The New River Gorge offers up some of the best climbing in the world. The climbing season at New River extends from April through November. The best months are usually late April to mid-June, and mid-September to late October.
Get Local
Matt Carpenter, a native of the New River Gorge area and climber for 11 years, shares his experience on having the most fun climbing in The New River Gorge:
Bring the whole quiver of tricks if you plan to get the full value experience out of the New. If climbing at the New River Gorge sounds difficult and intimidating, don’t worry! Beginner and moderate level climbs can be found in abundance at crags such as Bubba City, Bridge Area, Junkyard, Zero Buttress at the Meadow, and Whipperwill at Summersville Lake. Our climbing season is year-round here, in the cooler months, seek the sunny walls out at Endless Wall, the Cirque area is guaranteed to be lots warmer than in town. On a rainy day, consider the sheltered crags at Upper Meadow. On hot summer days, seek shade at Kaymoor crags or go play on the lake at Whipperwill. During a zombie apocalypse, I’d recommend going to Hominy Creek Crag. Haven’t heard of it? No one else has either. There are still tons of “untrodden” or barely trodden classics that just simply get overshadowed by the abundance of readily accessible world-class climbs. While you’re downtown, make sure to maximize your New River Gorge experience. I’d recommend talking over your climbing plans for the day with coffee and breakfast at Vandal’s Kitchen. Go grab any gear necessities and talk to the staff Water Stone Outdoors. They have anything you could ever need and will also make sure you get pointed the right direction. For dinner, both Pies & Pints and Secret Sandwich Societies are must-dos. For good drinks and live entertainment check out The Grove and the 35th Star. If you’re still up and ready to stay after everyone else has shut down, Charlie’s Pub is the late night spot. The climbing here is literally unbeatable terms of quality and enjoyability and most people have a hard time not falling in love with the beauty of the region and the amazing community. – Matt Carpenter
Featured Climbs
The following is a list of overlooked climbing classics in and around the Gorge provided by local climbing outfitter, Water Stone Outdoors.
Overlooked Classics
Rapid View 5.6 [trad] – Located at the never visited Rostrum section of Bridge Buttress. A nice off-width on clean rock with plenty of face holds for the non crack climber. You can make some use of protection in horizontals but you’ll need some big bros to protect it safely.
Dominaire 5.7 [trad] – It is a not too pleasant hike out to Domino Point. It’s worth it to climb this striking corner crack on clean rock with an incredible view at the top. Take a pack with some food and beverages up to the top with you and make this a great semi rest day.
Got It Licked 5.7 [sport] – Want a nice collection of moderate sport climbs right next to a beautiful lake where you’ll never see a soul? First rent a paddleboard from Water Stone. Then load your climbing gear into a couple of trash bags inside your pack, put in at Whippoorwill, and make a five minute paddle, climber’s right, to the remote crag of Lost World. There are several other sport climbs in the 5.8 to 5.10 range and some excellent 5.11s here making it a great full day outing.
Free Range Show Poodle 5.8 [sport] – Remember the good old days when you could drive within a hundred feet of the south side crags? Well those days may be gone, but word on the street is that a reasonable and legitimate access point is getting worked out with the land owners. In the meantime, you can walk from the 19 bridge and enjoy all the excellent bolted moderates without the crowds. It’s about a two mile walk so I recommend bringing your ENO Hammock and making it a fun overnight climbing trip. Located at Area 51.
Labrador Reliever 5.8 [trad] – Located at the Cat Cliff past Junkyard. An excellent 5.8 crack that rarely gets done. The long walk isn’t bad if you break it up by stopping to climb the fun Chasing Spiders to the Right 5.7, and the nice corner crack Nasty Poodle Chew 5.6.
Lieutenant Tomek 5.9 [sport] – The Upper Meadow has been a popular hard man’s area for a decade now, but the recent addition of lines like this has brought many more climbers to the area. This classic is somewhat overlooked for now but that may change in the very near future.
Arachnophobia 5.9 [trad] – A splitter corner crack at the beautiful and remote Sunkist wall. Also check out Dead Varmint, a great 5.8 trad route as well as Bulgarian and Opulence, two nice 5.9 trad routes. If you want to break up the walk from the other lower meadow crags, when the dirt road drops down to river level, there are excellent swimming holes.
Hyperactive 5.10a [trad] – The infamous hike to South Nuttall is actually pretty chill. It’s really only about a half hour flat hike to this route once you get it dialed. And you’ll be rewarded with one of the best corner cracks in the state!
Bust a Jam 5.10b [trad] – A great crack to get your jam on! Many climbers don’t realize that Summersville Lake is just a dammed up portion of the Gauley River. Most people who have climbed in the region have enjoyed the great crags above the dam, but few have ventured below. The Gauley has the most remote feeling of the three gorges (the New, Meadow, and Gauley) with only a few bumpy dirt roads penetrating the gorge. Carnifax Ferry is the most extensive crag in the Gauley River Canyon and is well worth a visit.
