West Virginia · Rock climbing · Edmond

7) Orchard Wall

7) Orchard Wall in West Virginia offers 14 climbing routes across 10 difficulty grades, with sport and trad options.

14 routes
5.8 – 5.12c
Trad · Sport

Is 7) Orchard Wall 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 7) Orchard Wall

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, 5 mi away at 1,296 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Orchard Wall is a climbing area in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among a cluster of other climbing areas, with the Ritz Cracker Area and the Thieves Area each about 0.1 mile away. The area has 14 routes, with 12 of them in the trad style and two in sport. The YDS grades range from 5.8 to 5.12c, with a median of 5.10d. Some of the named routes are Hysteria (5.8, trad, first ascent by Mike Artz and Andrew Barry in 1985) and Portly Gentleman's Route (5.12c, trad, first ascent by Alex Carr in 1988). The Total Sex Package is a sport route at 5.12a. Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 75°F and October highs around 68°F, with the station sitting about 387 feet lower than the wall. Summer is warmer, with July highs averaging about 84°F. The Endless Wall Climbers' Access Trail starts about 0.3 mile away and the Endless Wall Trail about 0.6 mile away. The Butchers Branch Trail is roughly 0.9 mile off.

Routes (14)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

E) Kaymoor SlabsPhoto: Wv funnyman, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

E) Kaymoor Slabs

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14-route climbing crag in West Virginia with sport and trad options.

F) Flash Point AreaPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

F) Flash Point Area

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F) Flash Point Area in West Virginia has 8 routes with 7 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

I) Honeymooner's AreaPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

I) Honeymooner's Area

~1 min drive

I) Honeymooner's Area in West Virginia has 30 climbing routes across 17 grades.

G) Diamond PointPhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

G) Diamond Point

~1 min drive

G) Diamond Point in West Virginia has 19 climbing routes with 13 difficulty grades.

P) Jacob's Ladder AreaPhoto: tr.robinson, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

P) Jacob's Ladder Area

~2 min drive

Jacob's Ladder Area in West Virginia has 9 climbing routes with sport and trad options.

8) Ritz Cracker Area

~0 min drive

8) Ritz Cracker Area in West Virginia has 19 climbing routes in mixed, sport, and trad styles.

6) Thieves Area

~0 min drive

6) Thieves Area in West Virginia has 13 climbing routes across 9 grades.

Fern Buttress

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Fern Buttress in West Virginia has 13 climbing routes ranging over 11 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad options.

5) Wild Seed Area

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Wild Seed Area in West Virginia has 10 sport climbing routes across 6 grades.

9) Star Trek Wall

~0 min drive

9) Star Trek Wall in West Virginia has 9 climbing routes.