PRACTICE RESPONSIBLE CLIMBING,
SECURE CLIMBING FOR EVERYONE

The Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition is a nonprofit corporation started in 1997 by local climbers to protect, promote, and ensure responsible climbing in the Red River Gorge area of Kentucky. The RRGCC believes that the world class climbing at the Red is a national treasure that deserves everyone’s best efforts to help keep it open and available for all climbers to enjoy, experience, and appreciate. We have built a community-based organization to provide the public service of securing and preserving these unique climbing opportunities by becoming citizen trustees of climbing through direct ownership and climber participation.

We invite you to join us to help keep this important work going and to keep our vision alive for the next generation of climbers. Working together and with allies, and always promoting and practicing responsible climbing, all climbers can help ensure the future of climbing.

Learn and Follow the Rules and speak with other climbers about following the rules. After safety the next most important goal in climbing is keeping it open for the next climber.

Park and Camp in Designated Areas is one of the simplest ways to make a big difference to help keep climbing opportunities available for everyone.

Respect Private Property and private landowners’ requests. Climbing on private land is a privilege and every climber is a “climbing ambassador.”

Use Existing Trails to help protect the environment and sensitive resources. Stay on trails; short-cutting trails, especially on steep slopes, promotes damaging soil erosion.

Dispose of All Waste—including human waste—properly by burying or packing out; use plastic baggies to pack out soiled toilet paper, cigarette butts, and litter.

Practice “Leave No Trace” Avoid damaging vegetation, displacing soil or disturbing rocks. The Red is home to 10,000 year-old archaeological sites and several sensitive and endangered species of plants and animals.

Get Involved Volunteer! Join the RRGCC and the Access Fund. Or, join a local climbing organization near you. If you need help to start a local climbing organization in your area, contact us or the Access Fund.