Best Cragging On Earth? New River Gorge!!!

[johnny]

I ain't been everywhere but if I was to stop going new places now I would be happy.

I just got back from 3 awsome days at the New and had more fun cragging than ever before. Spent one day at Meadow creek, one day at Summersville, and one day at central Endless. Sport, trad, its all there with solid, steep, edgy face routes; smeary, heady slabs; classic finger and hand cracks, all on super hand friendly rock. Very few multipitch routes but you could spend a lifetime there cranking exposed 70-100 footers and still not cover it all. The newest guidebook is 300+ pages and doesn't cover half of what is developed, not counting the fact that only 2/3 of the area has been climbed.

I'd give you the names of the routes I did but I did a lot and I read/talked about a lot more and most names have slipped through my drug addled brain. Lots of 8's, 9's and low to mid .10s were led with a few epic toprope struggles up some mid .11's (it pays to go with a major rope gun!). I recall She got the Bosch, I got the drill; Legacy; Discombobulated; mostly because they were all climbed at Endless the last day.

I know, lame trip report but I ain't got time for much more.....Adios

[mmcmurra]

So... did you get in any good whipper practice?

[nobody]

How long of a drive is it to this new river place? and what part of the Cascades is it in?

Kidding...

ha ha ha

[erik]

i saw the best cragging on earth and i first thought we were going to talk about index.

but too bad just some other place.....

actually sounds like a lot of fun, but it aint granite(and yes i am a granite snob!!)

[Jedi]

I love Summersville. You got on some classics on Endless. I could ramble about the one's I have experience but I am sure you will find them one your next trip.

Camp at Rogers near the Glory Hole, the guy is great. Great climbing in that area. A classic 90 footer is "Flight of the Gumbie" 5.9.

Ever get up to Seneca?

Jedi

[MounTAIN_Woman]

Growing up in Western PA, I spent quite a few seasons at Seneca! If you can climb there, you can climb anywhere. Exposed, vertical moderate routes, but good pro, excellent cracks, good sound rock. Then we discovered The New! They opened up quite a few areas since I was there, in the days of Rick Thompson and Eric Horst, route masters! If you want to up your grade, the New is the place to go.

For those in the Pacific NW, the New is near Fayetteville, West Virginia.

[Jedi]

There is a cool picture of the east side of the South Peak in the new Climb High catalog.

Seneca is my favorite stomping ground (in the south east). Hope to visit it a couple times in the next couple months, if I can find a partner to climb with.

Jedi

[nobody]

And if you spend enough time in the Gorge you can watch someone throw themselves off the bridge (something like 970+ feet to the railroad grade) only to find they are illegally basejumping.

Watch out for the dueling banjos...if you hear them run away...fast.

[chris_w]

West Virgina was my climibng playground also. The new was great, but I wanted to learn trad so it off to seneca for good multi moderates. I remember it as a friendly climbing area. You see the people on the rock, you then see them at the swimming hole, then for dinner at the only good dinner spot in town, then for beer on the front porch, then sneaking a camping spot under the pavillion. ahh the memories.

The new has miles of trails along the river with climb after climb after climb.

Has anyone ever been there for "bridge day"? I think it is the 3rd weekend in october. I heard they put up rap lines off the bridge and you can get 600 foot raps. I never seemed to make it down there on that weekend.

chris

[Jedi]

O-Yeah! Nothing like watching one, two, ten people jumping off the bridge at a time. Flipping, spinning and or screaming towards the tiny river below. Some deploy close enough to the ground to have you unknowingly holding your breath. Many don't make it to the tiny landing area in the trees and go into the fast moving river where boats are waiting to snatch them up. I would love to try it. The line is long to jump.

We use to swing off the lower suspension bridge using a old climbing rope. It is only 60' off the water but you felt like you were pulling a couple G's at the bottom of the swing. Then here comes the bottom of the bridge.........but you always stop, then hang in mid air before you head back towards the river. You had to wear your harness, tie a knot in the rope and clip in to do it.