The New River Gorge of West Virginia is one of the most dramatic canyons in the East. It’s famous for its whitewater rafting, the BASE-jumping extravaganza of “Bridge Day,” and, of course, its world-class rock climbing. New River Gorge climbing is a unique combination of excellent, historic trad and equally excellent, historic sport. Unlike its main “rival” crag, Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, the New holds equal lure for both trad and sport climbers. No surprise about the tradsters: the Nuttall Sandstone is harder than granite and riddled with excellent cracks. Fair enough, but the sport climbing is some of the best anywhere! The specialty of the house is technical climbing that will test your ingenuity, your footwork, and your finger strength, but there are plenty of massively overhanging sectors for those who just want to grab big holds and pull.
Volume 2 – Rock Climbs of the Meadow River, Summersville Lake, and Gauley River
A few miles north of the main New River Gorge climbing areas (click here for that book) lie the Meadow and Gauley river canyons, and Summersville Lake. The crags here harbor an equally diverse selection of superb rock climbs. In fact, some of the New’s most famous routes are here, such as Lynn Hill’s Greatest Show on Earth, a massive roof in the Meadow climbed in the 1980s; and Apollo Reed, at Summersville, one of the most-attempted 5.13a’s in the East. But have no fear, there’s plenty of easier fare, too. This book documents over 1000 routes in these beautiful areas, the first ever guidebook dedicated to the world-class climbing of the Meadow River, Summersville Lake, and Gauley River.