Sunset Area  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  543. Good page?    Administrators:  Aaron James Parlier, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Aaron James Parlier on May 30, 2012 Make this area a Favorite What's New  Printer View Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

Sam Stephens on the FA of "Braveheart" (V2) on the...

Description 

This place is beautiful. It offers endless views, cool mornings and afternoons, a near constant breeze, and boulders to satisfy any taste. There are steep faces and slabs, lowballs and some of the highest concentration of thrilling highballs in the park.

This is also one of the furthest hikes in the park, taking around 30min to get to, but the views will occupy you time as you make the walk.

Once you get up to the Sunset Area, you will have the massive Sunset Boulder, the Lava Boulder, the Massie Boulder, and the Wilburn Waters Boulder to climb.

Plan to make visiting this area and the Horizon Area last all day, as you will likely end up staying there and enjoying the setting as much as the bouldering itself.

Getting There 

Hike up from the parking and get onto the Appalachian Trail headed Northbound toward the Horizon Area. Pass the Horizon Area which has the Horizon Boulder, the BSTRW, and the Highland Highball. Stay on the AT for maybe 5 min, passing several smaller boulders and exposed rocks. Look towards your left for a large protrusion of rock and on its backside is a huge overhung face which is the Sunset Boulder, and behind it are the Lava Boulder, Massie Boulder, and Wilburn Waters Boulder.

The Classics

Featured Route For Sunset Area

Sunset Arête V1  VA : Grayson Highlands State Par... : ... : Sunset Boulder

As you walk past the Highlands Highball, stay on the trail and walk for a short distance to the next set of rocky outcroppings in the close distance. As you walk up to the outcroppings, look to the left and an inclined, tall, highball face comes into view. This problem is the closest climbable line to the trail. It follows the arête edge to the first top point along the line and tops out there. Stand start, using the big hollow jug hand above your head. Heel hook and follow the long jug crack/ra...[more]   Browse More Classics in VA