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climbza
May 29, 2009, 3:32 PM
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Hi All,
I'm heading to Red River Gorge for two days and want to know where the best place to climb would be?
I'm going with 2 novice climbers, so am looking for an area with routes in 5.9/5.10 range going up to 5.12 for myself.
Any recommendations 
Thanks in advance,
Justin
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kingjawsh
May 29, 2009, 3:35 PM
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Registered: May 5, 2004
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Military crag has a few 9's and 10's plus its got the 5.12 wall with some pretty out standing routes on it.
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camhead
May 29, 2009, 3:41 PM
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Muir Valley also has a lot of crags near each other, with tons of easier stuff and enough harder lines to keep you occupied.
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Neel
May 29, 2009, 3:47 PM
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Roadside is pretty good, but tends to get busy - try the online guide book at http://www.redriverclimbing.com, it'll show the route distributions for all the areas.
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climbza
May 29, 2009, 11:05 PM
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Registered: Nov 23, 2003
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Forgot to mention that I only have gear for sport climbing.
Can anyone recommend a cabin to stay at (not setup for camping)?
Thanks again.
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johnwesely
May 29, 2009, 11:13 PM
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Registered: Jun 13, 2006
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If you get a cabin from Red River Outdoors, you can climb at Torrent Falls.
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Carnage
Jun 1, 2009, 1:50 AM
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i second the vote for muir valley. check out bruise brothers wall for a good density of climbs in the 10- range.
side note: i found the grades there(muir valley, bruise brother wall) pretty easy so your group should be working on stuff up to like 10d there.
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AltitudeJunkie
Jun 1, 2009, 2:48 AM
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muir valley is great. if you go on a weekend practice wall will be busy, but bruise brothers has some good 10s and a pretty good 9-. tectonic wall isn't bad. gettin lucky in kentucky and plate tectonics are great routes. (i guess i can only speak for gettin lucky, but ive heard good things about plate tectonics). washboard in muir valley has a 5.10d called barenjager that is fun. theres a 9 called send me on my way that is a longer sport route. i was recommended to do rat stew a 10a. both of those are at bruise brothers.
roadside isn't bad. A.W.O.L. is a fun route.
fortress is good but its all trad.
sunshine and moonbeam at military i've heard are great routes. they are two that i'd like to get on.
i would recommend camping at miguel's (gear, awesome food, and climbers-only camping in one place. its cheap too), but if you can climb at torrent and stay at those cabins thats an added bonus, but ive never climbed at torrent so i can't tell you what the climbing is like.
you can also stay at the hostel, true north, in pine ridge (about 15 minutes from miguels.). true north is a little more expensive but its nice. (google it: true north outfitters) if you're already aware of this stuff then sorry i'm repeating lol!
i recommend swinging by miguels, grabbing some pizza and an ale8, and picking up a guidebook if you don't already have one, and asking miguel, some of the people who work for him or really anyone just hanging out there. the guidebook will sometimes tell you what routes are good for beginners and for each area it will tell you some classic routes in those areas.
the gorge is an awesome place, hope you have a great time!! :)
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johnwesely
Jun 1, 2009, 11:50 AM
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I have to disagree with you about sunshine and moonbeam. Those are the two worst routes I have climbed at the red. They are awkward and don't flow at all.
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kingjawsh
Jun 1, 2009, 11:53 AM
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I'm tragicly goin to have to agree. No flow and crappy falls compared to everything else at military.
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AltitudeJunkie
Jun 1, 2009, 1:46 PM
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i have not been on them. i was just saying what i've heard. they were recommended to me by several locals so i'm really just passing it on.
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johnwesely
Jun 1, 2009, 1:57 PM
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That was not a personal attack. They are just crappy routes. It is not your fault.
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freeskicolorado
Jun 1, 2009, 3:08 PM
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I thought the Bruise Bros wall sucked. It was the only crag I've tried at the Red that I didn't like. YMMV.
