Crush Your Climbing Trip: How to pack, plan and prepare to get the most out of your time in the New River Gorge
So you want to climb in the New River Gorge. Congrats - you’ve already made a great decision by picking out a world-class destination! With over 3,000 routes and counting on 60+ miles of cliffline, as well as hundreds of established boulder problems, you’ve got a lot of options.
Read on to make the most out of your time in this mecca of east-coast sandstone:
Decide what you want to focus on. For example, maybe you want to:
Crush some hard sport lines
Get in the milage on densely-packed moderates
Seek out some classic cracks
Complete the tour-de-Fayette-Station by bouldering up and down the gorge
Deep water solo and enjoy Summersville lake
Order your guidebook(s) and pick out some crags and routes, depending on your goals. The New River Gorge has three guidebooks:
New River Rock Vol. 1 (The Main Gorge)
New River Rock Vol. 2 (The Meadow, Gauley, and Summersville Lake)
New River Bouldering
Book your accommodations. Our top picks for where to stay include:
For tent and car camping in a climbing-centric spot: The American Alpine Club
For the cheapest tent camping around: Arrowhead Bike Farm
For cute cabins and live music: The Outpost
Write your packing list. This would include standards like clothing, toiletries, first aid, cooking setup and basic climbing gear like a harness, shoes, rope, etc.
For the New River Gorge, make sure you remember your:
Helmet. Safety first.
Crack gloves and/or tape. We have a lot of beautiful crack climbs.
Skincare. To keep those tips intact through the whole trip.
Stick clip. Many routes here have high first bolts. Our favorite is the Pongoose 3-in-1, which also doubles as a hold brush!
Kong Panic Draw. Bolt spacing can feel a bit far here, this is one easy way to bring that bolt closer when you’re shaky and pumped.
Trad Gear Double rack up to #4 (especially in finger sizes), nuts, alpine draws. Of course this depends on your tick list - but you already bought the guidebook and picked out some routes, right?
Quickdraws: At least 12, if not 15. We have some tall rock.
Rain jacket and layers. Technically, the New River Gorge is located in a temperate rainforest. Warm days, cool nights and frequent changes in weather are common here. But don’t worry - if you didn’t pack quite right for the temps, you can check out our consignment section!
Swim gear for deep water soloing at Summerville Lake. While you’re at it, maybe throw in that paddle board and PFD, or you can rent them from these local spots:
Trail running shoes. If you enjoy running as well as climbing, you shouldn’t miss out on the spectacular trails.
Missing a few items? We’ve got you covered!
Check off your packing list here water-stone-outdoors.shoplightspeed.com and we can ship to you or hold your order for pickup.
Reserve your rental gear.
We rent guidebooks, crash pads, climbing shoes, stick clips and disc golf sets. If you’re short on space in your luggage, you can reserve your gear by calling the store at (304) 574-2425
Have a rain plan.
Be prepared if the skies darken. We’ve got everything you need to know in this post: