The club climbing trip for March is this Saturday the 10th to Palisades, that is, to Blount County Palisades Park on Ebell Mountain near Oneonta, Alabama. We will meet at the Thornton Road Park and Ride at 7:00 am to carpool, or you can meet us there.
To get to Thornton Road Park-N-Ride, take I-20 west. 7 miles outside of I-258, take Exit 44 and turn right onto Thornton Road. At the first light take a right and then take a right at the three-way stop. Park with the other cars and climbers.
If you’re looking for a pleasant spot to bring friends new to climbing, Alabama’s Palisades Park is a great choice. At latitude 33.9602 and longitude -86.4774 not far from Birmingham, Palisades is a county park with a nice little cliffline running just below the parking lot. There is a good range of climbing difficulty, ranging from easy 5.4 to roofy 5.12. Climbs are single pitch and 30 to 80 feet. Everything can be easily top-roped and many routes have protection opportunities for trad leading. There are no bolted climbs. Each climber must register at the office and buy a $2 permit. The restrooms are heated and air conditioned.
