West Virginia · Rock climbing · Fayetteville

The Hole

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

11 routes
5.12a/b – 5.13c
Sport

Is The Hole 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 The Hole

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.

The Hole is a sport 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 First Buttress and Kaymoor both about 0.1 mile away and Rico Suave Buttress about 0.2 mile off. The area's 12 routes are all sport climbs, with grades ranging from 5.12a/b to 5.13c. Yowsah, the easiest, was first climbed by Mike Freeman in 1991, and In the Flat Field, the hardest, was first climbed by Porter Jarrard in 1991. The median grade is 5.12d. September is the most comfortable month to visit, with typical highs around 75°F and lows near 54°F, and it also has the fewest wet days of the year, about nine. Those are typical averages from a nearby weather station in Oak Hill, which sits at a similar elevation to the Hole.

Routes (11)

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.

First Buttress

~0 min drive

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

Kaymoor

~0 min drive

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

Rico Suave Buttress

~0 min drive

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