Moving to Louisville, KY??

Just wondering if anyone has lived in Louisville as a climber? I live in Denver now and love it, but I have a job opportunity in Louisville and am interested as it is much cheaper and it's 2 hrs from the Red.

Is there a climbing scene at all? Any of the local gyms any good as after work climbing at the red would be very unlikely.

Thanks!!

I can't speak for a climbing community but you have Red River Gorge that is under 2 hours from Louisville. Not sure what type of climbing you do but Red River has some of the best sport climbing in the country!

I don't know about the Louisville climbing scene, but there is a healthy HORSE scene. A quick internet search yielded one gym:

yelp.com/biz/rocksport-loui…

Obviously gym climbing would not be as good as outdoor climbing but even if it weren't for the distance, it is good for winter, rain, and night climbing. And meeting people to climb w/ at the Red. I know a lot of people have disdain for the gym, but I enjoy gyms because the routes are always changing (esp at Rockquest, the routesetting quality and frequency is top notch), on a lazy day back after a hiatus you can just toprope, and lastly, you can train by bouldering. Except at bouldering destinations I don't see too much bouldering outdoors, and you don't have to walk anywhere between the bouldering routes (that you can/want to do), and don't have to drag your pad around.

I also live 2 hrs from the Red and it's great, sometimes I drive there in the morning and drive back at night.

As Kurt said, the Red is known for sport climbing, over a thousand routes. But there are also over a thousand trad routes, actually more trad than sport. There are a lot of routes not listed in the guidebook. But, there are very few multi-pitch routes, the few multi-pitch routes are just 2 pitches and are trad. Not a lot of bouldering (a dozen).

Annddd when you get sick of the Red or have more time to drive, you can always go to the New River Gorge (I drive past the Red to get to the New b/c the other route has too many redlights/hairpin turns) which is also hard sandstone with thousands of sport and trad routes, Obed (sport and trad), T-wall (mostly trad), North Carolina (multi-pitch granite).

Not like Colorado of course... (which I am actually thinking about), but sometimes the career is important. That's what I'm in Cincy for. It is what funds all the gear.

Caprinae monkey wrote:I don't know about the Louisville climbing scene, but there is a healthy HORSE scene. A quick internet search yielded one gym: yelp.com/biz/rocksport-loui… Obviously gym climbing would not be as good as outdoor climbing but even if it weren't for the distance, it is good for winter, rain, and night climbing. And meeting people to climb w/ at the Red. I know a lot of people have disdain for the gym, but I enjoy gyms because the routes are always changing (esp at Rockquest, the routesetting quality and frequency is top notch), on a lazy day back after a hiatus you can just toprope, and lastly, you can train by bouldering. Except at bouldering destinations I don't see too much bouldering outdoors, and you don't have to walk anywhere between the bouldering routes (that you can/want to do), and don't have to drag your pad around. I also live 2 hrs from the Red and it's great, sometimes I drive there in the morning and drive back at night. As Kurt said, the Red is known for sport climbing, over a thousand routes. But there are also over a thousand trad routes, actually more trad than sport. There are a lot of routes not listed in the guidebook. But, there are very few multi-pitch routes, the few multi-pitch routes are just 2 pitches and are trad. Not a lot of bouldering (a dozen). Annddd when you get sick of the Red or have more time to drive, you can always go to the New River Gorge (I drive past the Red to get to the New b/c the other route has too many redlights/hairpin turns) which is also hard sandstone with thousands of sport and trad routes, Obed (sport and trad), T-wall (mostly trad), North Carolina (multi-pitch granite). Not like Colorado of course... (which I am actually thinking about), but sometimes the career is important. That's what I'm in Cincy for. It is what funds all the gear.

Out of all of that rambling nonsense I think there were two actually pertinent things to the original posters question....

Somehow you also managed to throw in; there is a horse community in Louisville, how some people hate climbing gyms, the route setting frequency of the gym you climb at, something about bouldering outdoors, and something else about how you take a different route to the New because of redlights and hairpin turns.

What in the world does this even mean???
"Except at bouldering destinations I don't see too much bouldering outdoors, and you don't have to walk anywhere between the bouldering routes (that you can/want to do), and don't have to drag your pad around."

