Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Tag Archives: Virginia

Family Bike Day Along the New River Trail

Family Bike Day Along the New River Trail

Regular readers of this blog know we are big fans of the New River in our household.  During prime climbing season, the New River Gorge is like a second home, as we head up there almost every weekend.  But as wild and wonderful as the gorge is, the river itself is even bigger, extending down through Virginia and into western North Carolina.  Actually, I guess it’s more accurate to say that it extends UPWARDS into West Virginia, as the New is one of the few rivers of the world that flow north!  Anyway, one of the best parts about the…Read the rest of this entry →

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Morning Drizzles in the Highlands: AKA Life in the Clouds

Morning Drizzles in the Highlands: AKA Life in the Clouds

From wallowing in the sunny, upper 90’s of the Obed a mere 3 weeks ago to bundling up with foggy mornings in the 40’s at Grayson Highlands this past weekend, one would think we skipped over autumn altogether and moved straight into early winter.  Though the forecast across the Southeast was looking pretty grim, it appeared as though a lone bright spot was hanging over Grayson Highlands State Park with a mere 20% chance of morning drizzles.  However,we soon learned that a lack of actual rain doesn’t necessarily equal dry conditions.  It seemed as though the higher we drove in…Read the rest of this entry →

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Memorial Day Madness at Grayson Highlands

Memorial Day Madness at Grayson Highlands

After spending the first part of the weekend hanging out with family, we met up with some friends late Sunday morning up at Grayson Highlands State Park for some bouldering fun.  It was the first time we’d been back to GHSP since last fall, and I’d almost forgotten what a spectacular setting it is!  The weather was pretty warm both days, but I’m fairly certain cooler than the majority of climbing areas in the Southeast. Our first day consisted of a high volume of moderates.  We started out at the Picnic/Rock House Area before ending up at the Cap-Gun Boulder…Read the rest of this entry →

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Parlier’s Project: A Documentary of Grayson Highlands State Park

Parlier’s Project: A Documentary of Grayson Highlands State Park

Last summer we spent a good deal of time bouldering up at Grayson Highlands, VA.  Its an area that has seen smatterings of activity for many, many years, but only in small pockets of the park.  In recent years, this park has seen a resurgence in development, due mostly to my friend Aaron Parlier, who we met out at Grayson last summer.  Aaron is in the process of writing a guidebook for the area, hoping to have it in the hands of the publisher by the fall. On the day that we met Aaron, we also met Daniel Caudill, who…Read the rest of this entry →

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Sentimental Snapshots: The Urban Jungle

Sentimental Snapshots: The Urban Jungle

Since I started climbing in 2006, I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to climb in so many spectacular different settings – from the sharp-angled limestone of El Potrero Chico to the steep, intimidating granite on the Chief in British Columbia.  However, one of the more interesting scenery came from an unlikely place – Manchester Bridge in Richmond, Virginia.  This climbing area is right in the middle of downtown Richmond, and is basically a series of abandoned train trestles that have been equipped with bolts and shutts.   I like how this picture shows that you can find a corner…Read the rest of this entry →

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“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN