Roadside Crag, RRG

devkrev wrote: Its strange that the owner is offering guided trips because making people pay opens up all sorts of liability issues, I thought.

Yes, this is one of the reasons that Muir Valley does not charge for entrance there, since it would make them liable for some accidents under KY law. However, I think that a guide service would be pretty good at avoiding accidents, much more than the college group free for alls that tend to infest Muir.

If you want to avoid future access issues, try donating to the local climber's organization:

Red River Gorge Climbers' Coalition

The RRGCC is currently working towards paying off the mortgage on the PMRP and could use all the help it could get. If they can pay that off it opens up additional funding towards other land improvements or maybe additional land acquisitions. Land ownership in Kentucky is a real sticky situation right now and if climbers don't raise awareness there could be further access issues.

only rock climbers would be indignant and disgusted by a landowner choosing to do something with their land that didnt involve letting climbers use it at their leisure.

The Red in general is out of control when it comes to impact from climbers- and its still growing in popularity. Roadside wasn't the first crag to close and you can bet with the current attitude toward things it won't be the last. How will you all feel when Dario closes down the Lode or the Webers close down Muir? The reality is that both scenarios could happen and may even be likely to happen in the long haul given how climbers currently treat the Red. I hope Roadside opens back up soon, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Given the attitude on this site and redriverclimbing, if I were the landowner, I would be very hesitant to open it back up again to the public.

I agree with both of these sentiments entirely. I don't spend loads of time there but was up fairly recently. I'm always a little shocked at the abuse some of the highly used areas see.

muttonface wrote:"Whoever installed the permadraws should contact me immediately so they can be removed. Also, the route that has been installed to the rightod Up Yonder must be pulled. The two tasks are the immediate prerequisites to reopening the Preserve to climbing. We are presently developing a permit system much like the USFS in the Sierras to limit the number of people in the preserce and thereby minimize the ecological impact. Once these things are done we will slowly reintroduce climbing in the Preserve." Out of curiosity alone, does anyone know if the quasi-permadraws were removed and the bolts on the chossy route pulled? If so, did the land owners have to do it themselves, or did someone local other than them go do it?

Yep they were pulled in a matter of days after the request went up, by local climbers NOT the owners. I was there a few days before Roadside closed and other than the base of the walls being eroded the place was NOT trashed. Plenty of people offered to come and help out doing whatever was needed to open it back up but the owner never seem interested in that. Trail days are really popular in the red and they could have had 100+ show up and fix any concerns if that is what the owners really wanted.

Everyone is right that it is his land and he is free to do what he wants with it.... but its still a little lame he bought the land with the pretense of saving it from cabin development and keeping it open for climbing and then goes on to close it himself. All the reasons he listed for closing it were could have easily been fixed if he was interested.

Pull all the bolts, problem solved instantly. Trad crag. No crowds, less bullshit, I guarantee it ;)

Climbing Fascist wrote: problem solved instantly.

yea sure, other than it's private property and closed to the public.

Climbing Fascist wrote:Pull all the bolts, problem solved instantly. Trad crag. No crowds, less bullshit, I guarantee it ;)

I would be down with this. Only thing there I really want to climb is roadside attraction and the 5.8 finger crack.

yeah except Ro Shampo is one of the most classic 12's in the Red and isn't going to go on gear

Hopefully access is restored someday because Ro and other climbs up there are just amazing. Truly one of the best crags at the Red.