PRINT: Rock Climb Black and Tan, The New River Gorge Region

Black and Tan

5.10a, Trad, 80 ft (24 m),

Avg: 3.7 from 241 votes
FA: Rich Pleiss, Ron Augustino, 1985
W Virginia > New River Gorge… > New River Gorge… > Endless Wall > M) Fantasy Area

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

Great and sustained climbing in the hand/finger crack inside an orange right-facing corner. Laybacks, some stemming, and traverse through the roof in the end. Crack accepts solid pro. Beautiful looking route.

Location

From Honeymooner's Ladders take a bit of an upstream hike well past the wall with Legacy. Follow the wall until you get to a big roof. The route is located inside an orange corner around the buttress just past the roof.

Protection

Medium nuts and TCU's, cams up to #2. Bolted anchor.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Entering the roof traverse. Melissa Haltuch, 2000.

Black and tan from the base

Having fun on Black and Tan

Matt climbing through the fun layback finish.

Fixed #2 Camalot can be seen just above. It is in very bad shape.

Johanna on Black and Tan, NRG.

Chris approaches the crux. Black and Tan, Endless Wall, New River Gorge.

Melissa Haltuch on Black and Tan. Summer 2000.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Henry AB

Fun! Mostly laybacking and stemming. Really no jamming at all.

Bring a #1 and #2 and lots of small gear. If leading this again, I would actually bring my microstoppers and ball nuts. Jun 8, 2015

Foster Tucker
Morgantown, WV

This thing eats up .4 and yellow Metolius cams. Dec 10, 2018

Russ Keane
Salt Lake

5.9

Convenient hands at every sequence, and good feet except for the crux. A lovely climb, and a very low hanging 10 for people looking for one. (aka. slightly soft) Nov 27, 2019

Céline Hequet
Montréal

I found this route to be a bit PG. There's a lot of tiny and delicate gear placements and most of the stances don't allow you to pull on your gear to double-check your placements, so the whole climb feels pretty insecure. I would say I felt confident about 25% of my gear on this route. I did this as my third 10a lead in the Gorge and would definitely NOT recommend it as an entry level 10a. Oct 9, 2023

Jarek Voyles
Beattyville, KY

I would agree that it’s probably not the first entry-level 10a I would recommend, but the gear is definitely there and not at all that strenuous to place. An experienced eye should easily spot the pro opportunities from the ground for the first half of the climb where it’s a bit more delicate. I would’ve fallen on every piece I placed. Oct 7, 2024