Originally done with a lot more iron having a ton of them fancy little bitty cams speeds this process up greatly. Standard danger level for the sucks aid climbs. Not for the whiney... A double rope rap from the top takes you back to the top of pitch 1 and a single rope rap takes you to the ground

Pitch 1 Climb up to the kaboom ledge by your route of choice Little Tree being the best in my opinion. Belay on the ledge at bolts.Pitch 2 Climb short pitch angling right off belay through easy terrain aiming for the large over hang with splitter crack. Make belay on huge ledge.Pitch 3 climb up corner and clean aid through roof crack and up on to face where you will belay at a couple rivets and a shiny new bolt.Pitch 4 climb up the jagged headwall per the norm mindful of sharp edges. There are few solid fixed pins. Free climbing eases this pitch as I feel it would be rather difficult to stay in your aiders This is the easiest of the aid route I have done in the area and would be a good warm up/intro for aspiring aid climbers in The Suck. There’s some loose stuff but nothing as heinous as some of the other aid routes in this wall. While this seems like a lot of pitches for a short route I would imagine the rope drag being wildly difficult with a partner no matter what you do but this route is easily done in two pitches on rope solo. 1&2 can easily be linked though.Figure outs your raps. I would not try and rap the route. I went climbers right above the cliff band and scrambled down a gully. Eventually rapping down the face. Double ropes could be nice I used a single 70m. You can also make your way to Kaboom and rap it with two 60s I believe I left webbing up there.

P. 1) Shares pitch one with Sudden Death Playoffs, from the SDP belay ledge keep moving a bit left and gain a left arching hand crack. Take this to the base of a small L facing dihedral and build a belay at a great stance (5.10) P.2) Stem up the small corner system to the base of a big roof. One big move gains a jug and some needed gear, falls are clean though. Continue up on steep terrain with great horizontals and ample gear trending slightly right, be careful not to dislodge the "canoe". Very steep and sustained pitch.  (5.11) Two 60M ropes get you to the deck in one rap. 

This "top hat" line will have you snappin' biners and twirling your nut tool. Start in a obvious left-facing dihedral, sporting 3" to 5" crack.

Tough moves off the deck lead to first bolt. Head up the right facing corner/flake with adequate gear and clip the second bolt at the roof. Crux move hard left and pump to new anchors. Gear to #3.

Climb the first pitch of Buff Rubes to the hanging belay. From here, move slightly left, then   climb straight up the buttress to a crux bulge. Surmount this and continue to the top.

The crux is surmounting the pony flake, an exciting move that usually leaves the climber straddling a completely detached but securely wedged block. The dihedral above is well protected and involves classic stemming moves. There is a bolted anchor at the top of this pitch.

This is a variation of Buff Rubes with an independent finish. Climb the first pitch of BR to the hanging belay. Continue up the second pitch to a large ledge where a knife blade traverse allows you to escape right, avoiding the stacked loose blocks on Buff Rubes. From there, continue up and right to a prominent roof crack. Exit the obvious gully. 

 The Doris Mitchell Headwall (A2+), on pitch 3 (named in honor of a favorite Waffle House waitress) is the technical crux, but, in general, be ready for an adventure on Brown Smack. Pitch 2 climbs a loose slot out of Kovite Cove (5.8) on the right side of the buttress and belays on a ledge 20' right of the Mace and Chain belay. Pitch 3 climbs directly above the ledge, up the visor and then dangles improbably out a weakness on the left. Tricky and strenuous.

The crux occurs near the top of the corner. 

Incredible laybacking moves up flakes and crack to no-hands at a ledge. Stay left of obvious large hueco and commit to the seams on perfect orange stone. Fight your way up with ample small gear to the roof. Negotiate this and hang on to the chains. 

Starts in a shallow recess that resembles a giant shoebox. Follow a prominent handcrack through a small roof and up the wall past a small tree. Continue up right over bulge and through orange corner.

