The Greatest Show on Earth

I heard of this route long before I even knew what the New River Gorge was. I remember searching YouTube for climbing videos before I even knew what a cam was, and the video of David Sharatt styling his way through a horizontal roof and golden dihedral, all while clipping the oddest looking bolts.

I first tried the route in the fall of 2016, and it was a terrible experience. I was scared climbing the unprotected 5.10 start, the roof boulder problem felt v-impossible, and I spent 2 hours aid climbing through a maze of VERY active spider webs in the dihedral. However, despite a pretty miserable few hours, I walked away the slightest bit encouraged because I toproped the 12- dihedral (now spider free) clean - barely. Maybe one day...

Just below the horizontal where I can place my first piece after the intro 5.10.

Fast forward to Hurricane Irma sweeping through the southeast. Classes were cancelled and I found myself with a 4 day weekend. I headed to North Carolina to try out the crux 13a pitch on my mini-wall project, the Glass Eye. I made good links on it, and can't wait to go back for the full redpoint now that it's cooling off. Saturday night I drove to Charlottesville to visit the lady, and early Monday morning I was on my way to the Wild & Wonderful West Virgina.

I met some psyched friends - Grant and Forest - who I'd run into at both the Red and Yosemite earlier in the year. With psych for the New and an unparalleled appreciation for public libraries, we set off to Lower Meadow so I could go for round 2 on the Greatest Show.

Visualizing

I took at the roof, spent some time figuring out a good sequence, and quickly found myself campusing up the last couple of jugs and stemmed below the golden dihedral. The route was spider free, gear beta was dialed, and the redpoint crux felt about as reasonable as it was going to get. It was send o'clock!

I gave 3 solid redpoint burns that day, unfortunately falling on the same move in the roof each time. Conditions were cool, everything was dialed, and I wasn't that taxed. No excuses, I just didn't have it.

I spent the following day at Summersville, feeling good but unfortunately making a few mistakes (sloppy climbing on Tobacco Road, and a foot slip cost me the onsight on Mercy Seat). The Show was still on my mind, but unfortunately it was time for me to get back to school.

I arrived back in Georgia Wednesday morning, but my mind was still cycling through the roof of the Greatest Show. An unproductive 3 days of class later, I found myself headed back to Fayetteville on Friday evening. Many friends knew I was getting close on this route, and I did feel a certain pressure. Six hour drives and $30 campsites are not typical for our weekend trips - but this one was different. I had a dream route that might JUST be within reach.

Our warm-ups were a little sub-par, but regardless I gave my first burn on the Show and fell in the roof on the same move. I pulled through and worked the dihedral with a few takes to make sure I had these upper sequences wired.

Fueled by subs.

The next go, I asked my buddy Jordan if I could wear his freshly resoled mocs. I wear a right moc and left miura for this route, because I need a straight and narrow shoe to jam the right foot in the roof crack (crux), but an agressive left shoe to toe in on the edges in the roof. If there was one single "move" the route comes down to, it is the right toe jam. If it sticks, you're golden. If not, you're going for a ride.

So, Jordan graciously lent me his right moc, and for added tightness, I tried taping down the shoe as tightly as I could around the middle of my foot. All of a sudden, I found the jam sticking, me on the jug, but my core giving out just enough that the toe jam ripped (after latching the jug). I spent too much time trying to readjust feet, when I should have just campused. And there I went, falling after what I had told everyone was the "it's in the bag" move. Regardless, I was astonished at how VASTLY easier the crux felt with a tighter shoe.

My right hand latching the "it's in the bag" hold, which I then proceeded to fall from after my right toe popped.

I took a little time alone to relax and visualize the redpoint, and soon enough I was tied in once more for battle. The mood was different. I felt more pressure because this was the last burn of the day, but I also felt more focused. I borrowed and taped Jordan's right moc once again, and the right toe jam stuck like glue! I latched the same "it's in the bag" hold, and this time I didn't blow it as I swung out and campused to the huge horn at the lip. A knee scrum, .75, and 2 lock-offs later, I was stemmed at the base of the dihedral. Strength returned to my arms while it drained from my calves.

The knee scum from which I placed the .75

The lock off before trending into the corner

The stem!!! Thinking to myself: Don't rush, rest well, don't blow it.

I knew as soon as I left the stem, it was a sprint to the top. No more rests. I collected myself, and then I was totally focused. My friend Slayton dangled from above with a camera, but I was totally alone as I climbed. Just me and a golden seam.

Start of the redpoint crux

I flowed through, placed gear quickly, and before I knew it, I was in the 5.10 layback. I was so focused on climbing I forget to place the last cam. A few more feet and I latched the jug. I screamed.

Sinking into the 5.10 crack, where the hard climbing is over and you know you've sent.

Mid scream as I latch the jug!

This pitch is among the best of my life. Certainly the greatest pitch of traditional climbing I've ever done, and oddly enough, the greatest pitch of sport climbing I've ever done is on the same wall just a few routes to the left (Fruity Pants). Can't wait to come back for more in this incredible area. I've got my eye on a few more traditional lines at the NRG, most of them harder, but none as beautiful. This one I'll never forget.

Here's the rack so all you guys can get out and crush it!

• long sling for first pin
• .4 C4 with long sling (in a horizontal)
• fixed pin (at base of roof, has a sling already)
• .4 C4 in roof crack (crux piece)
• .75 C4 with draw at lip of roof
• #1 C4 at base of dihedral
• Red C3 or Yellow X4 (place from jug horizontal halfway up dihedral)
• Small nut (a few options)
• .5 C4 (optional for the last 10 feet of 5.10-)

The only thing you may like to add is a grey C3 or an additional .5 if you need to aid through the roof or dihedral. Have fun!