PRINT: Rock Climb Black Crack, The New River Gorge Region

Black Crack

5.12c, Trad, 100 ft (30 m),

Avg: 3.8 from 4 votes
FA: Peter Croft
W Virginia > New River Gorge… > Meadow River Gorge > Upper Meadow > 1. First Buttress

Access Issue: PARKING ALONG HIGHWAY 19 Details

**NO PARKING SIGNS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ALONG ROUTE 19 WHERE IT HAS BEEN CUSTOMARY TO PARK FOR MEADOW RIVER CLIMBING AND BOATING ACCESS. THIS MEANS NO PARKING ALONG ROUTE 19 SOUTH, BETWEEN THE BRIDGE AND UNDERWOOD RD.

THERE IS A NEW PARKING LOT ON DIETZ ROAD OFF OF UNDERWOOD ROAD, PLEASE CARPOOL***

Description

Obvious splitter crack that cuts through the headwall between Boomerang and Corner Pocket. Climb the first four bolts of Corner Pocket (there is gear available the whole way if you prefer to skip bolts), then move left into a broken fingercrack, interspersed with lots of jugs. At the base of the final headwall, make a slightly heady and very exposed traverse right to the steep splitter, which is mostly perfect fingers. After the splitter ends, bust slightly right again through dirty jugs, to anchors at the very top of the cliff.

The first 2/3rds of this route isn't so bad but the pump builds for the headwall!

Location

between Boomerang/Push and Corner Pocket

Protection

You can use everything from a 0 tcu to a 3 camalot, but the bulk of this route is .4 camalots/yellow Metolius/yellow Aliens. Six of that size would not be too many. And slings. Lots of slings.