RRGCC

A long-awaited homecoming for the climbing community of the Red River Gorge: the RRGCC is thrilled to announce that we have restored access to Oil Crack & Arena after 22 years of closure! 👇 Here are the cliff notes (pun intended): • 22 years in the making (down to the very month) • 2 world class crags • 83 routes • 130 acres • Dozens of 5 star moderates • Two sought after 5.14s • Twenty high quality 5.12s Securing access is just the beginning – now, we need your support to help us open these crags for climbing asap. The best part? Our friends over at @blackdiamond , @bluewaterropes , and @thenorthface_climb have generously gifted over $8.5k in gear to make your donation even more rewarding! 🤜 🤛 We have ambitious goals of opening these crags by this fall, but we need your support to meet that deadline. 🔗 Visit the link in our bio to support the work and infrastructure needed to restore and reopen these historic crags. A few notes from the coalition: ➡️ RRGCC’s Land Management Team asks that the public does not access this land until the necessary infrastructure is in place for sustainable, long-term use. ➡️ The RRGCC has secured a recreational lease from a private landowner, which means that the RRGCC does NOT own this land. This situation demands that climbers be respectful neighbors and good stewards. Please follow RRGCC's posted guidelines as we work to re-open these crags. And last but not least, some acknowledgments are in order: This access win is the result of two decades of effort across several parties. You can read about the full history of this land at the link in our bio. ✍ What this means is that there are dozens of people whose actions over the last two decades have amounted to this access win that we have today. 🤝 The RRGCC wishes to extend its sincere gratitude to all who contributed to this massive effort, namely Jereme Ransick, Paul Vidal, Shannon Stuart-Smith, Louie Allen, Adam Peters at @blackdiamond , Scott Newell of @bluewaterropes , Brian Tickle and Daniel Dunn of @accessfund , as well as the broader climbing community who has supported the RRGCC over the last 30 years. 📷 All photos by Mike Wilkinson, @wilkinsonvisual

Meet your next favorite crag… Rocktoberfest attendees heard it first! 🤭 This Fall, we’ve slowly been rolling out not one, not two, but ELEVEN brand new crags now open for climbing in the Red River Gorge! Your money has been hard at work behind the scenes all year to make this happen. Think trail cutting (lots of it 😮‍💨), rock splitting, constructing sustainable belay base and trail infrastructure, orchestrating the construction of three new parking lots, and supporting the development community throughout it all. Funds from the Ashland campaign fueled the efforts of a small army to tackle this undertaking. We are immensely grateful to our Land Management Team and our all star volunteers for their hard work this year. Here’s the thing – there are still DOZENS of crags that have been developed that we are working to open for you asap. ✨ This is where you come in: 👇🏼 If you love seeing new acquisitions, new crags, and more climbing in the Red, consider donating to the RRGCC before the end of the year in order to support this rapid expansion. In 2025, we increased our total land acreage by 65%, and we have no plans of slowing down. Give back to the Gorge this season, and help us keep up this momentum in 2026. Your coalition thanks you! Link in bio. 🔗 Cover 📷: @wilkinsonvisual The Venue 📷: @calebtimmermanphoto Hell’s Kitchen 📷: @wilkinsonvisual Newcum Tower 📷: @wilkinsonvisual Mosh Pit 📷: @orange_flow Pirate’s Cove 📷: Dylan Kehres 19th Hole 📷: @wmsimek Monster Wall 📷: @tara_tayy

Yep, you read that right – your home crag just got a whole lot bigger!!! In a historic moment for climbing access, the RRGCC is excited to announce our largest land acquisition ever – right in the heart of the Red River Gorge! 🙌🏼 This acquisition includes the entirely new Cave Fork Recreational Preserve (CFRP), as well as expansions of PMRP and MFRP. Here's the cliff notes (pun intended): • 10 years in the making • 14 miles of cliff line • 718 acres • $1.7 million purchase ❗ UPDATE: All Black Diamond gear has been claimed! Thank you! 👉🏼 And now we need your help to open it for climbing. @blackdiamond has generously gifted over $11k in gear to make your donation even more rewarding. 🔗 Visit the link in our bio to contribute toward the infrastructure needed to make this climbing accessible for generations to come. A few notes from the coalition: ➡️ RRGCC’s Land Management Team asks that the public does not access this land until the necessary infrastructure is in place for sustainable, long-term use. More info to come on the route development process. ➡️ Hog Gap, Piggly Wiggly, & The Arcade are not part of this acquisition and remain located on private land. Please respect the landowner’s wishes and avoid trespassing. ➡️ Recent changes with Climb L8 programming are in no way related to this acquisition. And last but not least, some key acknowledgments are in order: 🤝🏼 This landmark acquisition was made possible thanks to substantial grants from the @u.s.forestservice Community Forest Program, @usfws & @kywildlands , and James Graham Brown Foundation, loans from Jordan Wood and an anonymous donor, acquisition partners including Ian Teal, the Ventura Family and others, and support from @accessfund , @powercompanyclimbing podcast and @blackdiamond . 🙏🏻 The RRGCC would like to give specific appreciation to our Access & Acquisitions Chair and long-time board member, @jereme_ransick for all of his hard work and long hours behind the scenes for several years in order to make this historic win for climbing access possible. Thank you, Jereme! 📷 Photo Credit: @joe_segreti 🧗‍♂️ Climber: schumann.matts 📍Cherokee and Shawnee Territories