Dusty,

Buy a horse so you can ride it to the motherlode and crush! yeah!

Buy a horse so you can ride it to the motherlode and crush! yeah!

Travis, that is a great idea! Sometimes I don't feel like hiking up those hills w/ my pack to the cliffs, and horses go up such steep hills. Getting winded sucks before even starting to climb. Good good good idea, I knew horses were good for something!

Dustin, how good is the job? How many more new cams per month can you buy? How bad was the old job? Is it something like a restaurant job that isn't a career path, you can just get back if you ever decide to return?

LloydBraun wrote: Out of all of that rambling nonsense I think there were two actually pertinent things to the original posters question.... Somehow you also managed to throw in; there is a horse community in Louisville, how some people hate climbing gyms, the route setting frequency of the gym you climb at, something about bouldering outdoors, and something else about how you take a different route to the New because of redlights and hairpin turns. What in the world does this even mean??? "Except at bouldering destinations I don't see too much bouldering outdoors, and you don't have to walk anywhere between the bouldering routes (that you can/want to do), and don't have to drag your pad around."

LOLOL if you put it like that it makes what I wrote sound so bad. No I'm not gonna win any advice columnist awards. Did you just join MP to tell me I was rambling, and then poke fun at other posters on MP? Are you my freaking climbing partner w/ a changed name??? This sounds like something he would say!

If there were only 2 pertinent items relevant to the original poster's question, I don't think that's too bad. Let's see... your complaints... Horse scene - I thought I was being humorous, but it probably true the horse community in KY overshadows the climbing community. It might be a good thing. The first time I was in KY I was on a motorcyle trip from Texas, and I saw the most beautiful horse ever, it was caramel with blond hair. Still one of my favorite color combinations on a horse. And KY hills are green and lush. Once I passed from Tennessee there was an immediate change, TN is darker, foggier, more backwoods and desolate with abandoned business. Chattanooga is quite the Confederate holdout, it is full of confederate flags, hunting, rednecks, and meth addicts breaking into your car.

How some people hate climbing gyms. I didn't say hate, I said disdain for (climbing snobbery). OP specifically mentioned, "any of the local gyms any good as after work climbing at the red would be very unlikely" implying he was looking to see if there was a gym around, and saying outdoor climbing is better than indoor climbing. True, but I had to point out why indoor climbing is good for after work sessions.

I pointed out routes can be reset indoors, to add variety. It's kind of cool actually, because outdoor routes remain more or less the same for your entire life while indoor routes are ever-changing.

As for the bouldering bit, most/all indoor gyms have a bouldering section, and bouldering is the best for good for getting stronger or maintaining strength for going outside. I also wanted to point out indoor bouldering is more efficient than outdoor bouldering, especially if he wants to climb after work. In outdoor bouldering you use whatever holds are there for the path you are going, so there are fewer routes per giant boulder. And, whoever put the boulders there did not group all the V2 together and all the V5 together, so you have to walk a while to get to another boulder/route. And, there aren't pads in place outside so you have to drag a heavy pad around, slowing you down further. In indoor bouldering, they overlap the routes, and you can only use designated marked holds, so there are a lot more routes in a small area and no time is wasted walking around, and the floor is already padded.

I thought my pointing out other nearby climbing areas was very helpful! I wanted him to know that it's not such a bad lifestyle in terms of climbing, I'm in the same boat and it's do-able. I mentioned I drive past the Red to go to the New, as this guy would from Louisville to go to the New, because the Red is 2 hrs away from both of us. Because the route Google suggests from Cincinnati to the New is different, that wasn't apparent I have the same driving time and I wanted to explain why, b/c of the redlights and hairpin turns.

Well it's not like you paid any money to read my E-essays, and also, I don't think you answered OP's question at all!

Ha, ha thanks for all the replys, I don't mind any of the ramble, it is mountain project after all and most of the shit on here is just babble anyways.

