How to do a Red River Gorge rock climbing trip

Location: 
Red River Gorge is located in Kentucky about one hour east of Lexington. 

Length of trip: 
We like to try to strike a balance between having enough days of climbing to make the drive worth it and reducing the amount of vacation time we have to take from work. Leaving early Saturday morning and returning Tuesday evening to Michigan has been ideal for us. There are many weekend climbers, so with using this schedule you only run into busy rock walls on Saturday evening and Sunday morning; Monday and Tuesday the gorge is pretty cleared out. We also want to have enough endurance for the trip, so two half days of climbing (Saturday and Tuesday) and two full days of climbing (Sunday and Monday) work well. Avoiding holiday weekends is also a good plan. 

Training: 
You don't necessarily need to train for a trip to the gorge, but we like to in order to avoid a disappointing lack of endurance. We usually start going to the climbing gym twice a week at least one month before a climbing trip. Practicing lead climbing at least once a week helps us gather guts for the outdoor routes. 

Gear/Packing List: 

• Usual climbing gear (harness, chalk, shoes)
• Cleaning gear
• Climbing rope and draws
• Stick clip
• Guidebooks
• Hammock/rope
• Tent
• Sleeping mat
• Sleeping bag
• Pillow
• Flashlight/head lamp
• Decent hiking shoes/boots
• Sandals/climbing wall leisure footwear (makes for an easier transition in/out of climbing shoes)
• Raincoat
• Sunglasses
• Hat
• Toiletries 
• Toilet paper (no bathrooms in the gorge)
• Bandaids and climbing sport tape
• Sunscreen/bug Spray
• Water bottle (important to have enough water for all day in the gorge)
• Chargers
• Camera
• Tablet/audio books/music 
• Phone/wallet/keys
• Cash for campgrounds
• Cards/board games/rainy day entertainment (assuming it doesn't take up a lot of space)
• Clothes (4 days of climbing, post climbing clothes, pj's)
• Towel/wash cloth
• Food (see below)
• Lots and lots of Ibuprofen

Food: 
We pack food for breakfast and lunch. For breakfast at the campsite we have bananas, apples, peanut butter oatmeal bars, banana bread, cliff bars, or some similar combination. We have to hike down into and out of the gorge with all our gear when we climb, which we don't want to do twice, so we eat lunch in the gorge. Tortillas and jars of peanut butter and nutella seem to work best for lunch. Tortillas are already flat so it doesn't matter if they get smashed in our backpacks. Peanut butter and nutella are fairly lightweight for all the caloric and protein value. If we have more people to carry more things we also bring trail mix, dried fruit, and cliff bars. 

After a long day of climbing, we treat ourselves by going out for dinner. Miguel's is a staple of the Red River Gorge and a popular rock climber hangout. They are most famous for their pizza which you pay for by the amount of toppings you add. And, there are a ton of toppings! Anything from chickpeas to avocado to your classic pizza toppings. 
In the past few years a place called Rock House has opened down the road from Miguel's, and it too is amazing. In fact, it could be more amazing than Miguel's, but we're biased, because Rock House serves tacos and burritos (as well as hamburgers and fries and such) and we're Mexican food addicts. They also serve beer, adding to their awesomeness, but not on Sunday due to county liquor laws. 

As mentioned in our last blog post, all of this food is delicious, because really anything prepared fresh for you after a long day of climbing is. 

Camping accommodation: 

• Miguel's--Yes, in addition to being a restaurant, Miguel's has camping for climbers as well. Expect more commotion and noise if staying here, but it can be a great way to connect with fellow climbers. 
• State Park--Typical state park camping and located near Miguel's
• Land of the Arches--The location is great as it is between Miguel's/Rock House and Muir Valley climbing area. There are no sites; you just camp where you want. However, there are no trees for hammocks and there is road noise. 
• Lago Linda--This is more of a hike from Miguel's/Rock House, but is not unreasonable. It is probably not the best choice if you are going to do climbing only on the North side of the gorge. The perks is that it is close to Pendergrass Murray Recreational Preserve (PRMP) climbing area. It also has trees for hammocks and more strict quiet hours without road noise. There are sites available as well as an open field where you can set up camp wherever you please. We like to camp in the open field away from other potentially noisy campers. 

All of this accommodation is super affordable at around five dollars per night per person which includes hot showers and bathrooms. 

Guidebooks: 
We use the Red River Gorge South and Red River Gorge North guidebooks by Ray Ellington. There is also a Muir Valley climbing book that goes more in depth on this area and 100% of the cost is donated to the Friends of Muir Valley climbing association to maintain this beautiful climbing spot. 

Major climbing areas: 
Obviously, you'll find these in the guidebooks, but as a general overview you have the following: 

North Gorge:
This area is mostly trad climbing, but we have been able to find enough sport climbing to happily fill some of our half days of climbing. To get to North Gorge, you have the fun experience of the Nada Tunnel. You flash your headlights and honk and hope no one is coming from the other direction as you go thru this one lane tunnel carved thru a cliff. 

South Gorge: (in order of closest to farthest from Miguel's)

• Roadside areas--Unfortunately, some of the best climbing in these areas has been closed by private land owners. There are a few areas still open that have beautiful hikes with convenient parking on the roadside. 
• Torrent Falls--Private climbing area that you can pay to stay and climb or just buy a day permit in advance to enter. We haven't done this yet, but would like to check out this place in the near future. 
• Muir Valley--Awesome climbing for all skill levels. The hike in and out of the gorge is tiring after a long day, but beautiful. The trails and vault toilets are nicely maintained by Friends of Muir Valley. Be sure to sign a waiver before climbing and give a donation! Muir Valley is a must-do for us; we climb here every climbing trip, since there are so many great routes. 
• Pendergrass Murray Recreational Preserve (PRMP)--The preserve has two entrances to two separate climbing areas and we've done a little bit of climbing in each. One of these entrances brings you to the famous Motherlode climbing area, which is way past our skill level (but, maybe someday we'll be able to try it!). Thankfully, there are other easier areas available as well. There are some steep gravel roads thru this area that less terrifying if you have a more SUV-like vehicle. 

Vehicles:
An SUV or other vehicle suited to steep gravel hills is advisable for some of the climbing locations, especially the PRMP. Remember, if you drive down, you have to drive back up again! You can make do with just a car in other locations, such as Muir Valley. 

Weather: 
Kentucky is very hot and muggy in the summer, so we prefer to climb in the Spring or Fall. We don't want rain when we climb, because we want to avoid slippery rock faces and soaked gear. Climbing in lightning storms is also dangerous due to metal gear. However, if it is just a light rain, you can find plenty of climbs with overhangs that keep you and your gear dry. Just check the guidebook for suggestions! 

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We hope this post helps and inspires others to go on a climbing trip! If you have more questions, let us know!