The meeting scheduled for Saturday, February 6 is canceled due to the weather. This post will be updated when a firm date and time is decided upon for the rescheduled meeting.

Win a Sterling Rope

There was an open meeting at Torrent Falls this weekend to discuss Rocktoberfest and many other pressing issues that the RRGCC faces on a daily basis.

The BOD and other participants discussed how the economic downturn has impacted the climbing industry and community. We expect that this trend may continue for 2010. So again we must turn to you for support to make our fundraising goals. We know that you are willing to help. Climbers frequently ask what they can do to remind everyone to donate, as represented by Mike Anderson’s comment at the meeting: “It’s a privilege to climb here and I think everyone needs to pay.”

Check this out, you can donate at little as $7 a month to the RRGCC on a monthly basis. It is set up on auto draft so you don’t even have to think about it!

The RRGCC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. That means that money that you donate to the RRGCC is money that you get to deduct that from your taxes!

Here is the most important part: we are $12,000 short on the PMRP payment for next year. Yes, Rocktoberfest was an amazing event. But we experienced some additional expenses this year and dollars are tight with the economy in the condition it is in.

Here is the best part! You have the opportunity to deduct dollars from your taxes, help the RRGCC, and enter to win a brand new Sterling rope! If you go to http://rrgcc.org/support-us/membership/ and register yourself to donate $7 or more per month for a year (or $84 or more all at once as a lump sum) between now and February 15th, you will be entered to win a Sterling rope that we will mail to your house!

So seriously, go to http://rrgcc.org/support-us/membership/ right now and sign up! We will be posting the names of those who have signed up – make sure your name is on the list!

A big thank you to Red River Outdoors and all who participated in 2009’s Climbers that Care event this past Saturday. During the day, much trail work was completed at Torrent Falls, where (thanks to Dr. Bob), we all had a place to gather around a fire in the evening.

Keen, our Presenting Sponsor, is hosting a Disk Long-Drive and a Keen-Hole contest for schwag

The upcoming weekend has more than a bit going on. To help you keep it straight, check out the schedule below for just a few of the goings on. Milk crate stacking, disk long-drives, dunk tanks, raffles out the waazoo..

Let’s be honest – if you walk away empty handed this week, it’s your own fault.

Natural Bridge Campgrounds. Exit 33 off the Bert Combs Mountain Parkway. Follow signs to Natural Bridge Campgrounds

It’s official – registration for Rocktoberfest 2009 is now open! Visit http://rrgcc.org/register/ to register yourself and others for the weekend.

If you have questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to contact us or call us (use the “Call Me” button to the right or dial us at 859-955-0774).

Thanks and see you in October

Friday:

• Camping and parking is included and is on site at the Natural Bridge Campgrounds (click for directions).
• First choice of camping spots (limited sites with water and electric hookups)
• First dibs at vendors and all their demo gear, including gear from:
  Black Diamond, Petzl, La Sportiva, Sterling Ropes Five Ten and others..
• Climbing films featured by Dead Point Magazine and music DJ’ed by our man from the south, John “Cletus” Wilcox.
• Fun and games.. and did we mention all the vendors and demo gear!
• Access to the dyno comp to either toss in your hat or heckle from the sidelines.

Saturday:

• The Clip and Go Comp Climbing competition at the Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve – Sore Heel Hollar Competition will be based on endurance – number of bolts clipped and the difficulty of the route will both factor into the point system.
• Sign up is from 9-10am at the Registration Desk or at the Sore Heel Parking Lot.
• The competition will last from 10am to 5pm and the winners will be announced at the venue on Saturday night.
• Free YOGA class Saturday morning at 9:30.  Please bring your own mat. 
  

Saturady evening will host plenty of music, food, gear, a dyno comp, and plenty more..

Saturday Night:

• Camping and parking is included and is on site
• Free swag from every angle! T-shirts, posters, stickers, gear and much more.
• Silent auction with a ton of top end gear from our gracious sponsors!
• And we’ll be hosting and featuring the Reel Rock Tour Movie
• Plus we’ll have a dyno comp, DJ, and plenty more to attract your distractable eyes and ears..

