A minimal approach, several easy routes, and numerous anchors make this a busy area. Be prepared to fight with guides and organized groups trying to top rope all the classics on weekends.
The main part of the junkyard wall has several great routes, but the cliff top has been killed by easy access to anchor bolts. The upside is that almost every other wall at the New has been saved fom alot of traffic.
The Dog and Cat Walls are a 15 minute hike away and will be considerably less crowded.
Getting There
From the parking lot head down the left trail to reach Junkyard South. Originally this trail went thru a typical Appalachian refuse pile. It has mostly been cleaned up. Try to stick to the main trail as the Access Fund (?) is trying to revegatate the others.
Junkyard North and the Dog and Cat Walls can be reached by taking the right trail from the parking lot and going down the ladders.
Awesome climb, corner to layback to roof/corner to laybackEndro-cruxsolid placements all the way up, beware! watch out for placements that will create bad falls (near roof section).This route has a bad habit of eating gear, so be careful with your placements so they don't become fixed gear!...[more]
By Ladd Raine Administrator From: Plymouth, NH Aug 2, 2007
Yes we guides do take New River Gunks, Distortionist, Keep it Tight, and the Cave Routes, but the classics that are harder than 5.8 are never taken by guides because we don't want to have to haul our clients up them. Don't fear, Junkyard's 5.9 classics won't be being used by guides on weekends, only by every gym rat within 100+ miles.
Okay...my mistake...I shouldn't have gone there on a weekend of a three day holiday weekend...between the guides and the top ropers it was almost impossible to get a lead in here. Doesn't anyone lead routes here? I heard one group of two say to their friends, another group of two..."we have a rope set up on a 5.7, a 5.8, a 5.9 and the 5.11 around the corner..." but I digress...