AWD needed for NRG?

Looking to give NRG a try this coming spring and was wondering if an AWD car is needed to get to the majority of the crags. I’m used to RRG with uneven gravel roads. 

NRG is much easier as far as vehicle for getting around. Cars are fine and AWD is not needed

Thanks!

The NRG Page mentions that the Vol. 1 of the climbing book is the newest. I found a Vol. 2 out, is that different or has the NRG Page not been updated yet 

AWD isn't needed. Getting to the Area 51/other place crags requires a tiny bit of clearance (our Prius scraped with four people in it), everything else is cake.

There are multiple editions of Mike William's NRG guidebooks. The first edition had everything in one book, newer editions are split up - book 1 covers the main gorge, book 2 covers the more northern areas. The main gorge is characterized by traditional climbing and facey, technical sport routes. The Meadows and Summersville lake feature less traditional routes, and more awesome steep juggy sport routes. Exceptions obviously apply in both directions. 

Whether you get one book or both depends on what you are interested in, I guess. If the ticks on your MP page are accurate then I would either try to get my trad climbing grade up to 10- asap, or go to the RRG instead. The good stuff at the NRG starts at 9+/10- trad and 11+ sport.

Alexander Blum wrote:

Whether you get one book or both depends on what you are interested in, I guess. If the ticks on your MP page are accurate then I would either try to get my trad climbing grade up to 10- asap, or go to the RRG instead. The good stuff at the NRG starts at 9+/10- trad and 11+ sport.

Alexander is right that a better experience may be had at the higher grades, but you can certainly enjoy yourself at sub 5.10. Check out bridge buttress and junkyard (for toproping), or whipporwill, orange oswald (summersville lake) for moderate sport leads. Bubba city has a few things too. Depending on how long you are there, you may well climb out all the stuff below 5.10 fairly quickly at most areas but there are certainly routes there to do, and it's much less of a junk show (orange oswald excepted) at the new than the red.

David Pagel wrote:

Thanks!

The NRG Page mentions that the Vol. 1 of the climbing book is the newest. I found a Vol. 2 out, is that different or has the NRG Page not been updated yet 

Of the current Williams guide, there are two editions.  The second edition is divided into vol 1 (the New River drainage), and vol 2 (the Gauley and Meadow river gorges).

The guidebook description here was kind of vague; I've changed it.  Thanks for bringing it up!

IMO, any crag with a large selection of moderates is a junk show on a nice weekend at the NRG and will involve waiting in line to get on the route. 

If I lived in Wisconsin and had to choose between the NRG and RRG, I would be at the RRG every time. It's closer, the gear routes are just as good (but different), and there are orders of magnitude more moderate routes available. The good trad climbing at the RRG is probably not very crowded either.

Alexander Blum wrote:

IMO, any crag with a large selection of moderates is a junk show on a nice weekend at the NRG and will involve waiting in line to get on the route. 

If I lived in Wisconsin and had to choose between the NRG and RRG, I would be at the RRG every time. It's closer, the gear routes are just as good (but different), and there are orders of magnitude more moderate routes available. The good trad climbing at the RRG is probably not very crowded either.

Well, yeah, OBVIOUSLY the Red River Gorge is way better in all respects, but this thread is talking about our little chossy roadcut at the New River Gorge.  But yes, you are correct that if given the choice, people should definitely go to the RRG.

Pnelson wrote:

Well, yeah, OBVIOUSLY the Red River Gorge is way better in all respects, but this thread is talking about our little chossy roadcut at the New River Gorge.  But yes, you are correct that if given the choice, people should definitely go to the RRG.

It's a shame the NRG has become such a crowded, sandbagged place to climb. If it had more splitters, better grades, and reasonable bolting maybe it could measure up to the Red.

I agree. It's worth waiting until you're solid at 5.11. for example if you go to the upper meadow where there are some softer grades... almost everything 5.10 and under was put up by Rudaw Janowic which means just about everything 5.10 and under is poorly bolted, chossy, contrived, or all of these at once.

I appreciate everyone’s input! Sort of leaning toward RRG because there’s no way I’m comfortable on 11s on sport and 10s on gear. 

You don't need AWD at RRG or NRG...NRG is more accessible but I have seen civics in sore heel hollar, drive by parking, and coal bank on many occasions. 

Alexander Blum wrote:

Whether you get one book or both depends on what you are interested in, I guess. If the ticks on your MP page are accurate then I would either try to get my trad climbing grade up to 10- asap, or go to the RRG instead. The good stuff at the NRG starts at 9+/10- trad and 11+ sport.

I think the New has great trad moderates, they are just somewhat spread out. Easily Flakey, Zag, Jaws, Crescent Moon, Where Real Men Dare, New Yosemite, everything at Star Trek Wall, most of Moon Wall, Sunkist Wall, etc. are all pretty fun.

Matt, at least half of what you listed fits pretty squarely into that 10- category (IMO). Especially Jaws - so hard!

Are the majority of the routes sandbagged? So any of the 5.9s are basically 10a to 10b? 

I don't know about majority, Jaws and New Yosemite would be 5.9 in Yosemite. Both are straightforward jamming cruxes, but Jaws is pretty flared. I guess it depends on your definitions and personal perceptions; I don't feel much of a difficulty difference between 5.9 and 5.10- when it comes to crack climbing.

David Pagel wrote:

Are the majority of the routes sandbagged? So any of the 5.9s are basically 10a to 10b? 

No.  Most of the sandbagged climbs are pretty well known as sandbags, and they seem mostly relegated to certain grades (12b [I know] and 13b [I've heard] are particularly guilty).  That being said, you'll rarely be left wondering "was that _actually_ a (insert grade here)?"