Sunday:

• Clinics lead and attended by pros from around the sport
• Breakfast in the morning courtesy of the Solid Rock Climbers for Christ

September 26th at Rockquest, Cincinnati: Benchmark Outfitters will put on a comp to benefit the RRGCC

This September 26 in Cincinnati, at RockQuest Climbing Center, Benchmark Outfitter is putting together a climbing competition to benefit the RRGCC. Starting at 5pm, climbers will compete for excellent prizes from vendors like The Benchmark Outfitter, Sterling Ropes, Arc’Teryx, and La Sportiva. And while they’re pulling down, the $25 entrance fee will go to support the RRGCC in our mission to secure the PMRP.

Don’t miss out on a great chance to have a blast and support the Coaltion at the same time!

For more information, call 513-791-WILD (9453). Or check them out Benchmark Outfitters on Facebook.

Celebrating one of the largest Adopt-A-Crags this year. Photo by Elodie Saracco

Last Saturday the Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition hosted their most successful trail day event in their 13 year history. Over 90 people came together to lend their skills and talent to developing new trails, and rehabbing existing pathways on the Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve. Additionaly, last Saturday’s trail day most certainly ranks as one of the largest Access Fund sponsored Adopt-A-Crag events in 2009!

Here is a synopsis of what was accomplished:

At Sore Heel:

• New steps built going to Curbside
• New trails installed on the left side of Curbside
• Completed the exit trail going towards curbside
• New steps built going to Optical Rectitus
• Bike trail maintenance and small addition added
• Foot bridge on the far right of the Gallery
• Gallery side and base maintenance
• Rerouting of trail and steps added in the large drainage ditch
• Trail maintenance in a variety of other locations at Sore Heel

At Crossroads:

• Sign installed
• Wooden steps installed on the side-trail at the Crossroads
• Crossroads side-trail improved

At Darkside:

• Fallen trees were removed
• Steps cut into the trail

At Drive-By/Bob Marley:

• Steps installed at the start of the Bob Marley trail
• New trail completed between Drive By and Bob Marley Crags

Gather supplies in Coal Bank Hollow. Photo by Elodie Saracco

In other exciting news, for the first time ever the Johnny and Alex Trail Day raised money for the coalition, both in private donations and sales at the event. These funds and donations of goods and services from our generous sponsors financed that great party.

To those that volunteered Saturday and those that give in so many other ways, thank you!

View Johnny and Alex Trail Day 2009 in a larger map

Thanks to Wes Allen for the video..  a more detailed wrap-up to come..

JATD 09 from Wes Allen on Vimeo.

The RRGCC would like to extend a special thank you to Jack Dickey and Mike Driskell.  Jack organized a trail day on the PMRP.  He and his crew of volunteers re-installed the bridge to gallery and created a new path trough the marsh and also terraced the base of The Gallery (right hand side). They built a nice set of steps added to beginning of trail to left field and water bars to that trail. They also created a new bridge created to What About Bob Wall.

Also, Driskell Home Repair sponsored a trail day at Roadside Crag. They were able to remove downed trees that had fallen during the winter ice storm. They also relocated the start of the trail, widened the start, added water bars to the trail and built a set of stairs.

A special thank you to Jack, Mike, and their volunteers: Wes Church, Steve Dunkelbarger, Mark Gueltzow, Mark E. Jackson, Dave Jaspersen, David Lawrence, Bryce Markley, Codie Masterson, Bob Matheny, Ben Cassedy, Brent Dupree, Travis Faulkner, Josephine Neff, Lisa Nowak, James P. Orsi, James (Matt) Pittinger, Johnathan Powell, Chris Sandford, Zach Shaughter, Bill Strachan, and Rick Bost.

From time to time the RRGCC has need of various items. Since we try to spend as much of every dollar raised towards the payment, we’re hoping that perhaps some of you may have extras lying around and can donate them (or if you’d like to purchase them, that’s fine too!). We’ll keep this list updated by crossing items off as we receive them, so please check back often.

Items we could use right now include:

- 9×12 envelopes with peel-off sticking
– A file cabinet with a lock.
– Work Gloves
– Clip Boards
– Letter sized Hanging File Folders
– Non-hanging file folders (the kind with the tab at the top)
– Walkie Talkies
– scissors
– bags to put schwag in
– yellow or orange or florescent spray paint
– white xmas tree lights
– extension cords
– triple A batteries
– 9×12 envelopes
– Stamps at current rate
– Address labels
– Sign sticks
– office chair

If you have donations, please contact Josephine at josephine.neff+rrgccdonations (gmail) or post a comment here.