Cool routes at the NRG

I'm headed to the NRG. I've used the MP route finder and found some climbs that look pretty cool, but considering how many millions of routes there are at the new it seemed like there must be a lot that haven't made it into the database.

I especially like steep roofy trad climbs in the 11-12 range if anyone has any recommendations.

So, tell me your favorite route!

satisfaction guaranteed, jesus and tequila & lactic acid bath

would that be "leave it to jesus"

MorganH wrote:would that be "leave it to jesus"

Two different climbs.

leave it to jesus

jesus and tequila

Those all look good, how about trad lines?

look at aesthetica and thunderstruck too

how long are you going to be there?

We'll be there 9 days.

Tobacco Road is about as steep and roofy as I know. Narcissus, and +1 for satisfaction guaranteed- that route has it all

Trojans at the Meadow, Agent Orange at Bridge Buttress, Welcome to Beauty, Right Son of Thunder (mostly trad) at Beauty. Not really super steep or roofy but good.

There are certainly routes that haven't made it into the database, but MP is going to serve you pretty well in this case. Also, if you haven't done so already, bite the bullet, buy the guidebook. It is the most well written, informative, and handy one I have ever owned. Having it with you will definitely increase the awesomeness level of your trip. That being said, you should spend most of your time at Junkyard, Bridge, Endless, and Beauty if trad climbing is your...jam. Leave it to Jesus wins my "favorite route at the NRG award", stellar climb.

Bridge:

Marionette - wonderful route, packs a wallop of a pump and really requires you to keep your shit together for the first twenty feet

Handsome and Well Hung - Really cool, really sandbagged.

Agent Orange

Beauty: Right and Left Son of Thunder, Welcome to Beauty

One thing to remember is it really likes to rain there. The best place to head in that case is to the 3rd Buttress at the Meadow (Push, Lambda). Great, steep sport routes that will stay dry in the nastiest downpour. If you sort MP for classics at those crags, you should be busy for nine days. If you get the book, anything two stars or better will be great. Anything three or four stars should blow your socks clean off and straight into the dryer.

Yep, I've already ordered both books. Areas this large can be a bit over-whelming. Looking up peoples recommendations is a pretty good way to waste time at work. :-)

Definitely! I did that for the RRG all morning, totally overwhelmed by the size of that place. Speaking of size, endless wall is huge - if you go there, make a reasonable plan for what routes you'd like to do, or trekking from route to route could eat a large part of your day. Beauty and Junkyard are both much smaller areas. The meadow is a really incredible place, but I don't know much about the gear routes there. Actually, should be a really good 11+ crack right next to Toxic Hueco, a five star 11d sport route! The name escapes me...

Does anyone remember a magazine article from a few years ago that had a bunch of pictures of an extraordinarily attractive female climber sending hard trad lines at the new? I was thinking about trying to track it down.

a few of my favorites:

5.7-9

hippie dream
ms fields folly
4 sheets to the wind
2 bag face
flight of the gumbie
fool effect
supercrack

5.10s

orange oswald
rico suave
black and tan
the entertainer
tree route
rapscallions blues
zealous
maranatha
nestle crunch roof
cottonmouth
green piece
voodoo surfing

5.11s

legacy
wild seed
stuck in another dimension
under the milky way
michelin man
handsome and well hung
big bang
reachers of habit
flaming pellets
sancho belige
pleasure and pain
marionette
agent orange

5.12s

reckless abandon
psycho wrangler
freaky stylee
prep h
fruity pants
lost souls
stretch armstrong
narcissus
skull fuck
team machine
chunky monkey

those are a few to get you started. stop in waterstone while you're there....other than being awesome people, they will point you in the right direction

If you can do Jesus & Tequila and Fruity Pants...then you can do most 5.13s in the Meadow or Summersville. Just saying...

