Re: REPORT PROBLEMS with 3RD edition of guidebook
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 6:26 pm
Hey everyone,
I was recently at Funk Rock for my first time a few weeks back with some friends who'd also never been there. We had climbed several times at ESB and thought this crag looked sweet so we decided to finally find it.
We ended up hiking all over the place for this crag trying in vain to understand what the directions were trying to explain. We found the pulloff and then decided to "walk the road" which took us about .6 miles up a really steep hill cresting way up top - which made no sense since the directions mentioned crossing a stream. We kept figuring at somepoint there'd be a trail that led downwards to the water and it would be obvious. Sometimes with these directions you have to keep going, trust the directions, and the next landmark will come up.
The description is below:
Once we did this at the end of like 50 tries at finding this trail head, it was incredibly easy - but the directions were very cryptic. I'm not sure if it will warrant amending the directions, but to new-comers, it was unnecissarily difficult to find the crag and we ended up only having time for one route before we had to drive 7 hours home.
I have to say though, once we did find it--it was fantastic. We've been back twice since and it's been a great crag to try.
a
PS. Please don't take my comments as snarky or anything. I just want the guidebook directions to be clear to people who've never been to the crags - as opposed to those that have been there with friends and know it cold. I think most of the directions are spot on, this one just seemed overly difficult for a relatively easy crag to find.
I was recently at Funk Rock for my first time a few weeks back with some friends who'd also never been there. We had climbed several times at ESB and thought this crag looked sweet so we decided to finally find it.
We ended up hiking all over the place for this crag trying in vain to understand what the directions were trying to explain. We found the pulloff and then decided to "walk the road" which took us about .6 miles up a really steep hill cresting way up top - which made no sense since the directions mentioned crossing a stream. We kept figuring at somepoint there'd be a trail that led downwards to the water and it would be obvious. Sometimes with these directions you have to keep going, trust the directions, and the next landmark will come up.
The description is below:
Rather than state "follow the road" which to a 1st time visitor is incredibly unclear - why wouldn't you walk up the road you just pulled off of?--it should just say - take the trail which begins to lead down to a stream which starts on the (south?) end of the parking area. There are spots where it seems like you could veer left and cross the river. Don't. Stay on this trail for about half a mile or so as it winds up some small hills and back down to water. You will walk this trail all the way until it ends which is the river/stream. At this point, pick some stones to walk on and make your way across the creek to the trail which resumes right across the from the ending of the trail you came in on. Once you pick the trail back up, follow it right as it makes its way steeply up an incline to the leftmost portion of Funk Rock City.About .5 miles past the sharp bend you will see a large pulloff on your left. Drive past this pulloff until you see an even larger pulloff on the left with a closed off dirt road. Park here and walk the road 0.6 miles to a crossing over Swift Camp Creek. The crossing may nor may not have some stepping stones. Wade the creek and walk upstream along an old road for 200 feet to locate an approach trail on your left which winds uphill to the wall. An alternate approach from the Rest Area in slade is to jump back on Mountain Parkway and head east to the next exit (Exit 40). Turn right off the exit on KY 15 and drive 0.7 miles through the town of Pineville. Turn right onto 715 and drive 5.5 miles along the road. Be sure to stay on the road when it takes a hairpin turn to the right or you will end up at the Sky Bridge Ridge parking area for the tourist trail. After the sharp turn to the right and then left, the road will head sharply downhill. Look for a large pulloff on your right before the road levels out.
Once we did this at the end of like 50 tries at finding this trail head, it was incredibly easy - but the directions were very cryptic. I'm not sure if it will warrant amending the directions, but to new-comers, it was unnecissarily difficult to find the crag and we ended up only having time for one route before we had to drive 7 hours home.
I have to say though, once we did find it--it was fantastic. We've been back twice since and it's been a great crag to try.
a
PS. Please don't take my comments as snarky or anything. I just want the guidebook directions to be clear to people who've never been to the crags - as opposed to those that have been there with friends and know it cold. I think most of the directions are spot on, this one just seemed overly difficult for a relatively easy crag to find.