RRC Archives

Planning to climbing at Roadside or the Zoo? Read this.

Roadside permit: We’re getting a report from the Roadside land owner that a large percentage of people are accessing the cliff without permits. Our access to this area is contingent upon climbers’ respectful behavior and crag stewardship – it’s a wonderful cliff that many of us enjoy, and we'd like to prevent it from being closed off again. Please get a permit for each person who plans to access this cliff. The permits are limited so the owner offsets the impact to this area. If you cannot get a permit, you’ll have to climb somewhere else.

Zoo approach: The new guidebook directs people upstream to cross over a log, but the owner prefers that you avoid accessing the crag this way (and the next edition of the guidebook will have the correct approach). Please access the Zoo climbing from the parking lot.

We really appreciate everyone’s help and compliance with the owner's request. Spread the word!

Can you be more clear on the Zoo access? Isn't the log just a few feet upstream and "accessed from the parking lot." Regardless if the water is low it is easy to go straight across from the trail coming from the parking lot. It's unfortunate we can't build a bridge to cross, also that poor hill really gets abused.

A side note about Roadside. This website specifies a group size limit of 8 people! This is simple crag etiquette and should be practice throughout the gorge. I witnessed a group of over 20 at the Gallery today, split your group up between crags people. Can we make this a recommendation for groups coming to RRGCC owned property?

I know it's not fun to say something to other climbers, but when they are clearly breaking the rules for an area we should say something. If we don't police ourselves then places like Roadside will get shut down again. I know I've encountered several people at Roadside with dogs or who definitely didn't register.

And as far as the Zoo, yeah, why don't we just put in an escalator from the parking lot to the top of the hill? Certainly would make that approach much better.

Can we perhaps have an outreach campaign to gyms, university climbing clubs, etc on the group size issue and specifically concerning Roadside?

Went to roadside Saturday. No large groups, no dogs, no one breaking any rules and for the most part that I could tell, everyone had a permit.

That is a very goog thing to hear!