6/26/99
A One-Day Trip to the New River Gorge

I managed to tack on a mini climbing trip onto a DOE Program Review in Washington. After shedding tie and workclothes in the parking lot in Germantown, I was on the road by 4. Slowed somewhat by Friday afternoon Beltway traffic, I arrived in Fayetteville, WV about 10. No guidebook, I was relying on cryptic beta from rocknroad.com. "Free camping under the bridge" meant for me a bivy in a glass strewn turnout listening to gunfire and semis. Saturday morning, the guys at the "Hard Rock" guide services in town got me back on track: espresso at the Cathedral Café across the street and directions to the summer climbing area (Kaymoor). The stragglers in the climber's campground at the end of the access road appeared either apathetic or hungover, so I descended to the crags. The basic idea is that the gorge, and some surrounding areas, have exposed parts of a 100' thick bed of Nuttall sandstone. There are miles of cliffs and 2000+ routes. The rock is good and reminds in structure and appearance of Lost City at the Gunks. Except that there are bolts (lots of them). I had decent luck recruiting belayers at the crag. By the numbers:

Flight of the Gumbies, 5.9, tr
thin slab, 10b, led
Green Piece, 10b, tr
short face problem to L, 10b, led
Low Voltage, 10b, led (This cliff had a lot of classic 10b's)

After switching crags:
Rico Suave arete, 10a, TR
5.10 face to L, 10d, TR

The climbers were from all over the East - DC, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania -- and all had driven 4+ hours to get there. The weather was humid but bearable - the relatively high elevation helps. One young hotshot had brought his non-climber mother (!) to belay him. It was quite a sight to see him testing Mom's belay abilities by purposely taking whippers. Mom was understandably gripped but held up well. The ice-cold sodas and showers available at the campground were unexpected luxuries. Fayetteville is pretty well equipped with restaurants, etc., set up to cater to kayakers and rafters. I left at dusk and drove most of the way back, treating myself to a bed in a budget motel near the airport. Got back to Berkeley in the late afternoon, in plenty of time to finish my weekend with by firing up the barbecue.