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| Elevation: | 999 ft |
| GPS: |
38.0692, -81.0812 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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| Shared By: | Ladd Raine on Sep 3, 2006 · Updates |
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This is a state with so much climbing, please contribute your experience/knowledge...
Every contribution is appreciated.
Description
West Virginia is full of great climbing destinations, from local crags to Seneca Rocks to the The New River Gorge Region with 3000+ routes. Excellent sport climbing, bouldering, single and multi-pitch trad climbing can be found in The Mountain State.
The rock ranges from bullet-hard sandstone, to quartzite, to gritstone, to kitty-litter cliffs. If you are a granite junky, don't come to WV for granite, but come to cut your teeth on some awesome sandstone in the The New River Gorge Region. The sandstone is as hard as granite but has many more interesting features than your average granite cliff will afford.
Ultra-Uber-Classic climbs in the state range in grade from Old Man's Route(Seneca, 5.4) to Ride The Lightning(NRG, 5.13b/c). There is something for every climber in West Virginia.
The best times to visit are Spring(March-May), and Fall (September-November)
The rock ranges from bullet-hard sandstone, to quartzite, to gritstone, to kitty-litter cliffs. If you are a granite junky, don't come to WV for granite, but come to cut your teeth on some awesome sandstone in the The New River Gorge Region. The sandstone is as hard as granite but has many more interesting features than your average granite cliff will afford.
Ultra-Uber-Classic climbs in the state range in grade from Old Man's Route(Seneca, 5.4) to Ride The Lightning(NRG, 5.13b/c). There is something for every climber in West Virginia.
The best times to visit are Spring(March-May), and Fall (September-November)
Getting There
As far as getting to West Virginia...It shouldn't be hard to find. It is West of Virginia.
It is a state, there are only 50, learn them, know them...and don't confuse West Virginia with Virginia, it irks me...
It is a state, there are only 50, learn them, know them...and don't confuse West Virginia with Virginia, it irks me...
Guidebooks for West Virginia
Mike Willams's Second Edition New River Gorge Guidebooks
A complete resource for routes in the New River, Meadow River and Summersville/Gauley areas.
Tim Toula's Rock and Road;s=books&qid=1180104188&sr=1-1
Provides comphrensive directions to get you pretty close to most all of the climbing areas in the state. Most of his advice for classics and locaions to visit is still true even though this book is badly outdated.
Rick Thompson's New River Rock;s=books&qid=1180104289&sr=1-1
Most of the Information is good, and most climbers that have been clibing here for a while use this guidebook, althought it does not have the most current information, and doesn't include al the areas that Steve Cater's newest guidebook does. The upside to RT's book is that his route descriptions are better and he includes FAs and route history.
Steve Cater's New River Gorge, Meadow River and Summersville Lake Rock Climbers' Guidebook;s=books&qid=1180104427&sr=1-1
This is the most up-to-date climber's guide out there for the NRG, Summersville, and Meadow River areas. Cater doesn't always know how to count bolts(I know he doesn't personally do it) and he doens't include much(if any) history or FAs. He does include more than RT's book, and the directions to get places are better. The maps and topos are awesome!!
Eric Horst's Rock Climbing Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland
Is better than nothing and if you are familar with this style of book, then you should know what to expect. Some areas are included, some maps, some directions, but not all you want. Better for WV than the Rock and Road but not as good as others.
Dr. Topo's Summersville Lake guidebook
It isn't that great, but it is free!
FR Robinson's Seneca Rocks: A Climber's Guide
An older guidebook, most of the projects described have been done, but most of the classsics are listed within.
Franklin Guidebook.
Doesn't exist outside of Eric Horst's book, his descriptions, and topos are less than acurate. Try the above listed online guidebook.
Mike Gray's Reed's Creek Guidebook
Complete guide with maps and route photos. A physical copy of Gray's guide to climbing in Smokehole Canyon is hard to come by, but it's quick and easy to find and use on Rakkup.
Gray and Johnson's Long Branch and Guide Walls Guidebook
Complete guide with maps and route photos. This second of two books on Smokehole Canyon climbing is hard to find in print but easily available on Rakkup.
The Incomplete guide to Cooper's Rock
Never really panned out.
Remember to never underestimate the importance of having a local along with you if you come to visit. A local might be able to save you many hours of wasted approach time/climbing bad-routes time. Don't be scared by the locals, ask one to come with ya' for a day, it'll help you get the most bang for your time.
A complete resource for routes in the New River, Meadow River and Summersville/Gauley areas.
Tim Toula's Rock and Road;s=books&qid=1180104188&sr=1-1
Provides comphrensive directions to get you pretty close to most all of the climbing areas in the state. Most of his advice for classics and locaions to visit is still true even though this book is badly outdated.
Rick Thompson's New River Rock;s=books&qid=1180104289&sr=1-1
Most of the Information is good, and most climbers that have been clibing here for a while use this guidebook, althought it does not have the most current information, and doesn't include al the areas that Steve Cater's newest guidebook does. The upside to RT's book is that his route descriptions are better and he includes FAs and route history.
Steve Cater's New River Gorge, Meadow River and Summersville Lake Rock Climbers' Guidebook;s=books&qid=1180104427&sr=1-1
This is the most up-to-date climber's guide out there for the NRG, Summersville, and Meadow River areas. Cater doesn't always know how to count bolts(I know he doesn't personally do it) and he doens't include much(if any) history or FAs. He does include more than RT's book, and the directions to get places are better. The maps and topos are awesome!!
Eric Horst's Rock Climbing Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland
Is better than nothing and if you are familar with this style of book, then you should know what to expect. Some areas are included, some maps, some directions, but not all you want. Better for WV than the Rock and Road but not as good as others.
Dr. Topo's Summersville Lake guidebook
It isn't that great, but it is free!
FR Robinson's Seneca Rocks: A Climber's Guide
An older guidebook, most of the projects described have been done, but most of the classsics are listed within.
Franklin Guidebook.
Doesn't exist outside of Eric Horst's book, his descriptions, and topos are less than acurate. Try the above listed online guidebook.
Mike Gray's Reed's Creek Guidebook
Complete guide with maps and route photos. A physical copy of Gray's guide to climbing in Smokehole Canyon is hard to come by, but it's quick and easy to find and use on Rakkup.
Gray and Johnson's Long Branch and Guide Walls Guidebook
Complete guide with maps and route photos. This second of two books on Smokehole Canyon climbing is hard to find in print but easily available on Rakkup.
The Incomplete guide to Cooper's Rock
Never really panned out.
Remember to never underestimate the importance of having a local along with you if you come to visit. A local might be able to save you many hours of wasted approach time/climbing bad-routes time. Don't be scared by the locals, ask one to come with ya' for a day, it'll help you get the most bang for your time.
Classic Climbing Routes at West Virginia
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
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