The cost of living there is 13.5% cheaper than Denver and the job would pay 11-12% more than I make now. It would be an internal change but I know they are hurting for qualified candidates in that area. Just trying to decide if that is even worth it. I have a pretty great group of climbing friends here and I can climb pretty much everyday of the week (either inside or outside) depending on the weather and I love Denver, but I've been here for 4 years and feel a bit stagnant.

More than anything I was looking to see if anyone lives in L-ville and if it sucks as a climber. Climbing is obviously a huge part of my life, hell thats why I moved here in the first place.

I do frequent gyms(that work thing really gets in the way sometimes!) but out here we have some pretty dedicated route setters and excellent facilities. You kind of get spoiled as I've been to other gyms that cater to birthday parties and kids more so, those kind of suck for someone who is trying to train/stay strong when not able to get outdoors.

LOUISVILLE PRO

• Change of scenery.
• You can move back, or somewhere else, you're not a tree
• If you're feeling stagnant, you'll have extra funds for traveling to other world destinations with the money saved.
• You will feel like a good person for supporting your company's need for manpower.
• You can use this as leverage for more vacation time... yes work does get in the way of climbing.
• You will be an awesome climber compared to a lot of people.
• Not "just another climber" like everyone else in Denver.
• You can hang with the better climbers in the area
• Free routes at higher grades - weekend climbers from Ohio are kinda moderate, like me. So lines above 5.10s are usually free. Trad routes are often free (except the classics) but some of them are chossy from lack of traffic.
• One of the cheapest states for Booze and Cigarettes
• Moonshine, Jack Daniels, the Borboun trail
• Mint Julep & Kentucky Derby & famous 'people' named seabiscuit
• Rednecks, and you will feel rich on whatever salary you are on
• Pet horses
• Amazon and UPS hub so you will get your packages really quick

DENVER PRO

• You love living in Denver.
• I am not sure the money is worth it.
• You will spend all your money flying back to Denver.
• Work will get "in the way" of climbing more here, because the gym is your only option after work, that and a hangboard.
• Lots of rock everywhere
• Alpine
• Fewer gyms here. Yeah, I know those birthday party distractions. YOu're trying to focus and a bunch of parents start cheering. Very distracting
• Mountains for snowsports... we only have hills for that. I hear there used to be climbable ice around the Red, but not since I've moved here.
• Also feeling stagnant after a while. Would you be able to do a 1-2 year stint and transfer back? I would do a 2 year stint here.
• Your established friends, here a smaller pool of people to climb with at your level, but they're out there
• Lots of people always moving there so you meet new people
• Legalized stuff
• Fitter more attractive people
• Your out of town friends are more likely to visit you.

As much as I would like climbers to move here to the general location, I don't want you to regret moving. (Although you can always move somewhere else). I've only lived in the area for about 1.5 yrs. I'm sorry, I'm not from Louisville but I figure it's 1 hr away so close enough to know the general feel.

Dusty, buy a camel and ride it to left flank. Camels don't get thirsty. Horses get cranky when they get thirsty!

I lived in Louisville. No climbing scene really. There is one gym, but its a little out of town. Seems like more of a scene in Lexington with the college and being that it is closer to the Red. The red is absolutely incredible, but the 2 hour drive gets very old and it is the closest place to go. There are some boulders in Cherokee park, but they aren't worth a second visit. Your biggest problem will be the weather. Summer is brutal with 90-100 degree temps on ave and 90 % humidity. Winter is freeze/thaw daily and snow a few times a month. Spring and fall are amazing but can have violent thunderstorms. Sorry to be a downer, but I wouldnt recommend it to a climber like you that is used to climbing daily or at least would like to have that option. Kentucky is pretty much completely flat except for the Red.

Cost of living means nothing if you arent actually living. I live in California now and the cost of living is rediculous. I can climb, surf, and snowboard all in the same day. Screw the cost.

Move out as far east of Lv' as you can, the closer to the Red or Lexington if you don't mind the longer drive in to work, and be out of the city itself. Just an idea.

There are a few pockets, nothin like CO but everyone travels to the george and there are many norhern, Ky, TN and Ohio climbers as well. there are 2 climbing gyms and a few basement woodies. Once you get settled go to the local gym and meet some people.