PRINT: Rock Climb New River Gunks, The New River Gorge Region

New River Gunks

5.7+, Trad, TR, 80 ft (24 m),

Avg: 2.6 from 334 votes
FA: McCarthy, Swoager '85
W Virginia > New River Gorge… > New River Gorge… > Junkyard Area > Junkyard Wall

Access Issue: NO DRONES ON NATIONAL PARKLANDS Details

All of the crags within the New River Gorge proper are on national parklands, and drone use is prohibited here. There has been some discussion about places to launch drones that are not on park property, and then flying them over the gorge. This is super poor form; don't do it. Park regulations prohibit all drone use over the boundaries without a permit.

Description

Climb starts immediatly left of right facing arete and J.Y.D.
Technical and interesting moves and protection denote the route's lower half while the upper half's mini-roof gives this climb its 3rd star and its + rating

Location

Route lies right of Team Jesus and left of JYD on gigantic flake (50' by 25' by 80')

Protection

Tricams, nuts and small cams are useful in the bottom half of the route. A #5 camalot will allow you very comfortably protect the finishing moves if you so desire. Bolted anchor.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Patrick closing in on the Gunky roof crack above.

Patrick leading New River Gunks During the 2010 New River Rendezvous.

New River Gunks from belayers perspective

Leo Leading NRG

Great climb

Mike pulling the final crux in the wide crack.

Mike making the reachy crux move

New River Gunks

New River Gunks (5.7+). New River Gorge, WV. Cruising the classic line.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Josh Vondran
Salt Lake City

A #4 is large enough for the crack up top. You just have to know where to place it. Jun 19, 2017

Wesley Neill
Tucson, AZ

5.9

Maybe I had an off day. Everything besides the 5.6 to the left felt way harder than the grade. That being said, if you were to compare the hardest moves on this thing to the hardest moves on another slab climb (I'm thinking Fool Effect at Endless), I'd put this at 5.8+ or 5.9 for the first little bit

I'm also quite new to leading face climbs on gear, and my nerves could have been making things harder for me. I'll so this one again some time and see if my game was just off or if my opinion holds. Dec 31, 2018

Kennedy Carey
Midlothian, VA

5.8

Sub-par climb - a little sparse on gear at some points. Sep 23, 2019

Dan Smee
Pittsburgh Pa

Used a lot of micro gear to make this feel well protected at the bottom. For a beginner-ish climb this has a lot of technical placements. Used a purp/green/red C3, a black totem, a silver dragonfly (caught my whipper out of the OW) and my smallest nut on this route. The climbing is not super intense, but you might be a little sparse on pro if you only have a standard .3-3 rack. Some smaller more esoteric gear makes it a much less heady lead. May 23, 2023

Nicholas Petikas

POV Video Beta: youtu.be/TWuYyR_mPnU Dec 1, 2023