The RRGCC is thrilled to announce the addition of a THIRD full-time staff member to the team! 🥳 Please join us in welcoming local climber and developer, Brian Kramer, as our first ever full-time Land Manager! 🥾🌱⛏️🪨 👇 A little about Brian: Since 2010, Brian has spent the majority of his time climbing. First at the Salisbury University climbing wall, then at the Movement Climbing Gyms in Baltimore, MD. He worked full-time for Movement (then Earth Treks) doing just about anything he could get his hands on—from teaching rock & ice climbing to route setting, his life revolved around sharing his climbing passion with others. When he wasn’t working, Brian was making the long drive out to the New, Seneca, the Gunks, or the Red, trying to squeeze every last ounce of climbing out of the days. Every year, he’d spend a few months traveling around North America’s climbing destinations looking for the best rock only to realize that he didn’t need to go past Kentucky. In 2025, he left his job at the gym and moved to Beattyville with his wife and their cats, Puff & Lola. When he’s not working, Brian is usually out developing routes, looking for the next 5-star classic. We are thrilled to bring Brian on board for his love for the Red, kindness, eagerness to help and learn, team spirit, and (most importantly) funny jokes. 😉 He will be working closely to learn from the best in the business, Curtis and Audrey Gale-Dyer, who have been taking excellent care of our beloved climbing areas for decades. The addition of a third full time staff member marks an important landmark in the growth of the RRGCC that we are excited to celebrate alongside our community. 🌟 This is your money at work – going straight back into the care and conservation of our RRG climbing lands. You’ll likely see Brian out on our property before too long, but til then, drop a 👋, 🙌, or even a 🤜🤛 in the comments and help us welcome Brian to the team! Photos 1 & 6 📷: @karenklane

Quick survey – real impact: we love a good win, win situation. 🤝 5 mins of your time could: ✅ Help inform local organizations on how climbers impact the RRG economy ✅ Enter you to win a freshy 60m @sterlingrope ! The RRGCC is hosting Dr. James Maples for a third round of an Economic Impact Study in the Red River Gorge! These studies survey climbers to learn about how visiting climbers spend their money while on trips to the Red. The results of the 2021 study have been instrumental in: 👉 RRGCC’s efforts to amend the Kentucky Recreational Use Statute to protect landowners that allow rock climbing on their private property 👉 Winning grants in order to make the Ashland acquisition possible in the Red 👉 Generally helping us understand how climbers impact the local economy (Check out the full 2021 impact results – pdf 🔗 in bio!) Want in? It’s simple – 1️⃣ Fill out the easy 5-10 min survey found at the link in our bio 2️⃣ Email [email protected] with the subject line “EIS” before the end of May & you’ll be entered to win! We will draw for the winner on Monday, June 1st. 🗓️ ✍🏼 These surveys are one aspect of the study — Dr. Maples’ team is also conducting interviews on community perceptions of climbers in the region. The interviews help identify local views, potential partnerships, and current or emerging challenges. 🌟 Best of luck to ya & THANK YOU for your help! Huge thank you to our friends at @gopowelltourism for joining us in co-funding this study and to @accessfund for providing grant funds to help cover the costs. 👏 🔗 Survey link in bio. 🔗 📷: @karenklane

Are you an Adaptive Climber? 👀 This is your sign to try climbing outdoors! 🧗‍♀️ Catalyst Sports (@catalyst_sports_louisville ) and the RRGCC are teaming to bring you a FREE outdoor climbing day at the Red River Gorge designed for adaptive climbers! 🙌 👇 Here's what you need to know: 📅 When: Saturday, June 13th, 10am-4pm. 📍 Where: The beautiful Red River Gorge, Kentucky! 🚐 Transportation from Louisville and Lexington will be provided by the @redrivergorgeshuttle – more details in the signup form! 🔗 Pre-registration is required! 📢 Sign up at the link in our bio. 🤜 🤛 Interested in volunteering for this event? See if you’re a good fit in the volunteer registration form, that link can also be found in our bio. Whether you’re a seasoned climber or trying it for the first time, we invite you to come climb, connect, and celebrate community outdoors. We hope to see you there! ✨ 📷: Photo courtesy of the Adaptive Climbers Fest Photo Team

