Climbing At The Red?

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to climb at the iconic Red River Gorge, located in Kentucky. This sport climbing mecca attracts a wide variety of climbers, ranging from people like me to world-renowned climbers, such as Sasha DiGiulian. The area has thousands of climbs, and you could spend a lifetime projecting all of them. So we’re starting now 😅

Day 1: We woke up to a very brisk morning; it was below 50 degrees, so we knew we wanted to find a sunny wall to warm up. Our Airbnb was located right next to Muir Valley, so we had a 40-minute approach to Sunbeam Buttress. We put up Moonshine (5.10a) and Backstabber (5.9). After the weather warmed up a bit, we walked to Tectonic Wall, where Ally put up "Gettin' Lucky in Kentucky" (5.10b), "Plate Tectonics" (5.10a), and "Fifth Bolt Faith" (5.10c).

Day 2: Day 2 was much warmer, and we drove to the Chocolate Factory. With a relatively short approach, we made it to our destination. We hopped on "Grandpa Joe" (5.9) for a warm-up, which was a very fun climb. Then we climbed "Throbbing Emotions" (5.10a) and another climb that I can't remember. Alex put up "Sunday Night Cockfights" (5.11b), which was the hardest climb of the trip.

Day 3: After packing up and loading the cars, we swung by Phantasia Wall, where we climbed three routes, but the most notable was "Pogue Ethics" (5.9). This was a very enjoyable juggy climb to end our trip!

🔥🔥🔥 Hot Take 🔥🔥🔥

Climbing is more about mental strength and problem-solving than physical strength

PS: These are not my personal opinions - this is meant to spark discussion

Trip Credits

Alex, the jokester, set the hardest route of the trip. A consistent climber, Alex preserved and entertained everyone on a 5.11b

B, witty, artistic, and sarcastic, taught us a thing or two about personals. A former route setter, B knows her way around the crag. 

Ally a climber who sure knows how to savor the a climb when putting up a route, taking at almost ever clip, she made sure to pause and appreciate the views!

Caroline, the Sheppard of the climbers, was the one who brought the group together in Kentucky.  With small hands, every hold was a jug for Caroline. There was no climb she couldn’t tackle.

Casey, a climbing trip regular, is the greatest encourager one could ask for. She brings great snacks and is the queen of the crag chair. 

Christian, the carrier of the guidebook, knows the tricks of the trade. Saved the day when he lassoed a carabiner with the stick clip! And he added quite a few flashes to his climbing belt this weekend.