Are we experienced?

[hoss]

Sadly I've spent five years at UK, only climbing outside this past season. I was a hard core gym rat in high school, and climbed occasionally at Climb Time in Lex, thank God for UK's Johnson center! Had it not been for them I would have never climbed outside. Now I'm totally addicted. I've spent the past season tooling around the Red, HP40, and Rocktown watching my GPA steadily decline. It was well worth it.

[canadaclimbergirl]

I just finished year 3 for rock climbing outdoors with over 60 or 70 days on the rope and I am heading into my 3rd Ice season as we speak. My goal is to top my 30+ days on the ice last year!

[merrick]

I started climbing outside 10 years ago. But I didn't climb much when i started, then took two years off and then just climbed in a gym for few years. But I have been climbing a lot outside for the last 4 and i think I made up for the years I took off in this last year. I have had close to 140 days outside so far this year.

[TradMike]

Hello, my name is Michael and I have been a climboholic for 13 years. My first lead was fuzzy undercling shortly after it was put up. It still had the big hold at the bottom. I rested on the first bolt then fired to the top. Been hooked ever since.

[kentuckysarah]

I started climbing in February of this year at the gym at UK and I started climbing outside in March during spring break. I had my first outdoor lead in May.

So I guess that puts me at 8 months for climbing outside.

[Wicked Tribe]

Nine years this past August. Never been and indoor climber except for one four month stint when I lived in Dayton. Had been hiking around the Red for a few years and wanted something new to do. Rappelling seemed pretty dull, so I was soloing around on stuff for a few months until I found someone to show me a little and get me started right. Before I ever put on a harness and tied into a rope I had soloed Chimney's Chimney, the first pitch of Caver's (and downclimbed), the first pitch of the Grunges and the second pitch of Mighty Eidson (and downclimbed), the first pitch of Foxfire (and downclimbed) and many other fourth class lines as I hiked around RRG.

I learned a lot by reading old climbing magazines and books that I got my hands on. I was mostly a trial and error kinda guy. Taught my 14 year old cousin to climb as I learned so I could have a belayer.

[garageclimber]

ive been climbing hard a little over 1 year but climbed a little here a little there before that. I've now been to the red a whopping 6 times i think.

[GWG]

I started scrambling in the Red when I started backpacking there 30 some odd years ago. I didn't learn to climb with ropes until I started climbing with my sons 5 years ago.

Due to other commitments, I only get out about 10 times a year. The rest of the time is spent climbing in the gym.

GWG

[rhino]

Just over 2.5 years for me

[Spoonman]

First top rope was in fall 1986 ........we used to drive all the way to Springfield Gorge in OHIO (also Clifton Gorge), and also local near Shoals IN.

I bouldered in colorado in 88. I think it was 1989 when I first climbed at the RED, with the Purdue outing club. I also got on the Bastil Crack (Eldorado, CO.) in 1989. I did my first trad leads in 1990. I got my first plastic holds also in 1990, put them in my dorm wall.

Climb-times didn't come till about 1992? That was also about the first time I saw a bolt. I have been totally absorbed by the game since introduced, and it has been interesting to see it change and grow.

I climb four days a week: religon. I take one month off in the winter and two weeks off in the summer (to heal).

Last year I climbed 46 days at the Red. 42 days bouldering at the Muscatatuck Park. And about 108 days climbing inside in one of the largest private gyms around (Tuesdays and Wednesday).

So .......about 17 years? I think I've climbed with t-bone, Margerita, etc. about 12 years- YODA, about 13 years.

The Love Shack era was something to experience!