RRG/NRG Backpack/Camp/Climb suggestions
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This fall, I'm planning a "man's weekend" with my 10yo son to either the NRG or RRG--we live in Central Ohio, and they are roughly equidistant--and I'm looking for suggestions on trails & climbing areas. |
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There aren't really any back country campsites at the NRG, especially around the crags. Camping in the woods isn't permitted (I think, verify this). If this is the type of trip you are looking for, the NRG may not be the place. |
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Your logic breaks down at the point where you want sport climbing 3-6 miles from a road. Sport climbers don't walk that far because they're afraid their legs will get too big if they do. |
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It's true the sport climbing won't be that far from the road at the Red, but you could always do a backpacking loop and hit a crag before the road. MIlitary and Left Flank seem like the best option for this. You won't know you're close to the road, aside from the masses being around. |
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Left Flank and Military Wall seem like they would be best because you could climb and then keep walking into the woods, but the 10s at both those crags are atrocious. |
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Mike Anderson wrote:you won't find much established climbing that far from a trailhead.I disagree. Why not park at the Lode and hike to the Gold Coast, or some other such contrived nonsense? At the NRG you could park at the North end of Beauty Mountain and then hike the cliff base trail to The Junkyard Wall. That would totally suck too. If its not quite long enough, you could turn around once you get to Freaky Stylee, then hike back to Super Mario, then turn around again and hike back towards the Junkyard. |
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At the New, Summersville and Kaymoor will offer you the highest quality climbing at the 10-11 level, by far, but these have fairly trivial approaches and everybody knows how awesome they are, so they will be pretty crowded. |
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Oh, I forgot. There are a few backcountry campsites along the Meadow River on the way to Upper Meadow. These are beautiful spots and would put you about 10 minutes away from the First-Third Buttress area, although the grades here might be steeper than you want. There are basically zero concentrations of climbs at the New under 10 except for Summersville, Bubba, and Whipporwill. |
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Matt - I did a trip like this with some buddies in the Red, so much fun! I can think of a ton of different areas you could go. There is a crag called Purple Valley with some 5.10 sport climbing and a somewhat long approach, though not 6 miles, and it is a more remote section of the gorge. There are several other crags in the vicinity as well that you could hike around to. A really fun one is a tower of sorts called Minas Tirith, but it's a gear route. |
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There is a great overnight backpack trail in the red and you can make it shorter if you would like by taking a smaller loop. I think the big loop is around 15 miles or so. I have done it a couple times while taking a day off from climbing. Both times I started the trail at koomer ridge campground and hiked over to grays arch and back. There are alot of nice little spots to camp along the trail especially when you get down in the valley along the creek. Last time i did this trail, we climbed a few routes in the morning then took off right after lunch on the backpack. However, a storm started to roll in so we ended up hiking the entire 15 miles and getting back to our car around 8pm that night. In a weekend, you could get this hike in and some roadside cragging in as well. Here is a link to the hiking trails. If you have the red guide book, you can figure out where the climbing areas are in relation to these trails. |
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Monomaniac wrote: Why not park at the Lode and hike to the Gold Coast, or some other such contrived nonsense?Not a good idea with all the wild dog packs. |
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Mike Anderson wrote: Not a good idea with all the wild dog packs.I thought JStar and Paige took care of that? |
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RRG is gorgeous in the fall, and I wouldn't want to go before then (it gets MUGGY in the summer, although I'm sure the New is similar. There are some awesome backpacking trails in the Red, and I would double check on the current regs, but when I was there you could camp anywhere if you were on nat'l forest land (like around the Grey's Arch/Chimney Top Rock area.) |
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FWIW a lot of the sport climbing at the New is 5.11 and up and many of the routes have high first bolts, reachy technical climbing, and stopper moves for the grade. |
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I think I have an idea of what your looking for. Check out courthouse rock. It's about 6 miles of beautyfull hiking (day or night) to heystack rock. you get thier and its overlooking the hole valley, follow the trail to courthouse and you will come to an opening with cliffs on both sides to one side you can see raven rock to the other i think is princess arch i cant remember witch arch for shore. continue on to a nice face its about a 5.8 or less some one correct me if they know, no bolts, mind you but you can always go to the back side and shimmy up the crack, maybe 15 feet continue right to the back side of courthouse to a 5.4+ wide crack trace a rope go under the boulder blocking the path for me please it's 30 feet to climb it but it could be a 100 foot drop (right side drops off very close to the climb)still thier is no bolted routes us the rope to bring up all the gear set up and look down. I know its not sport climbing but itis the closes to what i think your looking for. It sounds like all you'll need is some webbing. I was about 10 when i whent with my dad it was a great weekend. not much climbing but i felt like i was on top of the world. next day hike out on the rest of the trail if you think you can, its quiacker than you think. then just hit up a crag for your fix. |
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Sounds like you and your son just need to start doing alpine rock routes. They all have what you are looking for except the sport part. |
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LeeAB wrote:Sounds like you and your son just need to start doing alpine rock routes. They all have what you are looking for except the sport part.Yes, we wish that we could do alpine rock near Ohio. We also wish that we could drive to the trailhead in a 2012 Porsche Cayenne Turbo. Alas, they are equally likely. Actually, it is ironic that this thread was resurrected this week, as illness & life repeatedly delayed this trip until this coming weekend. Due to the season, we're heading to Niagara Glen to boulder. Thanks, though everyone. |
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Matt Roberts wrote: Yes, we wish that we could do alpine rock near Ohio. We also wish that we could drive to the trailhead in a 2012 Porsche Cayenne Turbo. Alas, they are equally likely. Actually, it is ironic that this thread was resurrected this week, as illness & life repeatedly delayed this trip until this coming weekend. Due to the season, we're heading to Niagara Glen to boulder. Thanks, though everyone.Well again, not all your requirements. I don't see why you couldn't drive to any of the trail heads in RMNP or the Sierras in a Porsche Cayenne. Maybe the Adirondacks? No clue how far that would be for you.... Wait, Life and Illness delayed your trip 15 months? Sorry to hear that. |
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Ryan Williams wrote:FWIW a lot of the sport climbing at the New is 5.11 and up and many of the routes have high first bolts, reachy technical climbing, and stopper moves for the grade.This is often said, but it's not like there isn't plenty to do even if you can't climb 5.11 and up sport. |
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Joe Virtanen wrote: This is often said, but it's not like there isn't plenty to do even if you can't climb 5.11 and up sport.I agree.... Not sure why that is the typical comment you get when asking about the new. There are only a few hundred 5.11 and below routes and most of them awesome! If you can lead trad its probably closer to a 1000. I think ryan is just trying to scare people away. We went a few years back when we were climbing only 5.10 and had a great time with tons of stuff to climb. Dont listen to the haters. |
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Well again, not all your requirements. I don't see why you couldn't drive to any of the trail heads in RMNP or the Sierras in a Porsche Cayenne. Maybe the Adirondacks? No clue how far that would be for you.... |