Must Climbs at the New?

So, I've never even been anywhere near the east in my life. But I'm headed to the NRG for a week! What are some of your favorites? Can't miss / Must climbs? Anything from 5.5 to 5.13a/b. Thanks in advance!

Edit: Since I'm not familiar with the New, if you could include what area the climbs are in, that would be sweet!

Scenic Adult 5.11cd at seven eleven wall, keeps coming at you.

Only been down there a few times, but I really like bubba city. Sandstonia and Beer walls have some of the easiest sport routes in the gorge if you need to have some of those around. We had wives/fiances with us, so that was important for us. If the water is still high and the weather warm enough, you gotta hit summersville for some deep water soloing (kayaks/boat can be handy).

There's a $5000 fine for deep water soloing these days

John Neathawk wrote:There's a $5000 fine for deep water soloing these days

WHAT?! Is this for real? Why is there a fine and who is writing the tickets? City police?

I was down there doing it twice last summer (as in a year ago) we talked to the guys patrolling the lake (army corps of engineers is it?) when they came over to investigate what we were doing. There is a sort of fuzzy line between cliff jumping, which is illegal, and climbing (and falling), which is fine. Jumping off anything over 6 feet is cliff jumping. But if you're on the wall, facing it, and you fall off, no foul. Just don't make it look intentional. They recommend you try to downclimb.

I understand the need though, 2 years ago my fiance and I had to save some kid from drowning after he tried to do a flip off a 10m cliff (pirates cove), over-rotated and entered the water on his face and got knocked unconscious. His buddies on the shore just sat there laughing and drinking beer. I think the purpose of the rule/fine is to keep things like that from happening.

I also recommend wearing a life jacket. Keeps the sting down if you go in the water bad and makes it nice and comfy to hang out and cheer your friends on. We were in kayaks my second time there, so we already had them.

My buddy on something near whipporwill. Red, the lake is actually a dammed up section of the Gauley River and is maintained by the Army Corps of Engieers.

Thanks for the beta Larry.

Larry S wrote: There is a sort of fuzzy line between cliff jumping, which is illegal, and climbing (and falling), which is fine. Jumping off anything over 6 feet is cliff jumping. But if you're on the wall, facing it, and you fall off, no foul. Just don't make it look intentional.

Thanks for the clarification. Apparently there is a gray area to this regulation that I was unaware of.

John Neathawk wrote: Thanks for the clarification. Apparently there is a gray area to this regulation that I was unaware of.

Posting about the gray area on public forums is a great way to make this a black and white issue. Just sayin'.

As for great climbs at the New, there are way too many. Some of my favorites (and most are ultra classic anyway):

Sport:
Under the Milky Way, 11d techy arete at Summersville
Apollo Reed, 12d/13a jughaul at Summersville
Satisfaction Guaranteed, 11a with a bit of everything, Summersville
Slash and Burn, 12d bouldery-techy at Kaymoor
Scenic Adult, as mentioned above, Kaymoor
Fall Line, 12b jughaul, Fern Buttress

Trad:
The Entertainer, 10a fingercrack, Junkyard
Angel's Arete,10b R arete, Bridge
Leave it to Jesus, 11c fingercrack, Endless
Welcome to Beauty 11b, Beauty Mtn
Burning Calves, 10b fingercrack, Beauty Mtn
Portly Gentleman's Route, 12c, Fern Buttress
Supercrack, 5.9, Beauty Mtn.

Thanks camhead. Thats a good list!

Anyone else have any favorites to add?

camhead compiled a pretty good list, but I'd add a few:

sport:
Rico Suave, 10a fun, juggy arete in Kaymoor
The Decameron, 10b, fun cracks at bottom to super aesthetic arete with one of the best views of the gorge in Bubba City
Cat Food, 11d, steep jug haul with a fun crimpy section in Meadow River
Toxic Hueco, 11d another steep jug haul with a sweet hueco at the start also in Meadow River

trad:
New Yosemite, 9, handcrack in Junkyard Wall
Team Jesus, 10a, slab

hope you have fun!

Trad (ok, mixed)
Party In Your Mind-Endless, 5.10something

I've only been on a few bad routes at the NRG. I climbed there for 12 yrs before moving here. I would say that Gary Beils & Eric Horst's can be hit, or miss but for the most part everything is great.

Summersville: Narcissist & the entire Orange Oswald wall for warming up (stay away from it on the weekends, unless you get there early). DC Memorial can be fun for short powerful lines. All the Way Baby.

Butchers Branch: Mo Betta Holds, Sancho Belize, Green Piece, Lost Souls, & pretty much the whole wall except the two GB routes on the left and the two slabs Springer and Boing.

Meadow River: Too many to name, but Puppy Chow is pretty awesome. First Buttress gets really crowded on the weekends.

Endless Wall: Quisana Plus hands down, and The Cirque. Amazing trad lines every where with rarely a soul on them.

Bubba City: Overrated, short, and the newer routes including the entire Sandstonia (Tatto Wall) is chossy as hell. (May have cleaned up by now). Look Who's Pulling and St Pauli's Girl are very good.

Kaymoor: The Hole is awesome if you want to get your 5.12d/13a steep fix on.

It's been 14 yrs but what comes to mind while browsing my old guide

Welcome to Beauty
Fantasy Roof Direct
Celibate Mallard
Undeserved
mig squadron
jesus and tequila
Leave It to Jesus
Mellifluus
s'more Energy
Labor Day
Angel's Arete
Ruptured
Marionettes

The place is choke full of sport and trad lines alike. Unfortunately, the later the season gets, the more overgrown,buggy and dirty the crack lines tend to get.

Handsome and Well Hung!