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I live near Aspen, Colorado’s Rocky Mountain playground of the stars. A pleasant place, with
rivers to run, rocks to climb, trails galore, where $65 will buy a day of fair powder skiing and a
chance to glimpse Melanie Griffith in the lift line. But much to the dismay of almost everyone, if
I’ve got some road-tripping time, I’ll head south—THE South, that is. As in Dixie. First stop, Chattanooga, Tennessee, tucked in the state’s southeastern
corner.
Chattanooga? Don’t misunderstand. I’m no Choo-Choo nostalgic or Civil War history
buff, nor am I invited to the summer cocktail parties at Lookout Mountain’s million-dollar
mansions. I don’t cruise for crack cocaine in the dilapidated neighborhoods off 4th Street, or
spend much time in the restored city center with its fine modern aquarium. No, I keep returning to
Chattanooga because I’m a rock climber, with a lust for the steep sandstone that laces the
flanks of the Cumberland Plateau.
Rock and roll
Only a few scruffy crags appear above town, and those just barely. Most of the rock lies hidden in
the trees, partly draped by hanging vines and in secluded coves next to splashing waterfalls. The
tallest cliffs barely clear the trees; they flank the jungle-green hillsides in tan and orange
bands. Just as hidden are miles of trails awaiting running shoe or bike tire, and tumbling creeks
to challenge the hairiest hair boater.
From the bluffs of Sunset Rock, on Lookout Mountain, you can survey the sprawling valleys of
Lookout Creek and the Tennessee River—as did Confederate generals—and prepare for carnage
of your own on the jutting crags below. Across the valley from Sunset, along a winding road that
follows the Cherokee’s Trail of Tears, stands Tennessee Wall. T-Wall is Chattanooga’s
most extensive climbing area, touted by a British climbing mag as one of the 10 best crags in the
United States, and home to some of the East Coast’s finest crack climbing. A short drive
north lies Foster Falls State Park, where sport climbing reigns: strenuous, steep, and
safe.
The sting
Well, pretty safe. Southern hazards are ubiquitous, even at Foster Falls. My first trip there,
after a night of rain, the clouds cleared, the sun quickly dried the rocks, and we were sweating
by the time we reached the cliff base. I tossed down my pack below the first climb of the day,
and it was engulfed in a cloud of angry yellow jackets. Later, I got a close look at a copperhead,
a viper that enjoys basking on the sunny cliff-top ledges that form the final handholds of the
routes.
At the Tennessee Wall I encountered another indigenous affront to my rock climbing
sensibilities—roof cracks. In places, the T-Wall resembles an inverted staircase, with
vertical headwalls separated by jutting ceilings. Some of these roofs, as climbers call them, span
30 feet, and are split by finger- to fist-sized cracks. With a homegrown mix of gymnastic
contortions, Houdini maneuvers, and sheer brawn, most of these cracks can be free-climbed. For the
first few visits, however, I stuck to climbing that was merely steep, rather than inverted.
My love affair with Southern sandstone continued once I got to Sunset and scared myself
silly on the thinly protected traditional climbs (for example, a non-bolted route). And after
my first big roof crack, this Colorado boy was hooked on Chattanooga climbing.
For the ground-bound
If climbing isn’t your thing, Chattanooga might still delight you. The Tow Truck Hall of Fame
and Battles of Chattanooga history museum...Just kidding. We’re talking adventure sports.
Trail running or hiking? Trails crisscross the woods—more than 200 miles of them within a
30-mile radius of the city. What better way to work up a good Southern sweat than hopping
rocks and roots through hidden gorges alive with bird life, buzzing insects, and sparkling falls?
Try a loop at Stone Door State Park, or the closer-to-town trails beyond the Reflection Riding
stables at the base of Lookout Mountain.
If you’re a mountain biker, you might already know about the Big South Fork area, or the
Chilhowee trail system east of town, where rhododendron tunnels give a whole new meaning to
singletrack. Pedal the West Brow trail for a testy, close-to-town workout in Prentice Cooper
State Forest. If you’re the social butterfly-type and visiting in late April, hit the Ocoee
Fat Tire Festival. For trail descriptions, maps, and more, check out Chattanooga Bicycle
Club’s Web site: http://www.chattbike.com.
For the river rat
Paddlers are also drawn to Chattanooga. The Ocoee and Tellico rivers are perennial play boater
favorites, while local creek boaters claim that when the water is up there are 35 unregulated
Class V streams within 45 minutes of downtown. Some of these creeks that spill off the Cumberland
Plateau are outrageous. The local outdoor shop, http://www.rockcreekoutfitters.com, Rock Creek, is a great resource.
Yep, if you’re into outdoor sports, Chattanooga’s all right, and unlike the chic sports
towns of the West, you could even buy a house here on a climbing guide’s salary. Summers are
steamy—best to be in a kayak—but the winter climbing season is the best in the East.
Long live Chattanooga, and Dixie sandstone. >
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