Red River Gorge, those who know the name will never forget it. This past August I spent a week climbing at The Red with Noah and a bunch of Tallahassee Rock Gym friends. Never have I been more emersed in the climbing community, outdoor lifestyle and shared a love for pizza than at this gorge.
But wait? Where did the shared love for pizza come from? Well, The Red is not only home to some of the best climbing in the Southeast it’s also home to Miguel’s. A climber campground, gear shop and yes, pizza restaurant. After a day spent hiking and climbing there’s almost nothing better than pizza and a cold Ale-8. One look at Noah’s face in the picture below will prove that.
But Miguel’s has a lot more than a pizza. If you’re a climber you can camp on the property for a mear $2 a night. That’s why during climbing season (spring and fall) the yard is lined with hundreds of tents. Some people spend weeks living there. But don’t take my word for it. It’s something you have to see for yourself.
After a week of climbing with friends, I had a hard time saying goodbye to this place. I knew I was going to miss the community dinners, celebrations at the crag, bumpy car rides and all around dirtbag lifestyle. I know it won’t be long before we make the ten-hour drive back to Kentucky. But until then I wanted to highlight some of the moments from our last trip.
Leading 27 Years of Climbing: The Gallery
Noah sent his first 5.12a clean called Starry Night: The Gallery. This is something he has been working towards over the past few months and I’m so glad I got to experience it with him.
There were around twenty climbers watching, most of them TRG friends, as he made his way to the last bolt. I’m pretty sure we all held our breath during the final moments. Cheers erupted as he clipped into the anchors and was lowered to the ground. One of our friends, Camila, had a tiny bottle of Crown that they gave to him as we all celebrated. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that moment. Adrian took the picture below and I love how it captures the feeling. Check out more photos he took on the trip on his Facebook.
We fit in a bit of trad climbing. Noah and Adrian led Whiteout and he and I climbed Father and Son together.
My favorite route I climbed at The Red was called Kokopeli’s Dream. Here are my Instagram highlights from the trip. They include a clip of climbing Father and Son & Kokopeli’s dream.
One of the best things about this trip was being able to share moments with friends. Even with cars breaking down and spending way too much time looking for the right crag I wouldn’t change a thing.
I have the feeling I’ll be returning to The Red soon.
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