Grayson Highlands Bouldering

The 2014 Grayson Highlands Stewardship & Bouldering Weekend couldn’t have been more productive. With perfect weather (sunny with highs in the mid 70s) and a motivated gathering of volunteers, we got to work early on the 24th. Starting out at 9:30 on Saturday at the LRT Trailhead our goal for the day was to rock armor some of the most popular boulder along the LRT. With tools for the job in hand everyone quickly got to work and rock armored the landings for 5 separate boulders which needed preventative protection for possible future erosion. Of those five boulders, the preventative armoring protected the landings of over 32 individual boulder problems, helping sustain the landings well into the future by preventing soil erosion and impact from frequent climber activity. Also on Saturday, volunteers trimmed back overgrown briars along the Listening Rock Trail, moved fallen branches from trails and landings, and picked up what little trash we could locate.

On Sunday the 25th the focus was spraying off old chalk and left over tick marks. Over 10 boulders were sprayed with water guns, scrubbed, and chalk marks were removed from under the steepest sections of the boulders where rain and weather could otherwise not reach. With the amazing effort from volunteers and the support from the Access Fund, AmeriCorps, Hippy Tree Surf & Stone, Mad Rock, and GHSP the event was a huge success. The afternoon raffle was able to raise funds to go toward the Southwest Virginia Climbers Coalition and the Friends Of GHSP Group.

Thanks so much to all of the hardworking volunteers who made the event possible and dedicated their memorial weekend to helping support stewardship efforts in Grayson Highlands State Park and continued access to Virginia’s primer bouldering destination. A huge thank you to all of the agencies and organizations that supported the event, and to all of the event sponsors who sent some sweet volunteer and climber swag in support of the event!

Hey folks! I just made a -very- limited run of the GHSP Boulderfields Map. I’ve had numerous requests recently, and will be re-stocking some of the maps at the GHSP park office. I will likewise have a few for the GHSP Bouldering & Stewardship Weekend, May 24th-25th. You can check them out here at: https://www.etsy.com/listing/123760326/select-boulders-of-grayson-highlands? I hope you enjoy it!

Hello folks!

Nathan Blakeslee and friends enjoying the scenery from the Buzzard Rock Overlook along the LRT

Some good news for anyone who will be visiting GHSP in hopes of wrestling pebbles and pulling crimps at 5,000ft. The gate to the Listening Rock Trail (LRT) is now officially opened for the season (providing another snowstorm doesn’t hit). The Picnic Area, however, is not yet open. The Picnic Area was hit pretty hard by winter weather and the park hasn’t yet finished prepping the area for this season’s visitation. Soon though! I will post as soon as I hear that Picnic too, has open access. Have fun bouldering on some of GHSP’s finest along the LRT, and as always, please be respectful of other park visitors and be mindful of appropriate ethics anywhere you go.

With the GHSP season nearly upon us, this Access Fund picture is a great reminder of the ethics that are so vitally important to adhere to in Grayson. As Grayson Highlands is a State Park, and a very popular one at that, it is important to keep in mind that there are a variety of user groups visiting and enjoying Grayson. Most of these folks are not climbers, and their user experience is crucial. The beauty and natural experience is of the utmost importance. Loud music, shirtless temper tantrums, tick marks, loose dogs, the loose dog’s dog poop, damage to vegetation, and any manner of gear strewn about will no doubt diminish other folks user experience and reflect badly upon climbers and climbing in GHSP. Please don’t be that guy or gal. Lets all strive to respect the park, park guests, and mother nature while visiting GHSP or any climbing area this season.

Some areas in GHSP typically close with the Winter season. These areas include the Listening Rock Trail and the sub-areas of the LRT; Moonlight, Ginseng, Wildwood, and Back of Beyond. Also the Picnic Area closes with the season. These locations are closed due to the difficulty in plowing the Winter snow accumulation which is often several feet deep and persists late into the Spring. If you are determined to climb at these locations you can trek in past the gate on foot, but this is certainly not recommended. The distance on foot through ice and snow to the LRT is tedious at best, and the walk out of the Picnic area  on foot is a bear even during the Fall.  The approximate timeframe for their re-opening is the 5th of May, but a light Winter and warm Spring can bring about earlier openings. Throughout the Winter, and if you are an intrepid cold-weather boulderer, there are areas in the park that never close due to weather. These areas are (excluding an apocalyptic snow storm, where you couldn’t reach the park without a snowmobile or dog sled team in the first place); AVP, Boneyard, Contact Station, and the Highlands. Happy climbing, and happy holidays!

Jeff Greenough Photo (Jeff is a photography wizard)

I received notification from GHSP that in 2014 there will be a fee increase for several aspects of park visitation and use. This increase is coming from somewhere “above” in the VA State Park system, so increases could be seen in other state parks across the Old Dominion as well. For camping, standard sites will stay the same but electric and water campsites will be $30. Parking fees will be $4 on weekdays and $5 on weekends.

GHSP is working to limit the increase for overnight backpackers as they have very limited use of park facilities. While this doesn’t help out visiting climbers (unless you are going on an overnight Mt. Rogers bouldering expedition, which you totally should), the increase will help out the state park system in the long run and that certainly is a good thing. The best way to go about this, if you are a frequent GHSP climber, is to cough up some dough and buy yourself a parking pass. A parking pass pays for itself after eight visits.

Attention! Grayson Highlands State Park will be closed to climbing (and basically everything else), except for the beautiful Highlands Area on these dates: The 2^nd (yes that’s tomorrow), 4^th, 5^th, 18^th, and 19^th of November. Sorry for the short notice, it sort of snuck up on us. This is a yearly lottery hunt to control the enormous and unchecked population of whitetail deer in the park. No climbing or visitor use of the majority of the park will be permitted during these days. Hunting is not permitted on Sundays in the state of Virginia, so you are in the clear there. So remember, don’t come to GHSP to climb tomorrow, the 4^th & 5^th, and the 18^th & 19^th unless you plan to climb exclusively in the Highlands Area.

Also of great importance is the opening of general deer hunting in state and national forest near and adjacent to GHSP. This occurs from the 16^th-30^th of November. You will need to bring blaze orange into the forest if you will be climbing in state of national forest property. People get shot all the time, so don’t let that happen to you. Wear orange clothing, paint your face, and cover your crash pad in an orange trash bag, whatever it takes… You don’t want to end up on the wrong side of the barrel on this one.