Chimney Tops climb in Great Smoky Mountain National Park

[@sands1238]

I've always wanted to see the top! Thanks for sharing.

[@PT-mt6qw]

Incredible. Well done guys! It's not the climb up that scares me, it's the climbing down.

[@pattio3435]

Incredible! So many emotions watching the video……….I do appreciate you posting it so we who will never climb it have the chance to visually see it. May you and your son be safe.

[@bsommer1717]

ill never forget climbing up there. very spiritual moment

[@katherinehayes9110]

I have seen this place riding on 441 but have never climbed up to it. Beautiful views.Thanks for posting

[@ABlueberryMuffin]

this is awesome! I have done angels landing a couple times so I am excited to try this one out! thanks for the upload!

[@GZA036]

My brother and I buzzed this from about 50 feet in a Cessna, then later that day hiked up, jumped the fence and climbed it. That shit is terrifying

[@ErinAlexandra100]

Thank you for this video. My father and I just hiked this trail this morning and made it to the bottom of the rock face, but as the trail was already blocked off and I had never been on a mountain until today (at 23 years old) we were too reluctant to continue any further. It was extremely nerve-wracking to even watch this video, but obviously you both scaled it quickly and calmly. I enjoyed seeing your video, even 20 years later, as this was the part we could not personally experience!

[@kevinthurman5802]

Thanks for watching Erin. Watching the video was more nerve racking than actually doing it.

[@o.o4566]

Climbed this in 1997 when I was 9. We did go in one of the chimneys. On the closed portion of the trail. My mom also climbed it while pregnant with me. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to go back now though.

[@geodude7919]

Watching this was supposed to motivate me to go, but now I'm honestly even more scared lol. I'll be there in 3 hours

[@scottsawyer1981]

How is it after the fire. Is the rock still good or flaky want to try it tomorrow

[@uriahchessor9989]

I ran up this thing like a little billy goat when I was 9-10 years old back in the 80's. I had a close call jumping down a 'small' ledge for my Dad to catch me and nearly jumped too high for him to grab me. Just behind him was a several hundred foot straight drop. We did make it all the way up and over to the next peak though. My favorite smokie hike.

[@thetanz8111]

January 1st 2000..... To think in this video, the 90s was yesterday! What a weird thought. I miss the 90s lolz. I miss Tennessee (born and raised)

[@kevinthurman5802]

@thetanz8111 thank you

[@conservativeone547]

The first time I ever climbed this was back in 1992 when I was 13 years old. I’ve been back twice since, but stopped at the bottom of the rock face both times. My friends that went with me on those other two hikes climbed to the summit. I waited for them. Once was enough for me. It’s a great experience, but my nerves just can’t handle it like they could at 13.

[@peggyregan1210]

This is awesome! Climbed there yesterday, but chickened out where it really got steep.

[@shaquaviousjackson4892]

I thought this part was closed still

[@kyleauel5202]

@@shaquaviousjackson4892you can go around the closure easily

[@santiagocruz5036]

Yo this is crazy awesome, I definitely have to do this!

[@brysmusicstuff829]

Except that it’s closed and they walked around the gate. Teaching your kids to disregard park regulations, that’s a douche move!

[@Batistick13]

@@brysmusicstuff829 teaching your kid to follow every silly arbitrary rule someone put in front of you and not getting full sendiez, thats a douche move!

[@ChaseM112]

@@Batistick13 would not really call it a silly rule, the fire burned so hot that the rocks got super weak. If you grab the wrong one and it crumbles you could fall and either hurt yourself really bad, or could die not to mention the massive fine for tresspassing…

[@Dan-ty7cb]

@@ChaseM112 Pretty sure they fixed the trail now, it’s open right? Says so on the NPS site.

[@jacobturman5602]

@@ChaseM112 considering NPS is partially funded by tax dollars, it should be allowed as long as it isn’t causes ecological/environmental degradation.

[@reformedpresbyterianpulpit6745]

Climbed thus on my honeymoon in March of 1997.... Just like I remember it.

[@busigator96]

Where’s the video of you coming down? That is the scary part

[@kevinthurman5802]

Think our battery died by the time we climbed down. There are several more videos of our climbing that day.

[@justnewlistings]

Is access still there or blocked off by the park personnel?

[@willsteig6075]

As of March 2024 yea

[@justnewlistings]

@@willsteig6075 but can one go around the "block" by park personnel?

[@chasespinks5321]

So, on a scale of 10 how safe was this climb? would it be good for a beginner? and lastly was this in 2020? i’m going next month with my friends and they really want to do this but i’m very nervous!

[@kevinthurman5802]

Well I wouldn't go as far as to call it safe. Probably depends on your confidence and nerves. I can only tell you the trail has been closed since the fires a few years ago.

[@deadair801]

I did it with no experience but not gonna lie I was scared to death definitely an adrenaline rush it may have changed my life if ever so slightly

[@builderman912]

Extremely safe if you dont slip & fall.

