Best jam cracks at the NRG?

looking to get some crack endurance training in at the New river gorge this summer/fall/winter for a long multi-pitch linkup out west in the spring. Im looking for something tall with consistent jams (fist,hand,tight hand) to run some laps on. Ideally in the 5.9 -5.11 range.
Anyone have any recommendations for good training routes like this at the New?

Lots of good stuff at the New, particularily Endless Wall. Bridge Butress and Junkyard also have some good ones. I haven't been up there in a few years so I'm a bit rusty on the exact locations.

Autumn Fire is a good sustained but short hand crack.

The Triple Treat and Springboard area routes are cool. Good cluster of 10's.

One overlooked but great route with a bunch of jamming and a little bit of funkness is Crimes Of Fashion. It's a little tamer than it looks too...

I could also recommend some good OW if you're serious about training.

Jaws is good hands in an corner, at bridge buttress. You could do tons of laps on that and get in some good hands endurance, but I'd second the recommendation for New Yosemite. Just do laps on the first 25 to 30 feet, or better yet, climb up and down.

Great suggestions I appreciate it! I agree old rag would be best but i just cant afford the time to get there (2hr drive + 2hr hike:(

Looking at mtn proj these routes sound like they may have potential... beauty buttress maybe having the best potential? Anyone been on these?

Super Crack 5.9+
Mushrooms 5.10a
Wham Bam Thanks for the Jam 5.10b
Spiderwand Trad 5.10b
Welcome to Beauty 5.11b
Remission 5.10b

Just a note to say the cracks at the New have an inconsistent and undulating quality with regard to width, depth, and technique needed. That is, don't expect textbook 'splitters' (aka Indian Creek).

Also, keep in mind a single crack route at the New often involves a multitude of widths (fingers-hands-fist) interspersed with face climbing, laybacks, etc.

So, a NRG crack route really offers a grab bag of required climbing technique AND gear placement. While shorter in length than those found 'out west', crack routes at the New can be just as challenging...mentally and physically...some maybe even more so.

Have fun.

TravisMelin wrote:Great suggestions I appreciate it! I agree old rag would be best but i just cant afford the time to get there (2hr drive + 2hr hike:( Looking at mtn proj these routes sound like they may have potential... beauty buttress maybe having the best potential? Anyone been on these? Super Crack 5.9+ Mushrooms 5.10a Wham Bam Thanks for the Jam 5.10b Spiderwand Trad 5.10b Welcome to Beauty 5.11b Remission 5.10b

All of those routes are very good:
Supercrack is not so much a jamming route, although you can jam the last 25 ft or so
Mushroom is mostly finger sized cracks
Wham Bam and Spiderwand share the same start, an awkward fist sized crack. WB then moves into good hand sized while Spiderwand has more hands to fists
Remission starts with some crack but feels more like face climbing to me up higher where the crux is, but right near it is Crack a Smile 10a which is more wide fists and maybe stacks. Also check out Raging waters right there, it's not really jamming but it is super-fun.
Also look at Burning Calves (10b finger crack) and Rod Serling Crack 10b at Beauty.
At Fern, checkout Triple Treat which is right next to some other area classics like Anal Clenching Adventures, Springboard, and Bisect.

Loads of good routes mentioned. Beauty Mountain is a must visit for any NRG climber. So many good routes there. Burning Butress has some of the best routes in the Gorge.

Dunno if Chasin' the Wind has been mentioned, but if not it belongs in here. It is a finger crack, but who cares!

Another vote for Beauty. Fantasy at Endless wall is a bit easier and could be climbed with hardly any crack technique, but if you choose to go straight in it's a ton of fun. There is also a sweet 5.10 dihedral next door called Black & Tan, which is fingers but also great.

Remission is not at Beauty, but is good and there are other good climbs (not necessarily cracks) in the area.

Chasin' the Wind at Beauty is an absolutely friggin' awesome finger crack.

Linear Encounters at Fern Point is not to be missed.

Remission, Ritz Cracker (Fern Gulley), New Yosemite (Junkyard) & Supercrack (Beauty)! If you does these two climbs multiple times you will be ready for hand cracks!

Uhhmmm... The shinning at Fire and Ice butress is all I have to say.

Most of the routes already listed are great and pretty much as “splitter” as the New gets. A few more to consider:
Surge Complex, 11a - flared hands out a bulge (FB)
Shinny Faces, 10d – fists to fingers (FB)
Yert Yak Crack, 5.9 - good body jamming (FB)
Clumsy Club Crack, 10b – wide hands and fists (AB)
Southern Hospitality, 10a – offwidth (EW)
Indian Summer, 10c – rattly fingers, thin hands (SvL)
Absolon-Burgher, 5.9 – stemming and hands (SN)
Hyperactive, 10c – layback and hands (SN)
Offwidth Your Head, 10++ - offwidth (SN)
Corn, 5.9 – hands to offwidth (SN)
Desperatley Seeking Susan, 10a – squeeze chim to ow (SN)
The Abyss, 10a – body jamming (SN)

I know you asked about NRG, but Seneca would offer some crack opportunities
(if nothing else the stairmaster will help you build endurance)

Thanks for the thread revival. I was just trying to figure out some good crack climbs that are closer to home.

Trojans at Lower Meadow (5.11 fingers and flared hands with occasional jugs)

There's also an excellent corner crack (Begoon/Artz Corner?) on the ledge with Just Another Pretty Face at Lower Meadow (5.9 hands).

McHull wrote:I know you asked about NRG, but Seneca would offer some crack opportunities (if nothing else the stairmaster will help you build endurance)

Crack of Dawn
Madmen Only
The burn
Castor
Pollux