Over the last five years, Buzzard Rocks has gone from being an obscure crag to everyone’s favorite day trip destination for moderate climbing in the DC area. The approach hike is a little daunting, but the rewards are excellent views, a good breeze on even the hottest summer day, and of course excellent slab climbing […]
So apparently Old Rag is known as “…the best climbing in the state of Virginia”. Here I thought sport rock used that motto. Regardless, Old Rag is “The place to learn how to climb cracks, and where to get some backcountry experience”. Directions: From the I-95 corridor, follow I-66 west and exit westbound onto US 29 […]
Getting There: Take Rt 66 West to Manassas area, past 29 then exit to Rt 15 (turn LEFT back over 66), continue till you hook up with 29. Turn right onto 29. Continue on and make a right on Rt 211 (west). Keep going on 211 until you reach Sperryville (approx- 25 mi). Take a […]
The gorge formed by the mighty Potomac River, carved a climbing area later to be a National Park just about a ba-zillion years ago. Great Falls National Park has a visitor’s center and several magnificent overlooks from which to view the spectacle of the great falls of the Potomac; even bigger during the spring runoff. […]
There are a number of small granite crags located an hour’s drive southwest of Charlottesville. The main area is Wintergreen, with roughly 50 climbs on outcrops similar to those on Old Rag. Nearby on the Blue Ridge Parkway – near Love Gap – are two other small granite cliffs: Love Crag, with around 20 climbs and Love Lost with a dozen routes. Most pitches at these crags […]
Talking Headwall may not be the largest crag in Virginia, but with a day’s worth of sport and mixed routes, one of the shortest approaches to be found anywhere, and a swimming hole you could throw a rock into from the base, it doesn’t leave much to complain about. Climbing Gear Most routes here are […]
Sugarloaf Mountain is a small 1,200 monadnock outlier of the Blue Ridge which rises from the rolling hills about 10 miles south of Frederick, MD. The private Stronghold Foundation owns the land and welcomes many hikers and climbers to their wooded peak each year. Roads allow visitors to drive most of the way up the […]
Annapolis Rocks is one of the better toproping areas around. They have super classic topropes in the 5.8-5.10 range, and short trad leads ranging from easy to hard. There’s a good 5.8 next to Black Crack, and a 5.6 variation of Ounce of Perception that’s worth doing.Black Crack (photo: http://www.jeffdeutsch.com/albums/20001000/3.html) and Ounce of Perception (photo: ) are […]
A couple dozen boulders in Northwest Branch Park in Silver Spring. Unlike most bouldering close to DC, many of these are actual boulders with top-outs. The difficulty level ranges from 5.1 to V11 (you don’t have to be a “real boulderer”). The area’s best features, though, are a two-minute detour off the Washington beltway, a […]