Quake3World

Red River Gorge: Day 2

Here in Ontario, I'm used to climbing on limestone, which is a flat gray with rough cracks and ledges, and is prone to sheering off (sometimes pulling down toaster sized rocks). It's basically a little scary and the general idea is that it's probably best to just not fall. RRG on the other hand is sandstone. Each of the cliffs we visited are a single piece of rock cut smooth by the river and then eroded by wind and rain to form small holes in the rock. Basically, it's perfect for climbing, solid and has minimal consequence.

For our first day of climbing, we headed to Muir Valley, named after the Scottish-American naturalist and preservationist, John Muir. We warmed up on some easy stuff (5.8-5.10) and then climbed a super overhanging 5.12a route named, Magnum Opus (it even sounds cool). It's the hardest outdoor route I've completed.

[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21366951_10155401339111418_7598609323463899727_o.jpg?oh=e42871c0a0b1e7a10fdff2779704b4b9&oe=5A494F70[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21457930_10155401338916418_4955826750972488026_o.jpg?oh=014b3c62903c0a486b3a121902bbf1f5&oe=5A5E5102[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21316429_10155401339856418_4430140492974633372_o.jpg?oh=441da89ef9e968701cf10831636075e3&oe=5A5B3C3A[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21458101_10155401339761418_8247907315151529246_o.jpg?oh=0b15df422ccb767f4816427ac7df4c9d&oe=5A5B4E58[/lvlshot]

Red River Gorge: Day 3

Took it a bit easier and explored some other climbing walls. The climbs we did on day 3 involved driving down a super steep and bumpy hill, which the guidebook describes as, "treacherous... cruxy... 4WD is recommended". At the bottom of the hill was an old derelict oil pump. We had gotten a single climb in when it started raining. Concerned about the road conditions, we bailed and tried to drive the cars back out. Wheels spinning and burning rubber, sliding sideways, and threatening to go over the side of the cliff, our drivers gunned it and managed to just barely escape over the top of the hill.

[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21427338_10155406434036418_8068003931322170113_o.jpg?oh=fd6c88a1335f0924007565fc1eb17c05&oe=5A516B83[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21414786_10155406433981418_4850010320743900065_o.jpg?oh=36cfe03a12d084b98ba8085ea548de5f&oe=5A497DB0[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21414594_10155406434811418_6306743405321671988_o.jpg?oh=d8df61da0af9f3928dca8d334aba1e99&oe=5A484FB6[/lvlshot]


Red River Gorge: Day 4

The other two of our 5 person party arrived from Toronto to join us for some climbing. We were back at Muir Valley.

[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21586798_10155406435211418_6085625382451808932_o.jpg?oh=e22e5bf28232d6c2159d23de4f76d0ee&oe=5A4D33D2[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21427166_10155409580901418_2984667351088252049_o.jpg?oh=a9cfee25512714103b81637b45b5a1a5&oe=5A4FF7FF[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21457918_10155409580931418_4934085600220187911_o.jpg?oh=95b7f23669082b776c0e4cc5d731b3f2&oe=5A13AA73[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21414938_10155409581706418_8933944695679730883_o.jpg?oh=0126cd4880e6f61cbfb976ac06e5fcfd&oe=5A49258B[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21457370_10155409581946418_8715051515958549257_o.jpg?oh=2d7d72a3272690ee154c28dbff93b891&oe=5A1C44D5[/lvlshot]

In Kentucky, the cows can touch the sky.
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21427310_10155409580051418_3071600691967246505_o.jpg?oh=798e4b42640a8e01feb1cf6124834513&oe=5A14339A[/lvlshot]

Those are some awesome pictures!!!

Agreed, some awesome shots there

Climbing trips always have the best photo opportunites : )

Obsidian, that's an awesome hobby

That's definitely an old pump jack. Pretty shallow well by the looks of it. I'd say less than 1000 ft.

Lol white ppl...

lol oil ppl...

Red River Gorge: Day 5

Hot sunny day at Roadside Crag. It's hot in Kentucky, especially when in direct view of the sun.

[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21457659_10155412451166418_8569777950717937914_o.jpg?oh=9befbe4aa99f8f91ecdf1a99d1efeafc&oe=5A5EDFA3[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21551774_10155412451171418_5582513982382657253_o.jpg?oh=5ca92b8886a2d4857cd76f1fd51f5752&oe=5A12E0E6[/lvlshot]

A cave:
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21457830_10155412451226418_6955037906951133231_o.jpg?oh=dd2e7ff2ab098fa40cd67316b583bb17&oe=5A51D7B9[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21544192_10155412451361418_8439428668579289319_o.jpg?oh=4c473d4d3cc64b16937a7a0fd7149ebc&oe=5A508996[/lvlshot]

