Hi all, want to break into the 5.12 sport range, and want to climb the best 5.12 on the east coast. What are some thoughts.

Psycho Wrangler at NRG and Mercy the Huff at RRG.

Pretty sure the Commonwealth of Kentucky is not on the East Coast?

I'll say Technosurfing in Rumney is awesome but may not be a good first 12 as it is quite hard for the grade (or so I thought)

Pockets of Resistance is a popular first 5.12 at NRG. Ditto for Yowsah, also NRG. Further North, there is Romper Room at Sundown, NH and Social Outcast / Social Distortion at Rumney. Techno at Rumney and Eyeless in Gaza at Sundown are both good but harder at .12b. There are also a couple of good .12 candidates at Shagg Pond in ME if you are so inclined. Good luck.

hey thanks all for the routes, helps a lot...all suggestions are welcome. I meant to say, the east, mistakenly added coast.

I've had the same question for a while. I've had my eye on Reckless Abandon at Summersville Lake.... There are a slew of warmups at nearby cliffs. This could help if it takes more than a few tries. It seems like it would get really crowded though. Thoughts, anyone?

I was really impressed with "Low Brow" at the Meadow River.

Lots of NRG suggestions here. I would say that Pockets of Resistance is indeed a popular first 12, but a mediocre (for the New) climb that I wouldn't recommend driving from Ohio in order to try. Psychowrangler is incredibly good. I personally don't like Reckless, but it is by the lake at least and you'll have no trouble persuading a partner of almost any ability to climb there. I'll add Starry, which, although 12b, has fairly easy cruxes (all V2 or below) for a NRG 12.

I did not do that many 12's out east, and all of them were at NRG and Obed, but here are the ones I liked best from there.
NRG
Narcissus (12-)
New World Order (12-)
Bullet the New Sky (12-)
Slash and Burn (12+)

Obed
too many to name that were awesome but some stand outs are
Solstice (12-)
Rage (12)
Rules of Engagement (12)
Rumors of War (12-)
Inner Circle (12-)
Barbed Wire Lingerie (12-)

No mention of Narcissus at Summersville Lake? This route has it all. Steep, thuggy, stays dry in the rain, and an awesome setting. Best route I'd ever done at the NRG.

Flesh for Lulu and Social Outcast at Rumney are also classic 12's. Shaggin Wagon @ Shag Crag is pretty amazing too... shorter though.

Narcissus IS evil, what a chunk of stone.

This isn't helpful, most likely, but some of the best .12s I ever got on were at Hidden Valley, near Abingdon, VA. No guide, just a photocopied handful of pages, but that place is STEEP! Worth a stop-thru if you're ever heading near Virginia Tech. The Planetarium area there was the steepest place I'd ever seen until I got to the Lode. 30 foot horizontal roofs, no f'n joke, son!

If you're just looking to break into the grade, I'd run laps on a TR til you can climb when you're flamed-out pumped, then go climb any of the 500 or so great .12s at the Red. There are great ones at crags both mobbed and empty, take your pick. Many of my favorites were at Torrent.

I found the New .12s much more techy than the Red stuff, but I'm strong on crimps, so I enjoyed them both. Bullet the New Sky(thanks for the TR, Darren) was my first sampling of 5.12 in WV, a pretty unforgettable route for sure. Chunky Monkey@Beauty, Uninflatable Ewe+Preparation H@Kaymoor are great as well.

Freaky Styley, 12a, endless wall, NRG, so fun, so good. do it. right meow