Once known as the Crack Climbing Capitol of the East Coast, the Gorge, like so many other crags, underwent a sport-climbing transformation in the last three decades of the 20th century, evolving into a tantalizing mix of trad and bolted lines to eventually become a "destination crag" for climbers from around the globe.

Although the routes usually run 5.9 or harder (with most sport routes between the 5.10 to 5.13 range), there's still more than a little climbing for the beginner, once you get your bearings. The Junkyard Wall and Bridge Buttress (see below for beta on the BB) are great places to start, and will invariably be rather crowded due to this convenience. Almost everything can be toproped, aside from the taller areas around Nutall and Fern Point Cirque, on the Endless Wall. Bouldering is underdeveloped here so you might want to bring a brush, but please DO NOT destroy live vegetation... "gardening" is strictly verboten in the Gorge, as is the use of power drills.

The Gorge is a riparian habitat, which is a fancy way of saying that it is a pretty "lush" setting, with abundant rainfall, heavy dews, seeping pockets and cracks, acres of poison ivy, greenbriar, honeysuckle and stinging nettles at the bases of some walls, especially near the tipple in Kaymoor). Add to this an insect population that explodes during the spring and summer months to a ratio of 1 bazillion skeeters, chiggers, and no-see-ems: 1 human, and you can see why the veteran campers and climbers advise you to bring an extra change of clothes (or three), your rain gear, bug repellant and TecNu, and a willingness to wander around in order to find those incredible sheltered havens that do exist, along the clifflines, from April through October.

CAMPING: Roger's Campground (AKA: Rocky Top Retreat): If you like partying and staying up real late, or you're looking for The Scene, Roger's is located right before the parking lot at Kaymoor. Chestnut Creek is a more secluded campground located on Lansing Road. Take the 2nd left before the bridge if heading south. Chestnut Creek features a very clean showering and bathroom facility.

ACCESS: While most of the Gorge belongs to you and I and the rest of the citizens of this country, despite Congress's endless and ongoing attempts to rent it to us again and again, there are sections of Junkyard Wall & Bubba City wghich are on private land- so be courteous to the landowners and don't jeopardise access for everyone.

ANEMITIES: Taking a day off.. whether by choice or because you are simply too smoked to even try? No problem... there's more to New River Gorge than climbing, amigos. Good restaurants and assorted merchants are starting to filter into Fayetteville and Beckley... go wander around and take a look at the town.

Mountain biking down the side roads can be an adventure.... wear a helmet and bright-colored clothes. The whitewater here is EXCELLENT for rafting or kayaking. There is always a rafting guide here who will take your money for a run down the river. Here is the link for the visitor's bureau website.

Open 24/7, with over 200 routes and an impressive view of the longest single-span arch bridge in North America, the Bridge Buttresses are the home of the New's first known ascent, Afternoon Delight, a free-standing 5.5 stack, possibly climbed by a Brit reputed to have frequented the area back in the 60s. A rusting film canister, found during the 1977 ascent, contained a scrap of paper too weathered to read. Rick Skidmore's 1975 ascent of the wide, fun 5.8 Zag was New River's first recorded lead.

The view, a great assortment of trad lines and their easy access make the Bridge area a NRG must-see... leading, unfortunately, to frequent cases of overcrowding, littering, and ecological impact. Gawking tourons and weekend traffic don't help this situation, but it is climbers who will pay with any restrictions on access, so we need to do our best to preserve the Brige Buttresses- please tread lightly here! Pick up trash, even if it's not yours. Try to minimize areas of impact if your are hanging out at the base. Keep dogs on a leash at ALL times... NO EXCEPTIONS!.

And, as at any crag- think of going elsewhere if there's already a crowd... the New is huge, folks, with thousands of lines... there's no need for clumping up like chimps in a thunderstorm.

A short walk along the trail west, to the outer edges, away from the road and the traffic, leads to a mile of fun climbing with only the occasionaly passerby. From the West End, the Ogre, and beyond it the Junkyard wall, is a just a twenty minute hike around the Ridge.

Usually among the last to get wet, this is also a good rain-day crag.