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theicemoose
Oct 13, 2006, 2:42 AM
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Anyone know what the access story is at Hidden Valley in Abingdon, VA? Used to love the solitude and adventuous (read: sometimes loose) nature of the routes there, and it was all the sweeter for not having ever had a copy of the "guidebook"-the xeroxed pages of handwritten guesstimates. I know that disrespectful behavior became more common after the parking lot/message board was built, and I feel sad that Koma deemed it necessary to close it entirely. Any updates from the locals? Are there any locals any more? Derek are you out there?
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notapplicable
Oct 13, 2006, 3:36 AM
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Unfortunately I got into this sport a year or two to late to climb at Hidden Valley before the access got really messy. I have heard that people are continuing to sneak in and climb against the owners express wishes, WTF people. I made a similar inquire a year ago and basically what I got back is that there are a few people trying to work out an arrangement with the owners where a toilet will placed on site and maintained with donated funds from climbers plus regular "trail" days to clean up the crag and help out with any financial burden the owners run into while maintaining the place. If this could be arranged that would be great and I would be there to help out but the owners are understandably hesitant to open the place back up so who knows.
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mb25976
Feb 24, 2012, 9:45 PM
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The Valley is still very much closed and Koma is not looking to sell his land as far as I know.
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bigredscowboy
Mar 13, 2012, 5:08 PM
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I heard a tale once that geo surveys conclude that Koma doesn't actually own the land that HV is on (or at least most of it) but rather the trail...
[begin flame]
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rtwilli4
Mar 13, 2012, 5:15 PM
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I heard a tale once that the climbing there wasn't actually that good. I've also heard about this place called the New River Gorge that has about 2000 established routes and probably 2000 more waiting to be found...
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mb25976
Mar 13, 2012, 5:31 PM
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If you know something for sure, please let me know.
Otherwise you're just spouting off baseless conjecture, and I can do that too.
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rtwilli4
Mar 13, 2012, 7:53 PM
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mb25976 wrote: If you know something for sure, please let me know. Otherwise you're just spouting off baseless conjecture, and I can do that too.
I know for sure, 100%, that you are not allowed to climb at Hidden Valley unless Koma invites you, and that is not going to change any time soon. There are multiple threads in which I, and others, have made this very clear.
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mb25976
Mar 13, 2012, 8:02 PM
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Yes, I'm well aware of the access situation at HV.
I know Koma, and have gone there with Gus and Monica 3 times.
Just to clarify - NO ONE can climb at Hidden Valley, VA unless you know Koma or Gus. Period.
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bigredscowboy
Mar 13, 2012, 9:08 PM
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mb25976 wrote: Just to clarify - NO ONE can climb at Hidden Valley, VA unless you know Koma or Gus. Period.
Just to clarify - NO ONE can climb at Hidden Valley if the stated private citizen owns the land that HV proper is on.
#lookatallthemgreenpixels on Hidden Valley Rd
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mb25976
Mar 13, 2012, 9:37 PM
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OK - that could be a possibility.
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mb25976
Mar 20, 2012, 10:06 PM
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Koma owns all of the rock on the right as well as the left when coming up the road.
He also owns all the land above the cliffs all the way up to the ridgeline, depending on water flow. The water flow/runoff determines the boundary on the top of the mountain, far above the cliffline.
On the right side of the road he owns all the visible rock all the way to the towers at 4,250 feet.
Gus says make this very clear:
Unless you ride with Gus to Hidden Valley or on Koma's invite, you'd best not touch it.
Anyone climbing at The Valley can be seen by Koma from his front yard and he can hear talking at the cliff.
From the upper parking lot, Virginia Game and Wildlife owns the land past the ridgeline towards the lake.
Basically there is no sneaking in, and if caught, trespassers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Sad, but true.
Climbers are the very user group which caused this problem in the first place.
No one signed in, everyone still brought dogs in violation of the posted rules, as well as human feces found under belay rocks which was climbers, not hunters.
A chance was given to afford special access privileges to climbers, and climbers were the ones who took it away.
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mb25976
Mar 20, 2012, 10:15 PM
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With regards to your Google
Maps link, this map does not show private land ownership, which is far into the green pixels.
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roguecrimson
Mar 20, 2012, 11:36 PM
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Registered: Mar 16, 2012
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[quote "notapplicable"]Unfortunately I got into this sport a year or two to late to climb at Hidden Valley before the access got really messy. I have heard that people are continuing to sneak in and climb against the owners express wishes, WTF people. I made a similar inquire a year ago and basically what I got back is that there are a few people trying to work out an arrangement with the owners where a toilet will placed on site and maintained with donated funds from climbers plus regular "trail" days to clean up the crag and help out with any financial burden the owners run into while maintaining the place. If this could be arranged that would be great and I would be there to help out but the owners are understandably hesitant to open the place back up so who knows.[/quote]
I was planning a trip there [:(]
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