What When How to Train | Sport Climbing in the New River Gorge
The New, despite being often overshadowed by the nearby Red River Gorge, is home to what could be the best sport climbing in the United States. Bullet hard sandstone that rivals Taipan Wall for the best stone on earth, in a gorgeous white water river gorge, and a nearby town with one of the most inviting climbing communities you’ll ever get to know. What’s not to love?
The most up to date access info can be found through NRAC, the New River Alliance of Climbers, or if you’re in town, stop by Water Stone Outdoors - one of the best climber gear shops in the country (world?).
What to Train
To climb well in the New you’ll absolutely want to spend time on your gyms less steep walls, on flat edges and flat jugs, with tiny to nonexistent feet. The pulls are going to be big at every grade level, and while the holds will generally be pretty good - they won’t often be incut or very textured, so you’ll have to pull a little harder than you might be used to.
There are two predominant styles in the NRG - the sheer face, usually around 10-20 degrees overhanging, and tiered roofs with mail slot jugs, separated by these same faces. You’re likely to encounter both.
At almost every grade level, climbers will need an extra dose of puzzle solving ability and patience. The average difficulty of boulders on routes will be a little higher than many other areas, particularly other sandstone zones.
Jeremy Rush on “Welcome to Conditioning”. Photo by Nate Drolet.
When to Train
If you’re planning a trip, fall is definitely the best season. October and November are the popular months, but if you have the time to cherry pick the good days, that season can extend both directions.
Spring can (and will likely) be rainy, and if you don’t have a backup plan for your main goals, it’s entirely possible you could get rained out at any time of year. There are a few rainy day crags - The Hole at Kaymoor and The Coliseum at Summersville being the most popular. Early March through April is the prime time for a spring trip.
Ideally, you would start your training about 12 to 14 weeks out from the start of your trip or season. Boulderers or climbers with a high level of strength or power for their grade may get away with a shorter cycle, but if you plan on climbing on the area’s tiered roofs, it won’t hurt to go full length and get some general endurance done as well.
How to Train for the New River Gorge
If you are comfortable working out puzzles on a rope, and you’ve got the strength and power of a boulderer, combined with good hip mobility, you’ll have an amazing trip at pretty much any grade.
Below we give some tips that will help you at each level, as well as our training plans that are best suited for you. We have both Ebooks Plans and Proven Plans delivered through an app. Ebooks are entirely self supported and require a little more work on your end, while Proven Plans (which include a copy of the Ebook) give you access to a group chat moderated by a coach, as well as having each workout laid out for you in the app.
Nate Drolet on “Lord Voldemort”. Photo by Rachel Avallone.
I Want to Climb 5.11
A good level of general endurance and stamina is a great place to start. Knowing how to be patient at good stances while you work out puzzles is the next key. Having a bouldering base at around V2-V3 will give you even more options. If you feel like you’re solid on a rope already - then Just Climb More Boulders will be your best choice. If not, and you have a psyched partner, opt for Just Climb More Routes.
I Want to Climb 5.12
At this level you’re going to want to be really comfortable trying and committing to big moves and working out technical sequences. V5 and harder bouldering abilities will give you far more options than if you come in at the V4 often cited for 5.12 climbing. IF (big IF) you know that you are comfortable trying hard moves above bolts, then you may be better off spending your time training like a boulderer. In that case, I’d suggest our Boulder Better plan, which will give you a bit of stamina and power endurance as well. If you need some time on a rope to improve your commitment to cruxes, then by all mean, Climb 5.12 is the one for you.
I Want to Climb 5.13
Once here, we assume you’re comfortable on a rope, so most of your time training should be spent on the boulders and training strength and power. V8 is a good bet for this grade level, though if you’re a really GOOD (not just strong) climber (particularly at this style), V7 is passable. At this level, you’ll be doing a lot of moves that you won’t be able to reverse, and so commitment is a must. Patience will play a big role here as well, as more moves will have subtle solutions as well as be frustratingly finicky. Entirely bouldering based, Climb 5.13 will be a good way for you to go. If you have a strong training history as well as a good understanding of how to climb in a power endurance style, Boulder Strong may be a good next step for you.
I Want to Climb 5.14
The cruxes of most of the 5.14’s in the New will require you to do moves that many V9/10 climbers will struggle with. It’s not a bad idea to come in with that in mind. There are exceptions of course, but those are generally the routes that trend away from the style that NRG has become famous for. Most climbers at this level can get back to comfortable on a rope in a just a session or two, and because it’s far more efficient, your training should be primarily done on boulders. If you need a power endurance boost, our Climb 5.14 plan is the right choice. If you feel like that’s something you quickly gain and understand well, Boulder Strong is a good choice.
Tomer Oren on “Quinsana Plus”. Photo by Sarah Brengosz.
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Looking to climb on sandstone cliffs full of high-angled crimps? Look no further than the Blue Mountains, Australia’s sport climbing mecca.