Within the 63,000 acres of New River Gorge National River are over 1,400 established rock climbs. 'The New' has become one of the most popular climbing areas in the country. The cliffs at New River Gorge are made up of a very hard sandstone, and range from 30 to 120 feet in height. The rock is very featured, and an abundance of crack and face routes are available. Most of the routes in the gorge favor the advanced and expert climber. The majority of routes are 5.9 and harder, and most sport routes fall in the 5.10 - 5.12 range. A guidebook is an essential tool for locating climbs, and local climbing shops can offer information and specific recommendations. Climbing Regulations. Over one million people visit New River Gorge each year, thousands of whom are climbers. With this large number of visitors, park issues develop that can only be solved through everyone's cooperation.