Pitch 1 Climb right facing dihedral dihedral and continue straight up through ledges and broken rock trending right for the base of a trough. Under some small over hangs you will encounter the first band of solid rock in which there is a horizontal crack which takes medium sized units. Is is somewhere under 100’ up the wall. It’s fairly important to build the belay here unless linking the two pitches while rope solo. You will find no other places above that are even remotely solid enough to build an anchor until the tree line.Pitch 2 Get rowdy and pull the overhang then continue up the bowling lane and gawk in amazement at the giant blocks that are some how still on the wall. Redneck Direct cuts left and traverse at the next roof and is a great route too. You will see fixed iron out left for this finish. But for Bugf Rubes continue straight up through bulges and  overhangs. Take note to protect the belay as well as be mindful of what it will be like for the second while following. As with most hard aid climbs in the suck on this route it helps to be willing to get out of your aiders and boulder through sections.A double rope rap on two 60 meters will take you back to the ground from the top in one go.

A wildly popular but equally challenging climb. Might require a "lactic acid down payment" (or two!) before yo'u're able to check out the summit register. Climb a long and superb crack line through small overhangs. Finish through a crack system over tiered roofs. 

Pitch 1 To the right of Little Tree there is a shallow dihedral which is the start of some good free climbing. Climb this corner to a horizontal and shift left into a nice finger crack. Follow the short but perfect finger crack to another horizontal with a bulge above. Mantle onto this and work through the orange face to a large ledge with bolted anchors.  Pitch 2 Climb straight up from bolted anchors aiming for the left side of the roof system where there are two roof cracks on either side of a face. I’ve heard varying stories to this pitch after I climbed it. One is that Chesnut freed this pitch the other is that he aided it... I could see it going free and would imagine approaching the wider offwidth on the left for this as I did although large gear is a must. I did not have any big gear and aided the face on rurps and small brass eventually gaining the crack on the right side. This would be an easy pitch to aid with large cams. On the ledge walk left to a bolted anchor. Pitch 3 From the ledge free climb straight up through large loose blocks to the base of steep roof. Break out the hammer and have at it. Set an anchor in the trees. Rap skiers left from the route with doubles or maybe a 70m?

The sandstone harvest of the late 90's dropped this long neglected peach of a pitch right into our laps. Juicy, and delicious! Face climb following a thin crack, weave up the steep face to a pair of bolts

Start by scrambling for about 15 feet on poor quality rock to a small stance. You can get a nice cam in close to the ground, just to decrease your chance of skating off the cliff (of course, you, or your belayer will want to be anchored to the tree as well!). Reach high up to a crack in a shallow dihedral and get a pretty solid #3 BD micronut if you’re short, or a bomber yellow metolius if you’re tall. Head straight up from here, through bands of rotten rock, another shallow dihedral, and some more rotten rock. Aim for an obvious tree that is 10 feet above a bomber (and comforting) C1 crack.

 1 star for rock quality, 3 stars for generally decent gear and AMAZING exposure and position. 

This is a classic intro to Suck Creek nailing. In my opinion much easier than other routes sharing similar grades. Probably A2 at best unless you do the direct top out which is solid A3. It has good free climbing and fun steep nailing on secure rock. This was not the case for the FA team as the cairn below the route was constructed from materials that fell off during its development. Those were the heavy os Pitch 1 Choose between a couple starts to gain the main crack system. Follow this until under the garage door sized flakes and trend left underneath of them. The anchor is slightly hidden over a bulge just left of the flake system. Belay at a bolt and a fixed nut. 5.10 Pitch 2 climb right off the belay nailing through roofs with some loose rock but over all good compared to other “tough” aid routes at the suck. Keep following steep features straight up and right of belay eventually gaining a vertical seam of high quality orange rock that will deposit your onto a large ledge A3 Pitch 3: Either trend left and nail out the steep and loose roof section for added bonus points earning the A3 grade proper or cut right to a corner system that gains a slot and continues to the top. Either A3 or 5.9 Once on top meander climbers right along the top of the cliff line keeping an eye out for an obvious gulley. Follow this gulley down and skiers right as low as possible where you can rap with a sing 70m. There is red cord currently wrapped around a couple small trees on an exposed ledge. Be ready to back this up as I have already replaced it once and tied off several spots where rats/mice keep chewing through it. Double 60s and you can rap from higher up.

