RRC Archives

A few questions and thoughts running around my head.

Although the gorge potential sometimes seems endless, new routes are clearly a finite resource experiencing accelerated consumption. First question: How many quality routes do you think are left to develop? are we 2/3 tapped, 1/2, 1/4? Maybe this was a poll I missed a long time ago, but I'd be psyched to see a recap. Second question: Is this a resource that we as a climbing community should seek to preserve? It is a uniquely satisfying experience to find a piece of rock, envision the line, discover holds and sequences, design a logical way of protecting it, clean, drill, work and send. It is such a rich experience compared to walking up to an established, chalked crag and climbing a route. As route developers we give time and money, but we also take something very precious: the unclimbed line. Are we being greedy by developing at the pace that we are? Should we consider the next generation of climbers (not just the 5.16 climbers) and work to preserve the opportunity for them to share these rewarding experiences?

I guess this seems a bit unrealistic at the community level, but if I ever have the chance to live in KY again, these thoughts might help me prioritize my own climbing activities. It seems like the analogy to other finite resources like oil is not so far fetched and it would be a shame to not learn something from our mistakes.

What are your thoughts?

Russ Clune recently walked some property around the Southern Region and told me he thought it could hold another 1000 quality routes. I'll take his word for it.

Also, from what I've heard from the guys who actually go do the exploring, we've only barely tapped into the potential...

Now, I imagine that access and the work needed to secure it will be far more of a crux.

I would say that we are probably 3/4 of the way through the rock in the southern region that we own. How far and wide does the rock run? seems to me that there is infinite amount of rock in the area. I don't think that everyone establishing routes in the red right now will come close to tapping out all the quality lines in eastern KY. I feel it will be a generation or two before we can tell how close we are to climbing all the lines around.

1000 routes just scratches the surface if you look at all of eastern ky, but the issue is much more of access and ownership.

that is why the continued support of private land owners and organizations like the coalition are so important for the future of climbing in the area

1000 routes just scratches the surface if you look at all of eastern ky, but the issue is much more of access and ownership.

Agreed, Knowing some of the locals myself and having seen some down right awsome cliff lines that could hold thousands of new routes and could easily triple the amount of lines in the area. But like jamen said its ownership and access issues.

when I first bought land down there next to little unknown valley I had no idea what was in store for the rest of that land. I never dreamed it would end up as developed as it is or at all. The amount of quality climbs that have gone up in MV and the PMRP are examples of areas we did not know existed. Just think of how much is left out there untapped!!

Are there any cliff lines in those area housing some nice crack systems or is most of the development bolted lines? Just curious, its been a few years since Iv been around the southern region. I remember 4x4ing in the winter around in the Fixer area seeing tons of nice cracks. I would not rememeber how to find half that stuff its been 10 years. Does Ashland oil still own the areas around PMRP?

i know on the road out to my place there is a ton of cliff line that is in the dbnf and none of it is developed.

elcapitan1974 wrote:Are there any cliff lines in those area housing some nice crack systems or is most of the development bolted lines? Just curious, its been a few years since Iv been around the southern region. I remember 4x4ing in the winter around in the Fixer area seeing tons of nice cracks. I would not rememeber how to find half that stuff its been 10 years. Does Ashland oil still own the areas around PMRP?

There’s everything, but again the problem is access

Ashland turned most of their land in that area over to fish and wildlife to regulate a couple years back. A guy in Frankfort told me that hunting and fishing generates something like a billion dollars a year in revenue in the state of Kentucky.

It may be a long way off, but if the climbing community can continue to organize, raise money, and support private land owners who knows what could happen

about 1/2 or less inside the gorge. around 1/64 outside.

is this answering your question schwag? or are you getting at something like this...I walk up to a cliff, one where we have access. I spot a beautiful area with potential for 10-15 sport lines. But then I gaze into the future, and see climbers fifty years from now enjoying that process of developing, so instead of throwing in some bolts, I call together a band of brothers, and hasten them to save this crag for future generations..is that along the lines of your thinking?