The Red in the Rain
We spent Labor Day weekend this year (which also coincided with Victoria's birthday weekend!) climbing in the Red River Gorge.
One of the main logistical takeaways from this trip was the fact that even on a weekend with numerous summer thunderstorms, there is plenty to climb at the Red at nearly any level. The "Red River Gorge South" book by Ray Ellington has a little raincloud icon by crags that stay dry (a super helpful feature), and a surprising number of cliffs are well protected in the rain. The Red is such a large area that we were sometimes even alone at dry cliffs with relatively easy climbs. Maybe the weather scared climbers off for the weekend, but I'd recommend bringing a raincoat and not worrying about rain that much.
Another thing I was mildly concerned with was how my car would fair on the "cruxy hill" (as described in the guidebook) to get to the PMRP/Motherload parking area. The hill was actually much less intimidating than expected, and my 4WD Subaru had no problem, even after heavy rain. I imagine most 2WD cars could make it, some very low-clearance cars may bottom out a bit.
Lago Linda Hideaway
Though I appreciate the importance of Miguel's in the development of RRG climbing, I'd say we are certainly willing to shell out the extra $2 or so per night for a campsite at Lago Linda. There are showers, bathrooms, and some communal indoor/outdoor spaces to cook and hang out. Campsites each have their own fire pit and water source. It is also ~8 minutes closer than Miguel's to the turnoff for Bald Rock Fork Road (access for PMRP, BRRP, Motherload).
Crag Reports
Drive-by Crag (Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve)
This area has classics at a variety of grades from 5.10d to 5.13d. It's certainly popular, but there are a lot of options and the wall is long so it doesn't feel too crowded. Most of it stays dry in the rain. Highly recommended, I'd be happy to return to this one.
Chocolate Factory (Bald Rock Recreational Preserve)
A very long section of walls with tons of routes that doesn't appear to be very crowded. One downside of this area is that the routes are fairly spread out - there are small small groups of routes along different sections of the cliff - so you may need to walk a bit when choosing routes and it can be tricky to get your bearings (see confusion in photo).
Sunnyside (Muir Valley)
This is good crag for avoiding crowds and sun, but there is not a very large selection of routes. It is worth stopping by for the above reasons, in particular if you plan on Bruise Brothers and find it packed (you can hear climbers at Bruise Brothers from Sunnyside and it sounded like a circus). The Muir Valley is enormous and I feel like you can't go wrong, especially since it is never more than a 5-minute walk to another cliff.
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