Comments on: Deep water soloing banned at Summersville Lake

By: Kara

Kara — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:44:27 +0000

Guys, I hate to break it to you, but the “FALL” idea will NOT work. I’m a climber and a lawyer and I plan to break the rules, but this law bans entering the water from a certain height regardless of your “mens rea” or your intent. Like traffic violations, it is strict liability so there is no culpability requirement. “I fell” and “He pushed me” isn’t any different from “I didn’t know you couldn’t park there” or “I couldn’t see the stop sign” or “I thought the speed limit was different”

By: chris

chris — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:44:15 +0000

So even though this article is old and I didn’t read all of the comments, i must say, thank you, Tom, for doing your research.

I’ve been deep water soloing at summersville lake for 5 years now. I was there this weekend with the army corps patrol boat watching us climb. A few years ago after we heard about the “climbing ban”, my friend and i went down to summersville anyway and he talked personally to the army corps engineers who confirmed that THERE IS NO BAN on deep water soloing. Even the press release above says nothing about climbing.

So here’s the catch; when you climb, you have to “fall”. You can actually fall or you can “fall”. All this means is you have to be facing the rock when you “fall”. This means you’re not cliff jumping or diving – and that’s how you get around the cliff jumping ban.

Not to mention the army corps boats have blue sirens on the top and you can jump all you want as long as you don’t see an army corps boat around.

Happy Deep Water Soloing, people.

By: Joel Nielson

Joel Nielson — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:13:58 +0000

Dang! I just found about this place! The photos look amazing… can anyone recommend other great spots to deep water solo?

It would be much appreciated!

– Joel Nielson
The Ad Critter

By: Vince

Vince — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:57:13 +0000

People who jump and get hurt bring the wrath of dictators upon the enlightened. That’s the way government works. It is unreasonable and always poorly administered. Name one thoughtful, efficient government program. Not mediocre, or sufficient, but excellent. THAT is why we need freedom to operate and buyer beware. Petitioning a gov bureau is useless. Welcome to 1984. If you give the fed too much power, they run your life.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:23:26 +0000

Is there any likelihood that the ban will ever be lifted in the future? I know of the ban and was able to DWS the summer before the ban took place. It seems to me that a place that thrives off of tourism, would close off something that brings so many people to that area. We may not be fishermen or water skiers but climbers do bring a lot of cash to that area. Does the town of Fayetteville have any say in the matter? of the closing of the lake? Here is what I am carious about. How many kayakers and rafters died do to the army core of engineers draining the lake so that the rapids at the New can get bigger? It just seems like a weird double standard.
.I was also wondering does the access fund know about this and if so, what they have heard from the Army. I would like to See if there is a way to reopen the lake to DWS. Maybe open the cliffs to people that purchase a permit and sign a waiver. That way the army core cant be blamed for anything because they now hold a document saying you know the risk. Sorry if I have ranted but im looking for some info so that one day this gem could be reopened.

By: jesse edwards

jesse edwards — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:52:32 +0000

listen i was on my way back from myrtle beach and i have went to summersville lake a few times now and me and my family decided to go there and i saw that no diving was posted and i was shocked i couldn’t belive it i have never got a greater feel than jumping off those rocks i still went and jumped and you know what it was well worth the risk it is a great feeling and i will keep on doing it as many times as i can because i am not going to let them ruin my fun sometimes getting the greatest feel of your life means taking huge risks its a big gamble with an even bigger payoff

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:23:10 +0000

Hey all I am a local of the Summersville Lake area and I actually work at one of the campgrounds on the lake. The ban on diving and dws is a something we have been fighting all year. But at any rate I am a climber also and one thing I hate about the lake is that you cant take climbing gear on anything but kayaks sooo….. my question is do you think if I opened up a charter company for the climbers that it would be worth while do you think when you come to this area you would like to be chartered out and treated like well “gold” let me know what you think.
heather_hamrickwv@yahoo.com

By: ts

ts — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:27:59 +0000

I’ve climbed 3 times there since the ban and will always keep climbing there, I never have caught any flak about it, but if I did, I would play the dumb card and mention that I have been doing this for half a decade without incident. If they say it is dangerous I would disagree as the other option to for me is to solo over rock. If they insist I will go free solo apollo reed at the coloseum, and tehy can watch from thier little boat. That to me seems much more dangerous but if that is what they want me to do, than so be it. In fact they are implying the only form of free soloing allowed at summersville is solo over rocks as the water is way too dangerous. The intent of the ban is to stop the drunk idiots from talking a gumby into jumping and getting killed. Once again climbers are getting a bad rep from idiots that happen to be there. Most climbing accidents are in fact hiking/sight seeing accidents at climbing lacations when people try to act brave and get close to the edge of a cliff. (hey those climbers look like they are being brave so I can be brave too!) Then again we live in an age of reverse darwinism. Gotta keep idiots safe, and lawyers make sure idots are well protected from their own idiocy. Lastly I don’t knwo why the USACE is so worried, as a gov’t agency they are free from liability, you can’t sue the gov’t so they need to just shut the f*ck up and stop ruining this once great county by passing laws on issues they know little about.

By: mike

mike — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:39:48 +0000

If you go during the week there is not as much pressure from DNR.The weekends are when they patrol the lake the most.I haven’t seen any tickets issued this year .

By: Wes Pomeroy

Wes Pomeroy — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:55:21 +0000

I was planning on try to DWS in summersville this summer…has anyone been up there recently and tried to climb? has anyone gotten any static from the rangers, etc?