The Mechanical Bull
The hardest route catalogued at Jacob's Ladder Area.
- 5.13a
- grade
- Sport Bolted
- style
Is The Mechanical Bull 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 Mechanical Bull
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, 8.1 mi away at 2,040 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
This route represents the upper limit of difficulty among the nine climbs catalogued at Jacob's Ladder Area in West Virginia.
Photo of the crag
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: tr.robinson, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)R) The Cirque
~0 min drive
R) The Cirque in West Virginia has 27 climbing routes across 16 difficulty grades.
Photo: 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.
Photo: 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.
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: Ryan Stavely, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)South Nuttall
~2 min drive
South Nuttall in West Virginia has 18 climbing routes across 11 grades, offering sport and trad options.
New River Gorge Proper
~0 min drive
New River Gorge Proper in West Virginia has 6 climbing routes with bouldering and trad options.
O) Kline Wall
~0 min drive
O) Kline Wall in West Virginia has 7 climbing routes with sport and trad options.
Q) The Mungolian Wall
~0 min drive
Q) The Mungolian Wall in West Virginia has 5 routes spanning 5 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
N) The Undeserved Area
~0 min drive
11-route climbing crag in West Virginia with sport and trad options.
