Inform and Inspire

Welcome to Upstate Bouldering, designed around bouldering in the Upstate region of South Carolina. This website is intended to inform the reader of local spots in SC, Western NC and Northeast GA, as well as a blog of my experiences climbing at these great spots. I hope everyone learns of a new place to climb or is inspired to climb somewhere close to them. If you have any comments, please send me an e-mail.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Upstate Bouldering Guidebook Update!!!


I've been busting my butt getting the revisions done on the beta copies of the Upstate Bouldering Guidebook and have almost got everything ready! I am currently adding some action photos and ads from some of the best local outfitters and gear manufacturers too. Hopefully the guide will be printed and available around March 1st, but I'm planning on them being in my hands no later than March 15th...so shoot me an e-mail if you haven't already, and you'd like to preorder a copy (remember, this is a limited print run of this first edition).

The way its going to work out is that if you want a color copy, then you can only get it by preorder...any other copies will be in black and white (for now). The color version truly is worth the extra money and remember that you are just donating more to the organization that keeps our bouldering spots secure if you order a color copy.

So, right now the options are
1)preorder with an e-mail to me (the only way to guarantee a color copy) or
2)purchase a black and white copy at the Jocassee Gorges Trail Day. I'm working with Sunrift Adventures in Travelers Rest to possibly sell them there after the trail day, so stay tuned for info about getting a copy from Sunrift.



This project has been a lot of work, but I'm so excited to almost have it finished! I've enjoyed developing these area and I'm super stoked to share them in an official guidebook.



I'm also excited to announce that I'll be adding in some of the classic routes for a couple of areas in the Pisgah National Forest/Pisgah Ranger District near Brevard NC to the guidebook also! Pisgah has had a special place in my life for the last 36 years...my grandma was from Brevard and we would visit her every other weekend and head into the forest to see where her family grew up while working for the Vanderbilts. I grew up on the trails and rivers in Pisgah and started mountain biking and climbing in the forest when I was a teenager. This is an area that I've been bouldering at for a while now and as there is no information available to these areas, I think its time to at least tell folks about some of the classic routes that have been sent for years. In my opinion, these may be some of the best boulders in the guidebook and worth buying the guidebook just to have some beta to these areas.

So if you havent preordered a copy yet, go ahead and preorder to guarantee that you get the beta first and enjoy the guidebook before the heat starts to run everyone out of the boulderfields for the summer!!!

Monday, February 6, 2012

The Upstate Bouldering Guide


I've hinted to the fact that I've been putting a guidebook together to the main spots I discuss on my blog...and its almost ready for the final print run! The guide will contain all of the mini-guides that have been available in this website, but updated and edited to show new routes, and also photo topos have been added to the mini guides that did not have them when they were first published on Upstate Bouldering. The guide will cover around 300 routes, provide info on spots for future development nearby, and contain beta on other outdoor activities (road and mountain biking, flatwater and whitewater kayaking, hiking/backpacking, camping, etc) to do within the Jocassee Gorges.

Areas covered in The Upstate Bouldering Guide...
Jocassee Gorges Area of SC:
-Little Eastatoee
-Beasley Gap
-Sasquatch
-Big Eastatoee
Gorges Area of NC:
-Whitewater Falls
-Granite City

I know that a bunch of folks are chomping at the bit to get their hands on the guides for Bearfields and Jedi, but they will not be in this version of the guidebook, due to the fact that the approach to these areas is still under discussion with the land managers...my hopes is that this issue will be solved shortly and the 2nd edition of the guide will contain the over 500 routes in these 2 areas.

These guidebooks will be available at the Jocassee Gorges Bouldering Trail Day on March 23rd or by preorder ONLY!!! And the supplies will be ULTRA-LIMITED...only 20-25 will be printed!!! Also...a reminder that 100% of the profits for this guidebook will be put directly back into the area for further access!!!

This is a great opportunity to not only get this limited edition guidebook, but also help further access to more bouldering areas by helping the Carolina Climbers Coalition do their thang!!!

At this point, I haven't decided if it will be full color (approximate price would be $30 for guidebook) or black and white (approximately $20 for guidebook)...and remember, I'm not making any money off of these, simply donating it to help the CCC with furthering access in the upstate of SC. The color version is so much nicer than the black and white version, but it will cost more and generate less profits than the black and white version. Most of the cost is simply for the price of printing, and each guide will generate about $5-$10 in profits for furthering access. I will take preorders for both versions, but will most likely only have the black and white version available at the Trail Day.

If you would like to reserve a copy of the guidebook, please e-mail me at UpstateBouldering@hotmail.com with your name, contact info and if you would prefer a color or black and white copy, and I'll get you on the reservation list. I will set up a paypal account very soon, where you can pay for the guidebook ahead of time and have it shipped, instead of waiting until the Trail Day to pick it up.

As I mentioned, this is a very limited edition guidebook and will only be available for this one print run...if you want a copy please reserve one by e-mail, otherwise you can take your chances on getting one the day of the Trail Day directly from me (there may not be any left over if the preorder sells really well though). I will also be giving away a few copies of the guidebook to some of the lucky folks that come out and volunteer for the Trail Day, so make sure to come out and support local bouldering and our bouldering areas by giving back a little love to these great places!

I'm super excited to have this project almost finished and almost ready for the final print run...the beta copies of the guidebook look amazing and the final copy will only look better. Please consider preordering one of these incredible tomes and helping us keep the access ball rolling for more upstate bouldering spots!