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AltitudeJunkie
Jun 1, 2009, 7:33 PM
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haha no, not at all.
ive just heard they're good routes. but maybe i was talking to people who haven't been on them. or maybe the routes were easier for them or something.
i won't necessarily scratch those routes off my tick list, but they are officially less of a priority -- thanks for the heads up! :)
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AltitudeJunkie
Jun 1, 2009, 7:37 PM
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i agree that part of it does. where ch4 is (i don't recommend that route. i didn't have fun on it. mostly because every move felt iffy and i thought one false move and i was gonna pitch.) the other part of it, where rat stew and send me on my way are was pretty busy when i was there. but then again, MV on the weekends. id have to climb there more to have a more informed, first-hand opinion as ive only done a few routes on bruise brothers.
i hear good things about defy the laws of tradition, a 10a. anyone done that one?
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freeskicolorado
Jun 1, 2009, 7:40 PM
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To Defy... is great. Perfect rock.
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AltitudeJunkie
Jun 1, 2009, 7:45 PM
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sweet! i've heard nothing but good things about that route. makes me excited to get on it :)
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shrug7
Jun 1, 2009, 7:55 PM
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I was on them a few years back. I'll say that there are worse out there at the red. but I agree awkward routes... but yet humbling.
----
And unless someone cleaned "To Defy..." it a chalk pile.
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gripster
Jun 1, 2009, 8:29 PM
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Registered: Apr 4, 2006
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If you have a group of people who are climbing at a variety of grades then you should definitely check out Muir Valley. The place is gumby central, and with the gratuitous use of bolts there is no real fear of ever taking a whipper here.
However the Bruise Brother wall is a sweltering area especially in the summer, so prepare for some hot climbing if you go there. There are several easier routes here and most of them are really fun (contrary to one of the comments above).
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climbza
Jun 12, 2009, 7:23 PM
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Registered: Nov 23, 2003
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Hi Everyone,
Many thanks for all the replies and recommendations 
We had two days of fun climbing at RRG.
Day one (am): We went to Military Wall. IMO not a great place for beginners, but the wall further in with the 12's looked awesome. We did some easier stuff (not so great quality routes) and I did Fuzzy Undercling 5.11b - Awesome route!!!
Day one (pm): We went up to Left Flank, some real nice easier climbs here and also did To Defy The Laws Of Tradition -5.10a.
Recommend the place for easier climbs.
Day two (late start): We went to Roadside (this place is awesome - some of the locals will poo poo it a little because they have been there so much, but we found it to be great!!)
We did some easy routes and then did Pulling Pockets and three other routes on the same wall (not sure of the names)
Day two (pm): Swam in pool
We stayed at the Lil' Abner Motel (nice place) with a great pool. If you're visiting first time, be sure to pull into the curio/gift shop along the way.
For food, we ate at miguel's (great pizza + shop) and Subway for everything else.
The locals living there were friendly and really nice people.
Conversation we overheard:
Tourist: Have you lived here all your life?
Shop owner: Not yet
We also saw 5 Copperhead snakes (some of them alarmingly late!) A lot of people mentioned that Muir Valley is great!
Thanks to the locals who were kind enough to show us around
We will be back 
Me on Pulling Pockets
Erik on his second day of climbing - doing his first lead
Fuzzy Undercling
Kentucky Lion with its master
(This post was edited by climbza on Jun 12, 2009, 7:26 PM)
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sungam
Jun 12, 2009, 7:43 PM
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Registered: Jun 24, 2004
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Good choice, that 5.10 wall at roadside is great. Good to see you had a blast.
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daggerx
Feb 18, 2010, 11:54 PM
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Registered: Sep 16, 2001
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sorry were full move on to the new
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johnwesely
Feb 19, 2010, 12:35 AM
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daggerx wrote: sorry were full move on to the new
The OP went on his trip last June.
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