New River Gorge

Powerful flowing water is the creative force shaping the geologic features of the New River Gorge. The river has sculpted towering cliffs of sandstone and shale that stretch for miles, making it the best place on the east coast to climb, hike, and white water raft. The newly dubbed national park contains the most diverse flora of any river gorge in central and southern Appalachia; an essential habitat for endangered mammals, rare birds, and amphibians. Some of my favorites are the bats living in the abandoned mine portals found tucked in the corner of crags like Kaymoor and Endless Wall, such as the endangered Virginia big-eared and Indiana bats. There is also a variety of aquatic life, with several distinct populations of native fish found nowhere else, and 48 known species of amphibians, including hellbenders, salamanders, and skinks. At least 1,342 species of plants and 54 rare plants have been identified in the gorge!

There is so much to do here. Visit the cute small town of Fayetteville, mountain bike, hike, fish... As for climbing there are three distict areas, The New Proper, Summersville, and the Meadow River. When it's hot, my favorite place to go is Summersville, which has several great routes above the lake for prime deep-water soloing and water highlining. While some say the routes here don't hold a candle to the Red, I say the best part of climbing at the New is everything else. The flora and fauna, the rock and river. I climb outside to heal my relationship to the natural world. When I imagine heaven, it looks a lot like this.

notable routes

satisfaction gauranteed 5.11a/b

A boulder problem to a finger crack to a technical face climb to a grunty roof to sloping jugs... If you can only climb one thing at the New, make it this five-star five-for-one slam-dunk of sport climb. Located at Summersville Lake, this climb has a short but well-trodden path behind it leading straight towards to water, so you can dunk yourself in-between send attempts.

strike a scowl 5.10b

A very interesting sport route located on the gorgeous diamond point, endless wall. I recommend hiking the upper trail with beautiful views of the river, then rapping in from the top of diamond point, the climb is right on the sharp of the arete. If you are coming from the trail below, climbing a very large boulder to the start of the climb is required, a move I found quite suss. I reccommend the right side corner. Luckily, you are easily able to lower/repel to the ground at the end of the climb. The crux of sas comes in the first 20 feet of careful slab/face moves, but after a nice rest on a ledge, it's easy climbing on this huge detatched flake. Excellent views, excellent wind, as easy as a ten can be, tens tens tens across the board. I even saw a rainbow!

butterbeans 5.10a

I LOVE this climb!!! But few seem to agree with me. Yes, it's an off-width crack, a dirty swampy off-width crack that requires you to get all up in there. Fist jams, hand stacking, a total grunt fest that will have you bitching and moaning up that overhanging crux. It's easily set-up on top-rope, and I love how intimate you get with the rock... but this climb is definetly not for everyone.

new yosemite 5.9

Ain't no other route in the new will teach you how to crack climb like new yosemite. Found in the very popular junkyard area, with easy access to toprope anchors, new yosemite is a CRACK crack. No stemming, no face escape, ya gotta commit and commit hard, shove it all in there and attack the crack with everything you got! I could climb this thing all day, but if you're not familiar with the style, it might be a real struggle to get to the top. If only this route was 3x as long...

cross-eyed and blind 5.11a

Considered a warm-up climb for the super send hard first buttress, which stays super dry during the rain. But I think it's a cool climb within itself! Great hand-jam rests, fantastic crux with a crimp, finger lock, and kneebar sequence which is just so juicy... I just like kneebars.

super crack 5.9+

A spectacular trad hand crack located at Beauty Mountain, very similar to fantasy (5.8) at endless wall, but I didn't whip my brains out in the first 15 feet of super crack, so this one's going on the list. Swim your way up the coolest looking splitter in the area. Super crack is the only climb I know where you can lay down and take a nap at the crux. Just make sure you don't get your helmet stuck in off-width (like me) and then bash your head into a rock while lowering (like me). Mmm, jam.

mushrooms 5.10-

Also located at thunder buttress, at the hike-in trad crag of Beauty Mountain. If I had any gripes about the New, it would be how crowded crags like Sandstonia get. But I've never seen anyone here. And yes, the four of us did microdose mushrooms before climbing mushrooms. Perhaps this made the climb seem more magical than usual? Maybe, but it was still incredible. The crack is filled with little triangles of green, like a vertical row of potted plants. Andre's rack twinkled and jingled in the wind, like a windchime. Now that I think of it, seeing this is what made me start learning trad. Also notable is the climb to the left, Screamer Crack, of which I managed to fit my entire body within, similar to the Junji Ito short story, The Enigma of Amigara Fault. And LSD to the right, of which we did not attempt.

black and tan 5.10a

Slabby, facey, ultra-technical and very cool looking trad pitch at Endless Wall, requiring fancy feet and big balls. I got on this thinking it was doce doe (5.6)... oops. This climb was fun and took ultra-light TCU's like magic. Wow! I had never really used my tiniest metollious cams and was thinking of selling them, but this climb gave me a newfound appreciation for these little guys, placing comfortably in seemingly impossible pockets. Think I literally kissed my 00 when I got to the ground.

dining at the alter 5.12a/b

Darkly shaded by the trees in a tucked corner of Kaymoor, this climb is a beautifuly blank white wall, with an imposing roof at the end. Highly technical with the tiniest feet and sparse, sometimes non-existant holds... did I mention this climb is hard as fuck? This climb is hard as fuck. It's one of my favorites, but it's also hard as fuck.

locumba 5.9+/5.10a

It's at Orange Oswald in Summersville. Not a good route, but my first lead, and I have a fun story. Walking there on a Nrocks staff trip, I'm behind Jack who steps on a hornets nest and gets me stung twice in the neck. Luckily, someone has benedryl and I get high before attempting to lead what I think is That Eight (5.8-). Cue some sleepy whippers. Good times.

notes

• The new is also the best place to whitewater kayak and raft on the east coast, especially during Gualey season every fall, where they release the water from summersville dam. Even if you're not a fast-water person, make sure you get some swimming or paddle-boarding in. You can deep-water solo at whipperwill, or wait until winter when the water is low to climb the full routes.
• Almost every crag, besides junkyard/bridge, requires a hike in. Luckily, the walk is usually very gorgeous with great views of the river rapids. My favorite hike/rappel is Endless Wall, which was also voted the best hike in the US for 2025. It is cool, but I can't help but suspect some sort of bribe took place... The weird thing about Endless Wall is that you also get a lot of tourists gawking at you as you climb. Also check out the vertical stalagtite that fell and embedded itself into the ground at Mungolian Wall. Pretty sick!
• Queerclimbtastic, formerly Homoclimbtastic, is a LGBTQ+ climbing festival that takes place at the New every summer. You should come.
• Every third saturday in october is Bridge Day. Base jumpers yeet themselves off the nrg bridge. pretty sick.
• Check out the local mini music festival mitchapalooza, taking place every may on mitch's birthday. I have no idea who mitch is.

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