Hail to the Chief 5.10c [sport] – Amazing rock and movement the whole way! Many climbers only make it to the New in summer months when school is out and vacation is on the mind. The best conditions however are found in the cooler months. This coincides well with when the Army Corps lowers the level of Summersville Lake opening hundreds of routes that aren’t accessible in the summer. Long point is one of the longest stretches of unbroken cliff in the whole region, has excellent rock, and is rarely visited.
Hillbilly Sex Farm 5.10d [sport] – This climbs a very unique dihedral feature. On the whole other end of Long Point with a couple of miles of cliff between them and so many good routes that never get climbed.
The Shining 5.11a [trad] – No one climbs trad at the popular sport climbing crags of Kaymoor, but this is hands down one of the best straight in finger cracks at the New. Located at White Wall.
Coffindaffer’s Dream 5.11b [sport] – A tall proud line that surprisingly just got added to Third Buttress of the Meadow.
Tatanka 5.11c [trad] – An impressive lineup of four star routes on one of the most beautiful walls on the east coast. It is a 40 minute walk from the route 19 bridge. Are you really going to let the walk scare you away from all that? Bolts and gear right where you need it, and amazing climbing up a bright orange wall.
Golden Age 5.11d [trad] – Find yourself daydreaming about Greatest Show but can’t climb the grade? This perfect white corner is a great mini version of the upper dihedral on the Greatest Show. The gear is a little spicy but you can climb the 5.10c sport climb Winter Harvest to the left and toprope off of those anchors to suss it out.
Chopping Block 5.12a [sport] – One of the best and most beautiful technical face climbs in the region. Tainted only by a mandatory stick clip and jug up to the first bolt (A0) to get going. However, for the full experience and badass points, deepwater solo it in the summer and the higher water level allows you to skip the A0 start. Another of many Long Point classics.
Gauley Roger 5.12b [sport] – Located at one of the least visited crags in the area, this gem is one of the best of its grade in the region and stays dry in a down pour. If you’re a hard man, check out the big proud projects also located in this neglected cave at the Gauley Crag.
Munson Burner 5.12c [trad] – One of the best crack pitches of the grade in the country. Seriously. If you figure out the best spot to rappel into this climb and use one of the excellent 5.10 corners in the area as a climb out, it cuts the infamous South Nuttall hike down to an easy 30 minute flat walk.
Armada 5.12d [sport] – Incredible steep climbing on amazing white rock. Unfortunately this route is missing the first three bolt hangers but in the summer it is one of the best deep water solos on the lake. Get bold! The other routes on this wall at Pirate’s Cove all make for excellent deep water solos.
Michael Boltin’ 5.13a [sport] – In the past few years New River Rock guidebook author Mikey Williams has added some of the proudest and most beautiful routes in the region at the under traveled Long Point. This stunning white arête is one of the finest examples and one of the most aesthetic of the grade at the New.
Freshly Squeezed 5.13b [sport] – A ten to fifteen minute walk past Mango Tango, one of the most stunning arêtes in the country and an infamously hard 5.14, is this striking replica that offers a few more holds if you’re not up to the technical challenge of Mango. Pinch up this gorgeous orange arête at Sunkist Wall.
Acharya 5.13c [trad] – Local climber Pat Goodman has been adding excellent difficult headpoint routes to the area for almost a decade. There is now a large enough collection of quality and difficult spicy trad routes to throw the New into a small number of crags in the country to warrant a trip just to test your mettle on these cutting edge headpoint routes. This bouldery route is one of the best! For another step up in difficulty in the headpoint style check out Matt Wilder’s stunning route, Golden Bullet 5.13d, also at Fern Point.
Coal Train 5.14a [sport] – In 1996 an era of free reign bolting of new routes at the New ended, and a permit process for new routes was put into effect. This pushed new route efforts to non NPS areas on the Meadow and Summersville Lake. One of the few climbers to go through the permit process to add new routes to the region is Mikey Williams. Mikey has added an incredible collection of 5.14 routes at the New, showing that there is still room for plenty more, and that the 5.14+ level isn’t far off for the region. Stare at the blank walls between established routes for long enough and there is often a surprising line of hidden crimps that just barely goes. This line is a perfect example. It’s a four star line at the heavily traveled Beauty Mountain that was established in 2013. It’s only a matter of time before a world class climber opens their eyes to the cutting edge lines that lay in wait at the New River Gorge.
Local Climbing Outfitters
New River Mountain Guides
New River Climbing School
Hard Rock
NRAC New River Alliance of Climbers
