L) Dr. Ruth's Big Buttress
11 climbing routes in West Virginia spanning 9 difficulty grades.
- 11 routes
- 5.8 – 5.13a
- Trad · Sport
Is L) Dr. Ruth's Big 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 L) Dr. Ruth's Big 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.
Jan
41° / 23°
15 wet
Feb
44° / 25°
13 wet
Mar
52° / 31°
14 wet
Apr
64° / 41°
14 wet
May
72° / 50°
14 wet
Jun
79° / 58°
12 wet
Jul
81° / 61°
12 wet
Aug
81° / 60°
11 wet
Sep
75° / 54°
9 wet
Oct
65° / 42°
10 wet
Nov
54° / 33°
11 wet
Dec
45° / 27°
14 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Oak Hill, WV, 7.8 mi away at 2,040 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Dr. Ruth's Big 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 other climbing areas, with K) Scream Seam Area, M) Fantasy Area and J) Snake Buttress all about a tenth of a mile away. The area's routes run from trad at 5.8 up to a sport route, Titan's Dice, at 5.13a. Among the trad options are Crystal Vision at 5.10a, Arms Control at 5.11b and Recondite at 5.11b, while Dr. Ruth's Variation is the easiest at 5.8. The median grade is 5.10c. September is the most comfortable time to climb, with typical highs around 75°F and lows near 54°F, based on averages from a nearby weather station in Oak Hill. Summer brings highs in the low 80s. Winter is cold, with January highs typically around 41°F and lows near 23°F. The Endless Wall Climbers' Access Trail and the Endless Wall Trail both start about half a mile away. Paddlers can reach Manns Creek roughly 7 miles off.
Routes (11)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)I) Honeymooner's Area
~0 min drive
I) Honeymooner's Area in West Virginia has 30 climbing routes across 17 grades.
Photo: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)G) Diamond Point
~0 min drive
G) Diamond Point in West Virginia has 19 climbing routes with 13 difficulty grades.
Photo: 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.
Photo: 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.
Photo: tr.robinson, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)P) Jacob's Ladder Area
~1 min drive
Jacob's Ladder Area in West Virginia has 9 climbing routes with sport and trad options.
Photo: tr.robinson, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)R) The Cirque
~1 min drive
R) The Cirque in West Virginia has 27 climbing routes across 16 difficulty grades.
K) Scream Seam Area
~0 min drive
K) Scream Seam Area in West Virginia has 8 climbing routes with 7 difficulty grades.
Endless Wall
~0 min drive
Endless Wall in West Virginia has 17 climbing routes across 15 difficulty grades.
M) Fantasy Area
~0 min drive
M) Fantasy Area in West Virginia has 19 climbing routes across 12 grades, offering sport and trad options.
J) Snake Buttress
~0 min drive
J) Snake Buttress in West Virginia has 20 climbing routes across 12 grades.
