Kentucky road trip Beta...

[Danger]

Going there soon...
Know barely anything except they have good pizza?

Just looking for info on where to camp, buy guide book, route recommendation, and any interesting local points of excitment (ie local good beer, strip bars, cool sites etc...)

[tracstarr]

not much there from what i know. you can tent in the back of the pizza shop. migells i think it's called. there is a little store to buy beer. don't think there is much else. I've got the red river ruckus video, but it's here with me on the west coast and i'm not back until the weekend sometime

[mathieu]

The trad is sweet, the sport is sweet, the pizza is great, the showers are cheap and the booze is illegal. Train for 45degree roofs and you should be able to climb rain or shine, the climbing is steep and juggy. What kind of beta are you looking for?

[Fred]

camping is at Miguel's Pizza central to all the climbing. You will need a car to go from crag to crag. Let us know what kind of climbing you like and we can give you route recommendations.

check out http://www.redriverclimbing.com for online guidebook

You can buy the new guidebook from MEC but I'm certain they will have it at Miguel's too.

24h drive from Fredericton

[mathieu]

Avoid long weekends...

[martha]

Avoid long weekends...

and gun toting rednecks....

there are lots of them.............

[granite_grrl]

You looking for sport, trad or bouldering? What kind of grades are you looking for? New guide book is pretty simple, at the start of each cliff section it gives a grade and style break down of the routes there. If they don't have the book at MEC you should be able to pick it up at Miguels when you get there. Most routes are awesome there, if it has a high star rating then you're good to go.

Other things of interest: Miguels is in a dry county, so either pick up your beer on the way or you'll have to make a trip down to the beer trailer when you get there. I have also heard of car break ins in the past. Don't tempt them, try to put as much as you can out of sight in your trunk.

[seanT]

Ben, I have a copy of the guidebook at the gym you can borrow if you want. Its a older version but still has good beta. The temps are pretty low right now there and a lot of the climbing is in shaded amphitheatres. brrrrrrr.Sunny areas....Torent falls, Roadside, left flank & miliatary wall. Never been to the 'Lode. or any of the newer areas. As far as beer goes the Gorge is a dry county so you will have to drive a bit to get beer. BUT the Red is the only place in the world you can get Ale8 soda and it will do more for you than a whole keg. We lived on that flowers when we used to go there. (please bring me back a sixpack i am jonesing) Miguels may be closed He used to close up after mid november when I used to go there but you could still camp there. You can also bivy for free in the parking area across from Roadside crag.
Routes to get on
AWOL
Row champeaux
crazy fingers
fuzzy undercling
king me
bare metal teen
table of colours
twinkie
just a small tick list everyone of those routes is awsome.
Do not i repeat do not wear tight pants anywhere in the Gorge the hillbillies are there and you WILL hear the sound of banjo's.
Have a killer trip.

[mathieu]

FYI: Torrent Falls is now closed

[Danger]

Thanks for all the info... this Ale8 you speak of sounds fascinating, mix with tequila and apply vigorously?....

I'm looking for mostly Trad well protected in the 10-11ish range... and sport somewhere in there as well. And maybe some really easy 5.6ish multipitch...

[mathieu]

For Trad go to Fortress wall

Bedtime for Bonzo: 2P highly recommended
Callipso 1 and 2: single pitch but very nice
Party Time: 2P best trad route I did while there.

Best memory of Kentucky: We met some nice locals at the bottom of Party Time that offered some real kentucky blue grass. Shortly afterward we started talking and he asked us where we're from: "Yous from Canada, lucky devils, how far a drive is it to Baffin Island"
Great folk

[chossmonkey]

FYI: Torrent Falls is now closed

As is the camping across from Roadside Crag.

[Fred]

Row champeaux

Ro Shampo