Red River Gorge Climbers' Coalition

The Red River Gorge Climbers' Coalition was founded by local climbers Shannon Stuart-Smith and Kris Snyder in November 1996 as a local climber's advocacy group to protect climbing at the Red River Gorge. Rock climbing in the Red River Gorge area had originally occurred primarily on the public lands of Daniel Boone National Forest and was therefore subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service. In 1996 the Forest Service issued for the first time ever a Rock Climbing Management Guide for the Red River area. This guide, or RCMG, was viewed negatively by climbers. As a direct result of the issuance of the RCMG, Shannon and Kris decided to form a climbers' coalition to champion climbers' interests and to try to improve relations between the Forest Service and climbers. Their main concern was twofold, re-writing the RCMG to include climbers' input and thereby "improving" it and educating and empowering climbers to ensure the long-term future of climbing.

Today the RRGCC has grown to a several hundred member-strong, all volunteer, advocacy group that continues to work with the US Forest Service on ensuring access to climbing in the Daniel Boone National Forest. The Coalition has also expanded its efforts to include working with the Natural Bridge State Park, and many local private land owners as well. The RRGCC's main focus has been from its inception, protection and promotion of responsible climbing. This goal has taken many forms, from building environmentally friendly climber trails to popular crags, to articles in its quarterly newsletter on top-rope safety. Climbing continues to grow in popularity and change, and so do the issues surrounding it. For people to continue to enjoy the freedom to climb on public and private land, innovative and creative solutions will have to be sought. On February 7, 2000 the Red River Gorge Climbers' Coalition and the U.S. Forest Service signed a Memorandum of Understanding.[1] The signing of this MOU represents a significant breakthrough for Red River Gorge climbers and the Forest Service after years of skepticism, mistrust, and alienation.

As of 2020[2]

Board

• Adam Gregory - President
• Nicholas Hart - Vice President
• Jereme Ransick - Treasurer
• Leah Merchant - Secretary
• Andrew Dangler - Director of Corporate Relations
• Curtis Gale-Dyer - Land Manager
• Colin Howell - Communications Director
• Briana Blanchard - Board Member
• Jonathan Bruns - Board Member
• Jake Ellis - Board Member
• Matthew Fronek - Board Member

Staff

• Billy Simek - Executive Director

Climber on Convicted (5.13a) in The Motherlode area

One of the numerous pumpjacks within PMRP

The Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve, or the PMRP, is 750 acres (3.0 km²) of land now owned and maintained by the RRGCC. This land, now open to the public, is a commitment to preserving and sustaining climbing access in the Red River Gorge indefinitely.

In the 1990s, as climbing grew in popularity as a sport, the RRGCC Coalition formed with the intent of permanently securing access to climbing in the Red River Gorge region. However, being on the East Coast, most of the climbing opportunities were available only on private property or Forest Service land. In 1996, the USFS enacted a bolting ban on its land, effectively ending the development of sport climbing in those areas.[3] While working with the Forest Service to improve relations and explore the options, the Coalition was also working with private landowners to secure access to climbing and development. With the rising popularity of climbing, though, to be a touchy situation since relations grew increasingly tense with landowners and their wishes to maintain their privacy and independence.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the potential for development, particularly sport climbing, was discovered in the Southern Region, where steep, beautiful sandstone walls are overhanging and pocketed and offer technical, dynamic, and endurance climbing. As word spread and climbers flocked to the Bald Rock Fork and Coal Bank Hollow areas, conflicts arose between climbers and oil companies in the region, especially related to limited parking causing road blocks. The first well known and developed areas The Motherlode lies on private land just outside PMRP (See BRRP below). With over 50 routes in 5.11-5.14 range, it is one of the most well known destination for hard climbing in the region. Other climbing areas in PMRP hosts more than 500 climbs, ranging from 5.4 to 5.14d, with new climbs constantly being discovered and developed. The property hosts several hundred climbers each weekend, with the three parking lots often reaching capacity by noon.

In 2004, when more than 750 acres (3.0 km²) of land in the Southern Region came available, the RRGCC, recognizing the opportunity to secure access in the area, moved quickly to purchase the land. Negotiating with the Murray family, the Coalition and the Murray's reached an agreement and the ownership of the land was transferred to the RRGCC. To finance the purchase, the RRGCC worked out an owner-financed mortgage of 8% a year for 10 years. With a few maintenance costs, the final yearly costs translate to nearly $30,000 per year. The last mortgage payment was made in 2012, and the RRGCC fully owns the PMRP.[4] The payments are financed from private donations and from support of The Access Fund [5] a national climbing advocacy organization.

Sitting just east of the PMRP, across highway 11, is the Miller Fork Recreational Preserve, 309 acres (1.25 km²) of land now owned by the RRGCC. In May 2012 the RRGCC, with the help of The Access Fund, closed a deal on acquiring this land. The RRGCC is expected to own the land fully by the end of 2017.[6]

Ray Ellington's newest book, Miller Fork Climbing, released in October 2015, explores the hundreds of new routes along the walls of the MFRP.[7]

In January 2017 the RRGCC purchased 102 acres guaranteeing access to some of the best and most famous areas that the RRG has to offer. The Motherlode, the Chocolate Factory, The Bear's Den and the Unlode. Climbing began at the Motherlode over 25 years ago, and has some of the steepest and hardest lines the Red has to offer. The purchase of this area secured access to 226 routes, ranging from 5.2 to 5.14c.