West Virginia · Rock climbing · Lansing

5 First Strike Area

5 First Strike Area in West Virginia has 6 trad climbing routes.

6 routes
5.7 – 5.11d
Trad

Is 5 First Strike Area open right now?

No closures listed

The National Park Service lists no closures for New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

As of · Source: NPS · New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit 5 First Strike Area

Best months: April–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    42° / 23°

  2. Feb

    46° / 25°

  3. Mar

    55° / 31°

  4. Apr

    68° / 40°

  5. May

    75° / 49°

  6. Jun

    81° / 58°

  7. Jul

    84° / 62°

  8. Aug

    83° / 61°

  9. Sep

    78° / 54°

  10. Oct

    68° / 43°

  11. Nov

    56° / 33°

  12. Dec

    46° / 27°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Anstead Hawks Nest Sp, WV, 3.7 mi away at 1,296 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

5 First Strike Area is a climbing area in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia, managed by the National Park Service. It sits within the park's network of climbing spots, and several other areas lie right next door, including the Bridge Area and the 4 Promised Area, each about 0.1 mile away. The area has six trad routes, with grades ranging from 5.7 to 5.11d. The most notable are Midnight Moonlight (5.7), First Strike (5.10a) and Rockin' Robyn (5.11d). The routes are all traditional, and the hardest of them, Rockin' Robyn, was first climbed by Eric Horst. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs around 75°F in May to about 78°F in September, with July peaking near 84°F. The Burnwood Trail and the Bridge Buttress Extension Trail are both within a third of a mile, and the Interp Boulders climbing area is about 0.2 mile away. Paddlers can find Manns Creek roughly 9 miles off.

Routes (6)

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Interp BouldersPhoto: sbennett1298, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Interp Boulders

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Ronski Feint

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Zealous AreaPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Central BubbaPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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~2 min drive

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Rainbow Ledge AreaPhoto: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Rainbow Ledge Area

~2 min drive

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4 Promised Area

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