We do declare that's some mighty fine rock work. Twas a humdinger of a good time out in the Red River Gorge, KY. Welsey, Cadence, and Janfel joined the crew over at @rrgcc for some good ol' fashioned conservation work at Crossroads in Coal Bank Hollow. Four weeks of work, plus 12 stoke-filled volunteers, resulted in some impressive stats from the team. The project: 🥾 90 ft new trail, 120 ft maintained ⛰️ 1 staircase with 16 steps built ⚒️ 1 massive retaining wall (21 feet long and 13 feet tall) constructed 🪨 94 tons of rock moved The southeast hasn't seen the last of us yet. The team will be boots on the ground in Tennessee, working at Foster Falls, from now until June. Stay tuned for more details on that project. As for the climbers in the Red, we hope you get out and enjoy what these fine folk have built for ya! Special thanks to the @nationalforests for supporting this project and our Red River Gorge Climber Stewards program.

After 22 years behind ‘No Climbing’ signs, two closed Red River Gorge crags are officially re-opening. Oil Crack and Arena have been closed since 2004, when an oil company bought the land and banned climbing. Now, the Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition has signed a new agreement that will reopen 83 routes. They hope to open them this fall. Read the full story at the link in bio, or comment ‘read’ and we’ll DM you the article. ✍️ @silverismaya 📸 @wilkinsonvisual

As our fundraiser for Oil Crack & Arena winds down, we just want to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible support we’ve experienced so far. 🫶 Your generosity, psych, and willingness to show up have been a powerful reminder of just how strong and connected this community is – and we’re so grateful to be a part of it! ✍ A note on incentives: Winners were randomly selected this past Sunday – if you are a recipient of the rad gear from @blackdiamond , @bluewaterropes , or @thenorthface_climb , you should have received an email Monday morning from RRGCC. 👀 🔗 Of course, this fundraiser is not going anywhere, and there is still ample time to donate. The link can be found in our bio. We couldn't have done this without your support – thank you for showing up! 🤝 📷: Mike Wilkinson, @wilkinsonvisual

LAST CALL! 🚨👀 Donate before 11:59pm TONIGHT to be entered to win gear from @blackdiamond , @bluewaterropes , and @thenorthface_climb ! 🔗 Oil Crack & Arena info & donation page can be found here: /about/ocaa/ 🎉 Winners will be contacted tomorrow to retrieve sizing info, preferred styles, etc. Any amount helps – we are incredibly grateful for the community response and the massive support so far. THANK YOU to all who have contributed! 🤜🤛 📷: Josh at the 5-star 5.10 wall at The Arena, photo by @wilkinsonvisual

Only 2 days left! ⏳ Don’t miss your chance to win ✅ and support something meaningful! ✅ The support so far has been incredible. Truly, thank you to everyone who’s shown up, shared, and donated. This community is something special. 🫶 Last year, your support from the Ashland campaign helped us open 11 new crags. This year, we’re building on that momentum. In 2026, we’ve continued working to open even more Ashland crags – now that work continues alongside restoring and caring for these beloved classic crags to get them open as soon as possible. Your donations will go toward building sustainable infrastructure, think: 🥾 Trail mapping & cutting ⛏ Rock splitting, moving & setting 🪨 Belay base stabilization & various erosion control methods 🪾 Removing dead trees from the cliff line in order to keep y’all safe 🎟️ Donate by 11:59pm THIS SATURDAY, April 25th�& you’ll be entered for a chance to win gear from @blackdiamond , @bluewaterropes , and @thenorthface_climb . 🔗 See the full donor incentive deets at the links in our bio. THANK YOU to our wonderful community & to each person who has supported this campaign so far, we cannot do this work without you. ✨ 📷: 5.11 wall at Oil Crack, photo by Mike Wilkinson, @wilkinsonvisual

Aaaaaaaaand that’s a wrap on RIAD 2026! 🎬 How does the saying go – climb hard, party harder? 🤭 Our 4th Annual Red in A Day Competition is officially in the books! You wouldn’t know it from this post, but a whole heck of a lot of climbing DID in fact go down this weekend- huge congrats to everyone who competed! 💪 📷 Stay tuned for RIAD film pics, and the official photo gallery that’s cooking from @nostalgia.filmandfoto THANK YOU to everyone who came out and brought the party! 🪩 Let’s do it again sometime? 😉 A massive thank you to all of RIAD’s incredible sponsors that make the event so special each year. 👇 Title Sponsors: @miguelsclimbshop & @redpointrrg @cliffviewredrivergorge @bluewaterropes @ale8one @scarpana @rab.equipment @thenorthface @lasportivana @blackdiamond @physivantage @lefclimbing @countryboybrewing @makersmark @theclimbingzine @nikwaxna @kodiakcakes @accessfund @petzl @eliteperformanceclimbing @rrgshuttle @kerns_kitchen @inkyalgae