You are a route developer in West Virginia. Tell us about this crag you’ve been working on. 

This past summer I developed a new crag in the Piney Creek Gorge in Beckley, West Virginia. As it is the first crag in the Piney Creek Gorge, we’re giving it the flagship name Piney Creek Crag. As it stands, there are currently 14 sport lines and 2 trad lines ranging from 5.6-5.12+.

The rock at Piney Creek crag is sandstone but very diverse, ranging from softer rock like you would find in the Red River Gorge with swirling iron bands to the typical bullet-hard Nuttall sandstone found in the New River Gorge.

Developer Mitch Lehman on Waco not Hueco (5.11c/24) at Area 51 at the Southside Crags in Meadow River Gorge. Photo Credit: Logan Phipps (IG - @crimp_scampi)

How did you find this crag?

I moved to the New River Gorge in 2019 to climb and continue my education at West Virginia University (WVU) Tech in Beckley. In my first semester at the school one of my professors told me about the boulders in Piney Creek as well as a section of cliff out at Piney Point, a popular overlook. I went to check it out and hiked below the Piney Point overlook trail until I stumbled on a section of cliff that had consistent quality walls up to around 60 feet.
 
 
You have some special goals for this crag, like using it for training new rock climbers. Tell us more.
 
The goal of this project with the Piney Creek Watershed Association was to create a beginner friendly crag for local climbers and students in the Adventure Recreation major at WVU Tech. When I began development of the crag, I identified the moderate routes and established those first, putting up five climbs graded less than 5.10. All of the anchors feature fixed carabiners, removing the necessity for anchor cleaning. There is also a set of teaching anchors to do ground school with beginner climbers.

This crag is an example of working with the community and various local institutions and government agencies. Tell us about that. Who was involved and why? What were your goals for working with the community and these institutions and agencies?
 
This development project is a prime example of how the sport of rock climbing transcends just the rock and the climb.

The project's root is connecting Southern West Virginia communities, who do not have easy access to outdoor recreation, to their natural world through sports like climbing. Corey Lilly, a local whitewater paddler and the Executive Director of the area's largest environmental group (Piney Creek Watershed Association), headed up this project and partnered with the Americorps, the City of Beckley, and local land companies. He says, "By developing more outdoor recreation (climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, fishing, etc.) it will increase the quality of life, promote environmental conservation, provide a space for outdoor educational classrooms, benefit the economy and retain young community members of the region."

​It is enormous for southern West Virginia to adopt this kind of idea and an important takeaway note for others looking to expand climbing resources. Fortunately, West Virginia is actively working to diversify itself away from the resource extraction industry and into more sustainable development, so this project came at the right time. If there are any climbers out there wanting to develop a rock climbing area but are stumped on approaching its politics, please feel free to reach out to Corey at PCWA (@corey_lilly_) or me (@mlehman_5) to gain advice on navigating the process.

Mitch bolting at at Piney Creek. Photo Credit: Matt Brewer

What have you learned about developing routes and what would you say to those who want to develop routes where they live?

Route development is a labor of love, but the feeling of climbing a line you’ve established after putting in hours of hard work is simply unmatched. I like to be able to share my climbs with others, whether it be touring friends to new boulders, or handing them the rope for a first ascent on a new sport route.

For anyone that is interested in starting to develop in their area, I’d first reach out to either someone you know that already develops and ask for mentorship or talk to someone in your local climbers alliance. Be wary of local ethics in established areas and ensure that you have permission from landowners before you begin development.
 

You are a fan of West Virginia climbing, are you from this area and how did you get so excited about the climbing here?
 
I’m originally from Pottstown, Pennsylvania, close to Philadelphia, and I was first introduced to climbing in the New River Gorge in September of 2018. I quickly fell in love with the style of climbing and the wild and wonderful nature of the area. I truly believe that West Virginia has some of the best sandstone climbing in the country, if not the world.

The accessibility to world class rock climbing in the New River Gorge is what makes the New attractive to me, as there are countless crags throughout a large area toting classic climbs to fit your fancy.  The climbing community in Fayetteville is so welcoming, involved, and psyched, which just really brings it all together for me.  Being surrounded by beautiful rock and learning from my peers has been transformative.  
 

You are a college student as well. What are you studying?
 
I’m currently a Senior at WVU Tech in Beckley, WV studying business management. I transferred to the school in 2019 so that I could climb full time in the New River Gorge while still finishing my undergraduate degree.
 

What are your near term and long term goals? (Be it climbing or beyond)

Now that I’m taking a break from development in Piney Creek I have been getting out and exploring areas along the meadow river to develop routes closer to where I live. This season I’d also like to travel around the southeast as well as out west to scope areas to develop sport routes and boulders. I’m really looking forward to going to the Obed to climb there for the first time and spending more time at Rocktown. In the long term I would like to travel to Africa and Europe to climb as well as develop multi-pitch routes.
 
 
What thought(s) would you like to leave with our Common Climber audience?

I don’t think that I’ll ever be the strongest climber that ever lived, but I hope that my efforts to develop new routes and share my love of climbing with others will be my legacy. I think that the easiest way to make your impact on the climbing community is by being a steward and ambassador for the climbing areas that you frequent. If you come to the New River Gorge make sure to stop at Water Stone Outdoors for all your gear and beta needs. Be kind, leave no trace, and have fun, it’s just rock climbing!

Mitch Lehman on Depth Charge (5.12b/27) at The Other Place, Southside Crags, Meadow River Gorge. Photo Credit: Kevin O'Malley (IG: @idrivebetsy)

Mountain Project Link to the Piney Creek Watershed Climbing Area: https://www.mountainproject.com/area/119376745/piney-creek-watershed