A classic climb, love it or leave it. Both the technical difficulty of and physical effort required for this climb are body-size dependent.

I've heard so many comments about the likely use of a stealth-rubber wet suit, a full-body tape glove, king-kong handjams, etc... to know it isn't just me that thinks this is a workout. It is more physical than technical, I guess, because it seems that most people who try it make it, but everyone always says how hard it was.

Start in a thin hands crack and work your way up to a wide spot. Spend quite some considerable effort trying to get into the crack here, then consider that it's going to be equally hard to get right back out of it in just another 5 meters more. Jam the fists to off-fists section above the squeeze and then cruise to the top on better jams. This climb favors those with larger fists and forearms but not those with big chests. Leave your helmet off or suffer.

Inhibitor

What's Right with the Underling

The Rifleman

The Big Bang

Martin Rides Again

The Pearl

Drop the Anchor

The Underling

Commencement

No Return

Sick Puppies

Dave the Dude

Doppler Effect

King Me

Corpus Delicti

The Learning Curve

Silently Does the Sun Shine

Grunge Face

Nolo Contendere

Super Dario

Jack in the Pulpit

Good Times

Soul Ram

Side Eye

This is a short, stout and interesting climb. It will make you work hard! Plan on perfect rock (that stays dry in the rain), small but solid gear for the most part, and enjoyable varied movement.

Basically there are 2 boulder problems with an ok rest in between. Start on a jug and climb a hard finger crack section to a good lock and a hand jam where you can get your only large piece of gear (a #2 or #3 camalot). Having a long reach or very small fingers helps on the first crux. Next balance up a few moves in to a blank corner with a thin seam (you can get a couple small nuts here) either reach high to a razor crimp and power out a few moves, or use some compression moves out left to gain the same finish jug.

Ps. If you are one who plans on a short 12a feeling V4 bring a little extra something for this one ;)

youtube.com/watch?v=9IUrmA9…

An undercut start up steep but moderate pockets leads up and around the arete to a sit down, take a nap, throw a BBQ rest on a large ledge.  When you can't delay any longer make a few cool fingerlock moves to a short-lived, but in your face crux sequence and a strenuous clip.  Good feet let you get it back but a few more tricky moves and sporty bolting to the chains will keep your attention.

Start on a big left facing flake climb it to a short traverse out left this is were the fun begins. Tricky move on the traverse leads to a good stance. Eye out the next few moves then embark up the vertical face passing multiple cruxes. Take a ledge rest before the final two bolts then fire the true crux of the route. Last draw sucks to hang but is easy to clip extended.

A top rope for this route can be set up by using the anchors of Doppler Effect. If leading, the gear just about ends once the crack ends about halfway up. On September 29, 2018, a critical hold was broken which likely increases the difficulty a letter grade or two.

Begin this route with some fun slabby moves. The holds run out and you get a crux before a good rest under a bulge. Rest up here because another crux awaits you after leaving the jugs under the overhang. Make a couple of moves thru the bulge(2nd crux) and then move back right. Make a few more juggy moves and clip the chains.

On the east face of the Inhibitor boulder you'll find (and can't miss) this classic RRG boulder problem. Start hanging from the rising overhanging shelf, gaston to the distinct lip and mantel onto the slab.

Nothing remarkable about this route other than that it is one of the very few easy sport routes in the area.

CLimb a line of big holds near the bolts to a small roof and then up to the anchors. Watch out for drag- and rap instead of lower off to save wear on your rope.

Begin in the left of the two cracks. Climb up to the roof and traverse the underclinging crack. This is easier if you are taller. Grab the lip of the hole and flip your feet up over your head, or struggle to chimney up in the hole right-side-up. Belay from bolted anchors out near the edge of the ledge and rappel, or continue up a second pitch to the left.

A nice long route with difficulty somewhere in the 5.11 range depending upon the exact path taken- going too far right is supposedly the "real route" and the way to make this 11d as it was initially rated.  However, the most natural line, which is direct and well within reach of the bolts feels at the easy end of 5.11. Steep moves on good holds lead to a more vertical wall with smaller but still positive holds.

Be ready to employ

all

your crack mojo - fingers, hands, fists! Gain crack from ledge at the right, and commence upward using jams and face holds. Grunt and struggle through widening crack and bulge (crux) to spacious ledge and rest (optional belay here). Continue up beautiful dihedral/finger crack to ledge and anchors.

overhung power pulling on pockets for 45 to 50 feet, with some slopers and crimps thrown in for good measure. cool movement, with some strange positioning to reach the anchors.

Vertical to very slightly overhanging.A few crack moves at the beginning, then out onto a very crimpy face. Dont get sucked out right. Tough move to a flake on the left when the face starts to get blank. Cool moves on the flake to the anchors. One of the best routes of its grade at the red, in my opinion.

A good route with a good crux right where it looks like it would be- in the steep spot.

Climb up on more moderate moves to reach the bulge, then pull into the bulge on 1" cams and shoot thought he undercling-becomes-layback up the steep section for the top.

Quintessential Red River Gorge sport climbing! Pumpy, sustained, pockets, sidepulls, this route has it all! From ground, leap to gain the overhanging start using pockets (jugs?) and generous edges. Moving up, you'll begin to feel the pump set in, but keep yourself together for thin technical moves to undercling (crux) and clip. Finish on slab to anchors.

(Cherish and savor every rest. Plenty of hardmen, not used to the Red's steepness and endurance demands, have humbly succumbed.)

Climb through big jugs until you reach the thin slab. Make delicate moves up to the bulge then continue with easier climbing to the anchor.

The free version of the old aid route Right on, Solid, & Far Out (A2+). Stem up the corner on good gear to a rest. Nest as many RPs as you can, clip the fixed pin (may or may not be good for a fall), and muscle through the V9-10 boulder problem above to a good ledge. Belay here on small-medium gear or just continue to the top of the cliff (5.10 R). Heads-up belay recommended due to ledgy terrain below the crux.

A couple difficult moves on tiny holds surrounded by 5.easy. Good luck staying on route.

Start off grabbing the roof, pulling on into a fabulous boulder problem.  Crank past that into a hueco for a nice rest, then climb out onto the face for an enjoyable crimp and jug haul to the finish.

From ledge, begin in right-facing dihedral using crack. After a clip (or two?), move left around arete onto face and follow nice pockets up, eventually working right to rounded flake, then on to easier terrain and anchors.

(Originally 11c in the Bronaugh guide, now 11a by popular consensus.)

By virtue of its grade, it has always been *the* warm up at the area.  Mostly good holds on a slightly steep wall. The crux is probably just an endurance problem for most climbers, so it's a good one to "go for it" on.

A great route for sure, but I never understood why Hackworth made such a big deal about it. There are better climbs around, but then again, it is long, clean, well protected... and well, then again, maybe it is a classic at the grade.

Climb a set of cracks to a ledge and shove yourself into a brief squeeze before riding the final crack to some anchors.

Start up an easy face to a ledge. Move off the ledge on jugs to a triangle horn feature. Make a big move off the horn to a jug pocket. After getting the jug pocket traverse left onto the face and get ready to crimp hard and tic tac your feet for ninety feet of excitement. Its all there. Just keep moving and trust that all of the bolts have larger holds to clip from.

Sit start left hand on a knob and right hand on a wide pinch directly above. Move up through pinches then right to hand size crack and top out.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Eastern Sky Bridge Ridge