New River Rock Vol 1

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.

This volume (the Main Gorge) documents the heart of New River Gorge climbing, the crags of the main gorge. You'll find all the beta for more than 1900 climbing routes on the immaculate sandstone walls of this beautiful river canyon. Popular crags include Kaymoor, Bubba City, Beauty Mountain, Junkyard, Bridge Buttress, Fern, and of course, the too-much-to-be-true Endless Wall. A bit off the beaten path, but with equally good beta, visit South Nuttall, Domino Point, Sunshine Buttress, Keeney's Buttress, Ambassador Buttress, and Cotton Top. A lifetime's worth of climbing!