[@googleuser868]

Wife and I tried this the year before the fire. Got to the edge of the roots and rocks with several signs saying don't go further and it was misty wet. We were both pushing 60 and had no problems hiking to that point. After seeing what lied ahead probably a good thing we headed the warning not to try it when wet. Definitely wouldn't want to if it was crowded. Thanks for the video.

[@michaelg2849]

How did you get this quality video from 2000??

[@PapiGrayBeard]

After seeing this video, I was so happy cause for Father’s Day weekend we planned to go stay in the smokies and I was gonna make it a mission to visit Chimney Tops. I got up Friday morning (yesterday morning) and at 7am I started my climb. Right at the opening where the blocking door is at, I saw a bear but he took off running right as he saw me. Cause of that, I decided to turn back and minutes going back down, I run into a mama bear with cubs in a tree blocking my path and the fear of stories I heard kept me frozen in place with no one around for help. Lucky for me, a hiker on the way up helped me get thru while he was holding bear spray just in case. Got it all on video but I have to edit it all when I get home. Very scary and very upset that I didn’t get to repeat going to the top like I did 5 years ago. Maybe next time. 🍻

[@LouisianaAstroRambler]

I don't think I could do this lol.. I'd love to, but knowing me, I'd definitely slip lol.. On a side note, I didn't realize climbing to the top of one of those TN mountains would be that extreme.. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure what I was expecting it to look like exactly.. I do know that I wasn't expecting it to be so narrow and rocky though lol..

[@aleortega5768]

This was before the fire right?

[@christianbair3342]

What kind of camera did you have on your head in this video?

[@Bluehathiker]

Isn’t this portion of the trail closed? Did you have to go around the gate?

[@kevinthurman5802]

Nowadays, this portion of the trail is closed.

[@Bluehathiker]

‘Nowadays’? I know this wasn’t recorded 20 years ago on Jan first. It’s been closed for a few years now. Is this video from some seven years ago or did you just go around the gate?

[@Batistick13]

@@Bluehathiker I went around the gate.

[@lisajarnigan2112]

People who disrespect park rules don’t deserve to use the park. Call me what you want, I don’t give a 💩. Ntm, father of the year there, teaching his son it’s ok to do things illegally 💁‍♀️

[@deadair801]

I didn't think they let people up to the blow hole anymore

[@chrishaines1677]

I thought that section was closed to hikers?

[@kevinthurman5802]

Fairly sure it still is.

[@chrishaines1677]

@@kevinthurman5802 Then why did you go up there? One of the reasons it’s closed is to protect the environment in the area.

[@chrishaines1677]

@@kevinthurman5802 I’m so sorry. The only thing I saw was 10 Months ago. Years ago I did a man way from Sugaland Mtn to the Chimneys. I’m sure after the fires it’s obliterated.

[@mint-charizard]

How far of a drop is it from each side once you get to the top?

[@kevinthurman5802]

From memory... It be a bouncing 600 vertical foot drop before complete stop

[@JUALIJU]

Nice

[@kevinthurman5802]

Thanks!!!

[@wandagraves4281]

This section is off limits after the fire. Shame on you!

[@ChristopherHasenRedsFan1979]

I thought so too then I noticed the video camera and it was from 2000

[@BK-hl2lh]

Stop being a bit@$ if someone wants to attempt this then so be it. It's public land which means we as the ppl own this land, so if he wants do it then cool go for it and you can be a Karen and watch it while you sit in your home and nattle tell

[@Dalethe1]

Clear case of child endangerment. I couldn’t even watch the whole video. Great clear quality video though....

[@bumblebee0369]

.....and what if he fell? What if he slipped just a tad to far? To the man telling him to climb ARE YOU OUTTA YOUR MIND? I don't mean any disrespect ok, and that's great n all that he conquered his fear (congregations kid!) ...but you should of never allowed a young individual to try such a thing without having the right gear on. Shoes....helmet...ropes...and he had none. Being a mom of a teenaged boy i would of had a field day with you sir. You let that kid take risks without the proper protection gear. Those tennis shoes are not good shoes to wear when your a beginner. Wrong wrong wrong! My heart sank thinking what if....we never would of seen that kind of video. Just saying please protect these young people 🙏 cus accidents happen. It coulda been a simple mistake....accidents really happen believe me they do!

[@kevinthurman5802]

Understood. You are not the first to share this perspective. Thank you for watching.

[@brianlaton9854]

Karen

[@colonelangus74]

Sure glad I didn't have parents that wanted me to wear a helmet and wrap me in bubble wrap every time I was experience something "dangerous". 😆 I was 8 or so my first time up there and all three of my kids were 8-12 their first time. All the times I've been, I've never seen any helmets or ropes. Of course, the camera makes it look worse than it is.

[@Batistick13]

You know nothing. He's wearing trail runners with sticky rubber on the bottom. Its actually great for climbing, I've climbed the same route in the same exact shoes. Live a little.

[@andrewnicholas9079]

@@colonelangus74 its not about being wrapped in bubble wrap but about having a little common fucking sense. One fuck up and he films his son sliding down that fucking mountain splitting his wig wide open. Brilliant