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Elevation: 1,984 ft
GPS: 37.86878, -79.05932
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
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Shared By: Andrew Cassidy on Mar 24, 2011 · Updates
Admins: Shawn Heath, Aaron Parlier

Description Suggest change

This page is for the first 30 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Long known for it's great traditional and top rope climbing at Love Gap (contains cliffs up to 200 feet with a few multi-pitch routes) and Raven's Roost, respectfully, the Parkway came in vogue again when the father son pair Barry and Brendan Condron went looking for bouldering potential at The Forest based on an old rockclimbing.com/routes/Nor… area. The area turned out to be a gold mine. After sharing the information with other Charlottesville climbers, development of the parkway's greenstone bouldering entered a golden age. Most of the rock is only a short hike off the parkway with some of it such as the 12.2 boulder being essentially on the road.

Taken from blueridgebouldering.com/

Most of the rock in the first 25 miles or so on the parkway is greenstone. Greenstone, more specifically greenschist, is the metamorphic child of basalt, but can climb a bit like sandstone at times. Greenstone can be a bit soft and fragile at times, but at others very solid. Greenstone has a lot of sharp edges and flakes on it, and can be painful to climb on at times. It may not sound that great from the way I'm describing it, and there are a lot of boulders that are just as bad as it sounds, but we've been very lucky and found many boulders that are solid and not too sharp. Greenstone definitely isn't the prettiest or most solid rock I've ever seen, but I'm certainly not about to complain about having so much of it so close. For more information on greenschist, you can read the Wikipedia page on it: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green…

On some spots on the parkway, bands of Old Rag Granite run through. As the name implies, this is the same rock that you'll find when climbing or hiking on Old Rag. Old Rag granite is very featured and grainy/sharp, but is generally fairly solid to climb on.

Parkway Bouldering Guides and videos

http://blueridgebouldering.com/

https://vimeo.com/87733157

Love Gap Guide

http://sicgrips.com/Love_Gap_Guide.html

Climbing Season

The parkway can be climbable all year. Love Gap is south facing and offers from great winter-time trad. The Forest is generally 10 degrees cooler than the city of Charlottesville, so even on 90 degree days you can be climbing in 80 degrees. If we have a mild winter, the parkway is PRIME. However, the roads get closed for snow. Check the link below to see if the roads are open:

https://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/roadclosures.htm

Getting There Suggest change

Best access from Rockfish Gap/Afton Mountain... and head south on Blue Ridge Parkway.

374 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Blue Ridge Parkway

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
V3 6A
 32
Senior Discount
Boulder
V5 6C
 32
Gumby Traverse
Boulder
V6 7A
 15
The Dance
Boulder
V6 7A
 5
Big Birthday Slab
Boulder
V7 7A+
 15
God's Own Greenstone
Boulder
V7 7A+
 22
Supercharger
Boulder
V8- 7B
 5
Hold My Beer
Boulder
V8 7B
 6
Mycotic Break
Boulder
V8 7B
 8
Naturally Aspirated
Boulder
V8 7B
 4
I've Got Time
Boulder
V8 7B
 4
Code Just Off the Road
Boulder
V8-9 7B+ PG13
 4
Bring Your Own Oxygen
Boulder
V9 7C
 4
The Seance
Boulder
V9 7C
 8
Life After Greenstone
Boulder
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
 10
Kermit's Revenge
Trad, TR
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Senior Discount Forest > Big Boy
 32
V3 6A Boulder
Gumby Traverse Forest > Gumby
 32
V5 6C Boulder
The Dance Forest > Gumby
 15
V6 7A Boulder
Big Birthday Slab Forest > Firehouse Boulder (Ri…
 5
V6 7A Boulder
God's Own Greenstone Forest > Greenstonia (Ridgeline)
 15
V7 7A+ Boulder
Supercharger Rock Point Over… > Mustang Boulder
 22
V7 7A+ Boulder
Hold My Beer 12.2 Boulder
 5
V8- 7B Boulder
Mycotic Break Forest > Mushroom Boulder
 6
V8 7B Boulder
Naturally Aspirated Rock Point Over… > Mustang Boulder
 8
V8 7B Boulder
I've Got Time Rock Point Over… > Incredibles Boulder
 4
V8 7B Boulder
Code Just Off the Road Snail Boulder
 4
V8 7B Boulder
Bring Your Own Oxygen 12.2 Boulder
 4
V8-9 7B+ PG13 Boulder
The Seance AVO > Seance Area
 4
V9 7C Boulder
Life After Greenstone Forest > Greenstonia (Ridgeline)
 8
V9 7C Boulder
Kermit's Revenge Raven's Roost > Raven's Roost Cliff
 10
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b Trad, TR
More Classic Climbs in Blue Ridge Parkway »

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