The Tennessee Wall
Development at this cliff began in the early 1980's, so don't be surprised to find that most of the routes don't have "those little shiny things" on 'em! Indeed, the vast majority of the routes here are gear protected cracks and face climbs, usually offering excellent protection and a wide range of difficulty.
Due to its south-facing orientation, the T Wall can be hot in the summer months, but is a fantastic winter area. Located in a gorgeous setting, the cliff overlooks the Tennessee River as it makes its way through the wide, forested Tennessee River Gorge. A fairly "aerobic" 15 to 20 minute hike provides the perfect warm up, and during most months, a refreshing waterfall can be found at the end of the day.
A few important nuggets of information about visiting the Tennessee Wall:
1) The T-Wall is NOT conducive to safe or convenient top roping. There are no gullies to access the top of the cliff and no fixed top rope anchors. It is possible, in a few instances, to hitch a ride up a route that has been led and rig a top rope on an adjacent route, but such scrambling along the top is dangerous and usually results in rockfall and angry shouts from below. Best to leave the top roping for another area
2) The T-Wall does require a fairly extensive rack of lead protection gear. There are fewer than 20 sport routes at the cliff, all in the higher grades, so a rack is necessary. In general, wired stoppers, TCU's, larger cams up to 4 inches and lots of slings and 'biners should do the trick for most routes.
3) Camping is allowed across the road from the trailhead only so please do not camp along the trail up to the cliff or up at the cliff itself. Please be courteous, discreet and clean.
4) The T-Wall is located in the Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area, and is closed to climbing for several weekends in the spring and fall for hunting. This is not a voluntary closure; if you are caught, you will be ticketed. The Suck Creek Checking Station camp ground will still be open to non-hunting outdoor users wishing to camp there and make use of other local resources for climbing and hiking. The 2500 acre tract of Prentice Cooper north of State Route 27 will still be open for climbing and other non-hunting uses as it is not part of the wildlife management area system. Parking is available at numerous pull-offs along side the road. Please heed the posted signs, or call (423) 658-9201 or (800) 262-6704.
5)To help manage the increasing number people to T-Wall, a pit toilet and parking lot addition/improvement was recently added with help from the SCC, Rock/Creek and Chaco. Please do not pull straight into the back of the parking lot, but park on the left and right sides only in order to take full advantage of the larger space. The toilet is located roughly 100 yards directly downhill from the parking lot behind a large boulder.
- 6) Finally, be sure that all your valuables are locked out of sight in your vehicle. Don't tempt Bubba!
Recommended routes: Jay Walker 5.7, Passages 5.8, Golden Locks 5.8, Razor Worm 5.9, Cakewalk 5.10, Crackattack 5.10, Sugar In The Raw 5.11, Steepopolis 5.12a, Twistin' in the Wind 5.12c, Poweropolis 5.13a, Psychopath 5.13b
Feel free to make the short drive over to Rock/Creek during your visit and take a look at our extensive selection of climbing gear.
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