Friends are climbing:
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21457347_10155412451406418_7545837693043337975_o.jpg?oh=c5e7cd52fa009b6a37de3b76ab83c432&oe=5A5B9992[/lvlshot]

There's a trickling waterfall coming off the cliff, you can see a darker wet patch just behind that branch. It would be cool to see after a rainfall.
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21586745_10155412451731418_6525236693212486866_o.jpg?oh=de0a2e55727321a695a7f3b1542dbd3e&oe=5A514D2E[/lvlshot]

View from the top:
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21427597_10155412449006418_7004085542556014160_o.jpg?oh=491cb7808a52764c59575c1c637aca70&oe=5A17CCFF[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21587118_10155412449091418_4745025401251206749_o.jpg?oh=bc6f63609c442f3a3645e44e2bad70e2&oe=5A4BE989[/lvlshot]

Looking straight down:
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21640817_10155412449236418_1620346467447138536_o.jpg?oh=e4cbac714832d0307196d80a1a08f7c0&oe=5A521621[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21641054_10155412450271418_1000699607995792051_o.jpg?oh=38f49bf009c97d0373409e9746e318ad&oe=5A5EAC2C[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21544143_10155412450831418_2272059322372664229_o.jpg?oh=bf587e8541a625450e2af855a41e137c&oe=5A526BF6[/lvlshot]

Red River Gorge: Day 6

Having climbed for the past 4 days in a row, the team needed a rest day. Our friend tells us about this hike that takes us to the Double Arches formation. He tells us that it'll probably be a couple of hours. Turns out it's actually a 6 hour hike over ~7-8 miles of rough terrain. Had we known it would have been as long, we probably would have packed more water and food.

[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21731633_10155416393511418_4009940988661826720_o.jpg?oh=f81fb11b18d860df6dc3faa7c8f4c2e2&oe=5A5AD066[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21753000_10155416393751418_8806930322671763023_o.jpg?oh=575cf81fb15b0dbcd4f934a01ea758da&oe=5A510116[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21728980_10155416394146418_7008009890923723781_o.jpg?oh=a6d1b9d828df335b61a740e258a98158&oe=5A4C0E2A[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21741010_10155416394321418_298453745465827138_o.jpg?oh=99b3a635dc79fa9f245e35961b9452e7&oe=5A4994E8[/lvlshot]

The double arch. You can't quite see from this angle, but there is a gap between it creating a double arch:
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21752543_10155416394521418_8271456194385670924_o.jpg?oh=994444f7ce64e7a93d79c98d69788f52&oe=5A52263C[/lvlshot]
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21743627_10155416394596418_504976956620256822_o.jpg?oh=b613237b556d646116708a8cdc6a0501&oe=5A4A4EE6[/lvlshot]

View from on top of the arch:
[lvlshot]https://scontent.fybz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21740834_10155416394846418_3499088506441144181_o.jpg?oh=a05e0e7f9af38f5d11ec20cdb1c252cd&oe=5A5212AB[/lvlshot]

looks awesome

also:

Can't we get these in the photo thread?

this thread is officially Jon Snow

also, spooky Chilterns village is spooky

[lvlshot]https://i.imgur.com/kpaVSUS.jpg[/lvlshot]

if you ignore the car

Doombrain wrote:Can't we get these in the photo thread?

good point

viewtopic.php?p=1050950#p1050950

I'm all over this when my laptop lands and i reinstall lightroom. been taking my camera out on a few rides around Shropshire, the best of all the shires.

Few images from my ride this morning.

[lvlshot]https://i.imgur.com/QPcgBHD.jpg[/lvlshot]

[lvlshot]https://i.imgur.com/ddbL0yW.jpg[/lvlshot]

This is basically what riding in Shropshire is like.
[lvlshot]https://i.imgur.com/HcvXYCD.jpg[/lvlshot]

[lvlshot]https://i.imgur.com/HKtjy3x.jpg[/lvlshot]

[lvlshot]https://i.imgur.com/W1jWq6C.jpg[/lvlshot]

[lvlshot]https://i.imgur.com/DRTPO1W.jpg[/lvlshot]

nice climbing pics!

what kind of lunch did your mom pack for you and did she pack enough clean gotches for the whole trip?

Beautiful area for a ride...

Doombrain wrote:Few images from my ride this morning.

[lvlshot]https://i.imgur.com/ddbL0yW.jpg[/lvlshot]

Yes.

Doombrain wrote:Few images from my ride this morning.

Nice, looks like a good time.
But nowhere near the level of awesomeness of Kracus' offroading adventures of course

It's beautiful in Shropshire, this shit is on my doorstep. Literally just up the road from me.

Nice ride, how's that Orange holding up? You've had that for a few years now right? Also I may be seeing shit but is that a displaced gasket on your front left stanchion there?

can't believe you missed that DB

smh...