West Virginia · Rock climbing · Fayetteville

First Buttress

First Buttress in West Virginia has 8 sport climbing routes across 7 grades.

8 routes
5.11b – 5.13c
Sport

Is First Buttress 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 First Buttress

Best months: June–October. 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

    41° / 23°

    15 wet

  2. Feb

    44° / 25°

    13 wet

  3. Mar

    52° / 31°

    14 wet

  4. Apr

    64° / 41°

    14 wet

  5. May

    72° / 50°

    14 wet

  6. Jun

    79° / 58°

    12 wet

  7. Jul

    81° / 61°

    12 wet

  8. Aug

    81° / 60°

    11 wet

  9. Sep

    75° / 54°

    9 wet

  10. Oct

    65° / 42°

    10 wet

  11. Nov

    54° / 33°

    11 wet

  12. Dec

    45° / 27°

    14 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Oak Hill, WV, 6.9 mi away at 2,040 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

First Buttress 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 climbing and hiking spots, with The Hole and Rico Suave Buttress both about 0.1 mile away and Kaymoor Miners Trail just as close. The area is a sport climbing destination. Eight routes are listed, all rated from 5.11b to 5.13c on the YDS scale. The hardest is Leather Nun at 5.13c, and the easiest is Oh it's you Bob at 5.11b. The routes were first climbed between 1991 and 1992. September is the most comfortable time to visit, with typical highs around 75°F and lows near 54°F, and fewer wet days than most of the year. Those are typical averages from a nearby weather station in Oak Hill, about 7 miles away. Winter is cold, with January highs typically around 41°F. Other climbing areas close by include Kaymoor, about 0.2 mile away, and Rico Suave Buttress, about 0.1 mile away. For a walk, Butchers Branch Trail is also about 0.1 mile off.

Routes (8)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

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.

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

F) Flash Point Area

~1 min drive

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

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

E) Kaymoor Slabs

~1 min drive

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

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.

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.

R) The CirquePhoto: tr.robinson, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

R) The Cirque

~2 min drive

R) The Cirque in West Virginia has 27 climbing routes across 16 difficulty grades.

South NuttallPhoto: Ryan Stavely, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

South Nuttall

~3 min drive

South Nuttall in West Virginia has 18 climbing routes across 11 grades, offering sport and trad options.

The Hole

~0 min drive

11 sport climbing routes in West Virginia ranging from 5.8 to 5.12a.

Rico Suave Buttress

~0 min drive

Rico Suave Buttress in West Virginia has 19 climbing routes across 12 grades, offering sport and trad options.

Kaymoor

~0 min drive

Kaymoor in West Virginia has 2 sport and trad climbing routes.