Pitch 1 climb up the right facing dihedral system to a ledgy area with another corner system above.  Take this corner up and climb through the roof. Build a belay at a stance with some horizontals in the upper part of the good rock before the route gets steep and loose. Pitch 2 leave the belay headed right mantle off the ledge. Maintain composure through this area and don’t touch the coffee table sized block above. It’s just sitting there. Continue up and right aiming for the prominent roof cracks above. Exit the roof and free climb up the face above to the tree line

The opening stems are technical, but the route eases at the bolt. Move slightly left here and continue up the dihedral on easier, more featured rock. As the wall steepens, the real difficulties begin. Persevere up the steepening wall--feeling the burn--and power through a couple roofs. The climbing is sustained to the top. There is no fixed anchor on this route.   Back in the bad ole days of toxic masculinity, this route was once described as "manly." Take that however it resonates, but if Pleasure Burn were at T-Wall, it would be a mega-classic.

Pitch 1 Mantle up on to the shelf at the base of a short and shallow right facing dihedral. Climb up through this and gain the old 1/4” bolt with a homemade aluminum hanger. This is bolt is from Todd and Forests route Canyon Man which continues to travel left through heads pins and a rivets up a dihedral to the ledge system out left. It then eventually climbs out the side of the visor. For Suck Boy climb to the next right facing corner and follow this to its end and cut right to some flakes. Follow flakes and overlaps aiming for the orange face above. Climb the beak seam through perfect orange rock to more broken territory eventually free climbing up to the large grey alcove above capped by the biggest roof on the prow. Climb through poor shale out the left side of the roof and locate a SS bolt and fixed tricam from an earlier attempt. Build an anchor using this bolt and other gear placements on the face. A2 5.8 Pitch 2 Nail out the left side of the roof and gain the rivet that marks a previous party’s high point. After this continuing nailing through overhangs and mantle onto the large ledge above. Sneak to the right of the ledge and climb the face above utilizing free climbing and more beaking to gain the last big roof. Aid out the roof landing on the giant ledge. Walk to the left of the ledge and build a belay in good rock. A3+ 5.8 Pitch 3 climb a 1/2” crack through the short overhang. Travel strait back over ledge above to gain the crack on the left side of ledge. Climb this to the “summit” C1 5.10 Descent make one single rope rap back to the ledge and a double rope rap to the ground. Otherwise hike climbers left and make 3 single rope raps down the face to left of the prow utilizing small trees.

Plug a solid yellow metolius in a slot, and then follow a thin seam for a few moves. Get a decent .75 in a horizontal, and then move into a thin seam for a few moves. Pull a roof, and follow a nice C1 crack for a several moves. Mantle onto a ledge, and then move into a nice corner for a few moves. Plug some cams, and then mantle onto a small ledge. Make a couple of easy free moves, aiming for a small tree to the left.

Although the route itself presents a bit of... a struggle you may discover the real battle lies on the ground, with your partner, over who get's the lead! Climb a shallow slot-crack capped by a small overhang. Exit right following a crack line. continue into face holds.

From the ledge above Ride the Pony, enter the slot and climb gingerly over wedged blocks and through a bulge (5.8) to a ledge with two half inch bolts (placed  by Gardner and Chestnut on an early attempt). This is an optional belay, but, if used, every effort should be made to protect the belayer from the potential rockfall above. From the ledge, climb up and around a huge detached tongue then up to a stance beneath a bulge. Beware the loose blocks on the right. Creep past these on the left  then aid improbably over the bulge to a horizontal seem with a fixed pin (A2+). Pull onto a ledge where you can contrive an awkward belay, or alternately, climb the wide slot leading to the top of the buttress. Two rappels are required to return to the base. Note: this route has considerable objective danger.

East facing wall, with plenty of solid rock and great free and aid lines. Shade is plentiful, so this is a nice area to climb in the warmer months

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