PRINT: Rock Climb Buzz Kill, The New River Gorge Region

Buzz Kill

5.12c, Sport, 90 ft (27 m),

Avg: 3.2 from 16 votes
FA: Eric Anderson 1992
W Virginia > New River Gorge… > New River Gorge… > Kaymoor > 7. Seven Eleven 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

This route is broken into 3 sections separated by good rests. The crux is climbing from bolt 2 to 4 and features some seriously small, sharp crimps and balance-intensive slab moves on smeared feet. The middle section of the climb is a little easier, but still requires some good technique. The final section features a traverse left to a difficult traverse back right and then up to the anchors.

Buzz Kill is just right of Slash and Burn on the smooth orang and black face. Bring along some some skin salve if you plan to take several burns on the crux in a day.

Protection

10 bolts and 2-bolt anchor.

To reduce rope drag through the final difficult moves (and there will be rope drag), it would help to extend bolts 5 and 6 (far right bolts) and bolt 9 (far left bolt), though you should consider where a fall on an extended bolt 5 would leave you.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

The start and first 3 bolts of Buzzkill 5.12c.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

ChrisHau
Minneapolis, MN

Strange bolting near the top on this one - the redpoint crux involves a sharp rightwards traverse, meaning that you have a possibility of clotheslining yourself on your rope.

Heads up on some of the crimps/footchips on this one as well. Adventurous! May 26, 2015

Mark Paulson
Raleigh, NC

If you're standing in line for Slash, get on this line! So good. The ninth bolt should definitely get moved two feet to the right, but I took the whip and it was fine. Drag was not an issue. Neither was the tree, surprisingly. Oct 15, 2017

Aaron Moses
Richmond, Va

I hope bolt #9 gets moved when the good folks at NRAC get around to rebolting this one. Wouldn't work for an onsight, but I chained 2 double slings from #10 instead of using #9. With a long sling on #9, you're climbing the redpoint crux with a trip line under your feet. Not sure #5 needed to be extended. The runout to #7 could be protected with a small cam, but it's easy and the run-out keeps the climb engaging the whole way. Oct 25, 2021