The Red River Gorge in Kentucky is one of the most enjoyable places in the world for climbing. The Red River and its many tributaries have carved dozens of isolated canyons in the hilly region east and south of Lexington, creating a natural paradise and exposing a ridiculous amount of rock. The cliffs of the Red boast over 3000 routes, from traditional cracks to modern sport routes, ranging from 5.4 to 5.14. More than enough for everyone!
What makes climbing in the Red River Gorge unique is the incredibly sculpted Corbin sandstone. Simply put, it's made for climbing. The walls are often very steep, but the holds are large and abundant. You don't need to climb 5.12 to tackle ultra-steep rocks here! Of course, if harder sport routes are your thing, there's a lifetime's worth here.
It's the most popular place in the eastern United States to progress through difficulty levels!
Volume 2: Red River Gorge South This book, the second volume of a two-volume series, covers the areas south of the Mountain Parkway. Fully revised, it describes over 1500 routes, including 400 new ones for this edition. Entirely new areas include Flat Hollow, Bear’s Den, and New Zoo, with new routes in the famous RRG favorites such as Muir Valley and the Motherlode.
Specifications
- Authors: Ray Ellington & Blake Bowling
- Publisher: Wolverine Publishing
- Publication Year: 2017
- Edition: 5th
- Number of Pages: 360 in color
About the Authors
Ray Ellington has been climbing at the Red for 30 years, has completed four previous editions of this guide, and is tired of talking about himself on this page. He lives in Lexington, KY, with his wife and climbing partner Michelle, works as a security architect, and runs his website redriverclimbing.com.
Blake Bowling lives and climbs at the Red River Gorge. He spends his time developing new routes, working for the AAC, maintaining his site badbolts.com, a national database of bolts where climbers can report bolts and anchors that need attention. He is also AMGA certified and works closely with the Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition to promote safe climbing and protect access for all climbers.
Over the past 25 years, Blake has climbed more than 2000 routes at the Red, holding the top spot in the rankings on redriverclimbing.com. Epic 14-hour solo adventure runs, high-altitude whitewater and cave rescues, and van life are not unfamiliar to him, but writing in the third person is. You can find Blake in and around the Red River Gorge, adding to his impressive list of achievements, cleaning blocks, and replacing mediocre climbing anchors.