RRC Archives

Mark should not have to go out of his way at all. If you go onto someone's property just assume that anyone you see is the owner. That way you will eventually get it right. Be friendly. Even to strangers.

I wasn't saying he had to go out of his way. I was just making a joke about a landowner who is impossible to miss.

I agree with everyone talking about taking action. I don't have more ideas of my own to add, but I will say this. My parents rented the climbers' cabin long before our wedding and some other friends rented it during our wedding simply because Mark and Cathy are climber friendly. That was the thing that set them apart from all the other cabin options around. That and Cathy cooks an amazing breakfast.

Man, this stuff makes me so sad.
What is going on with people that they can't seem to show simple respect and gratitude for what is being so generously given to them?
Give back people!
Be nice. Be respectful and appreciate what you have whenever you are ANYWHERE in the Red.
I hope to be climbing the rest of my life, it would make it a lot easier if there were always places to climb.
Don't F - it up for everybody. It's not that friggin' hard.

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 and Join the RRGCC and join 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 at http://www.accessfund.org

It still comes down to awareness. The fact is, no one outside of our little cyperspace playhouse will ever read these rules. The kiosks that I've seen in the PMRP are bare of information or knocked down.

So how about this...
I challenge the RRGCC to do more with promoting...whether that be setting up camp at Miguel's, Shell, the Rest Area or whatever. You all organize it and I'll get people to sit and do rotation.

i'm waiting for a response from mark for details/designs but consider a new donation box at torrent.. well.. donated

I thought sewing should have been a merit badge so the scouts would realize that someone's gotta turn all that mighty accomplishment into a display. (god stop writing..) I guess I didn't realize how many people just hear about stuff; and are they really the curious, observant type to begin with? I'd read about Torrent 'policy' on the 'old' pamphlet style Jarrard/Snyder guide. Thought I'd seen it mentioned in every other guide about the area. I find it hard to believe that the common understanding of the policy around Miguel's was da-ffunkt.
(god stop writing) As for the rrgcc BOD et.al...As a volunteer group how can anyone complain? And I don't understand much about organizational logistics, but it seems the Access Fund and business are eager for good cheap PR and I didn't see much about the Trail Day except as has been mentioned (the 'two' websites-)
And (please god stop writing) Having been to Torrent around 10 times, I don't think I've ever met Mark, but I have chased his cats and talked to his daughters (can't stop writing now) and always paid for the climbing. And THANK YOU ALL for the hospitality. This level of familiarity is hard to align with my normal charitable impulses. I fully support the casual, do-the-responsible-
thing access approach; but find the balance between avoiding liability issues and offering free labor to a profitable business less than apparent.
Nonetheless, Sunshine's advice about being friendly to everyone is indisputable. When/if I owned
Torrent I'd charge people to drive by to get to the beer store. Just think of the Kudzu does take over, kills the trees, the hollow floods, washes out the culvert and the road to the beers store is gone. People just don't think.

Regarding the publicity of the Torrent Trail Day the intent was not to have a huge event but to have sufficient attendance to get the job done. The five Board members plus myself and three volunteers was adequate and we completed most of the work. Having about four more people would have helped and I know there were a couple of people who had planned on helping but had last minute things that prevented them from participating. In the future we will state our estimated labor needs and have some type of a sign-up procedure for trail days.

That said the only work that did not get accomplished was installing a set of wooden stairs in an area where the 5.10 Wall trail crosses a rock ledge. Dr. Bob needs about 4 - 6 volunteers to assist him with installing the step this Sunday, March 19, 2006. PM him (screen name: bob) to express your interest and to coordinate details.

Meadows wrote:I heard Terry ranting about this and I remembered quite a few times pointing out Mark to people and they were delighted to finally know who he is.

Can someone give a GOOD description of what he looks like or post a pic? It won't help everybody, but it may help in our little niche. Thx.