All sport, but my favorites are:

11's

Scenic Adult (my favorite 11 ever)
Legacy/Discombobulated (do them both)
Under the Milky Way
Spectre

12's

Thunderstruck
Blackhappy
Psycho Wrangler
Reckless Abandon
Idol Point Arete
Concertina
Harlequin
Jesus and Tequila
Mississippi Burning
Gun Club

Dude asks for "steep roofy trad climbs in the 11-12 range if anyone has any recommendations" and gets mostly sport climbs, some of which are even outside of his requested grade range. If I were a teacher, I would be handing out F's for reading comprehension.

MorganH - You'll REALLY want to do a climb called Marionette - 5.11c at Bridge Buttress. The crux (protected by a fat stopper at your waist) is pulling... dun dun dun... A ROOF! And the view from the top is impeccable.

(Side note: If you really want steep/roofy trad climbs, come up and visit the Gunks instead.)

The NRG isn't the Gunks - there won't be many steep, roofy climbs on gear. That being said...

Mind Bomb and Big Top, 12a at lower meadow.
Jug Rash, 12b at Fern Buttress.

Most NRG climbs through tiered roofs are on bolts. Per the previous commenters' recommendations:

Psycho Wrangler, 12a at Cotton Top
Toxic Hueco, 11d at Upper Meadow
Many routes at Butcher's Branch.
etc.

Alexanderblum, the crack right next to Toxic Hueco is Trojans, which got mentioned in this thread already. Awesome route!

Anyway, yeah, 4/5 of the climbs in this thread are sport climbs, and most are just the standard fare that you could get by looking in the back of the guidebook. Thanks mountainporject!

Here are some personal favorites, all of which are trad, most of which are steep, and some of which even have roofs!

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Jug Rash, 12b, Fern Buttress-- this is a beautiful dynamic jughaul that would be right at home at the RRG, except it's protected with gear. It has a blind placement, but is super easy to inspect while lowering from the sport route to its right.

Luv Nothing, 12c, South Nuttal-- my personal favorite crack at the NRG. Steep, right-leaning thin hands and ringlocks. Nearby "Fingercrack in White Corner" (12a) is good, too.

Black Crack, 12c, First Buttress of the Meadow-- steep face to a steeper hands and finger splitter. Bring lots of yellow tcu's and slings, this thing is epic!

Big Top, 12a, Lower Meadow-- Entry-level 12a crack, and there is even an extension to it over a roof!

Crack Head, 11d, Keeney's-- if you want steep, roofy underclings, this is it. Check out "Earn Your Dinner" just to the left, too. Sandbagged 10+ crack to roof.

I'll Buy That For a Dollar, 12a, Lower Meadow-- not been on it, but I've heard it's hard the whole, way, stemming dihedral to a roof.

Recondite, 11b, Endless-- elegant face trad.

Will to Power, 11c, Beauty Mtn-- dihedral to runout (but safe? I think? Don't fall) face sequence over a roof. Amazing position and movement. Steve Martin's Face (11c mixed) just around the corner is essential if you're in that area, too.

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Other routes already mentioned, like Agent Orange, Marionette, Welcome to Beauty, and Leave it to Jesus, are also must-do lines.

Give me a shout if you need more beta, I might even be able to come out to the crag with you.

camhead, spot on!

I think that the OP's request of roof + trad = uncharacteristic for the new. There are, however, a plethora of steep, challenging trad routes in the 5.11 range there!

I had forgotten about Will to Power - it deserves an R rating - but it is mostly just pretty damn heads up, and worth many stars. Beauty is the place to be . . . at least four 5.11 trad routes that would be four stars anywhere, and a plethora of classic 5.10 gear lines as well.

camhead wrote: First Buttress of the Meadow-- steep face to a steeper hands and finger splitter. Bring lots of yellow tcu's and slings, this thing is epic! Nearby "Fingercrack in White Corner" (12a) is good, too.

Fingercrack in White Corner is at South Nuttall, not the Meadow.