Kentucky's Premier Rock Climbing Guide Service, based in the Red River Gorge.

Red River Gorge, KY Guided Rock Climbing

Bluegrass Climbing School is a locally owned and operated climbing guide service, based in the heart of Red River Gorge, Kentucky. We specialize in providing customized guided climbing experiences for climbers of all skill and ability levels; ranging from complete beginners to seasoned pros. We also offer top notch programming, designed to take your climbing to the next level.

We are passionate about climbing, we do it because we love it. We’d love to share our passion with you!

We pride ourselves on providing a high quality, safe, and hassle free experience for our guests. 

 

Our Guides

Bluegrass Climbing School takes pride in offering the highest quality instruction and experiences available by employing AMGA certified instructors with proper Wilderness Medical Training, ensuring your outing is both safe and enjoyable.

Erik Kloeker Owner and Founder Bluegrass Climbing School American Mountain Guide Association Certified Guide Rock Guide Single Pitch Instructor Guided Climbing in Red River Gorge

Erik Kloeker

AMGA Certified Rock Guide

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor

NOLS Wilderness First Responder

Erik is the owner and founder of Bluegrass Climbing School. He has been professionally guiding in the United States and abroad for the last 8 years. Born in the great Bluegrass State of Kentucky, Erik started climbing by exploring the nearby cliffs and rock faces in the Red River Gorge. Over the last decade, he has traveled to pursue his passion at crags and Big Walls across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He’s excited to share what he’s learned along the way, back in the place it all started, the Red River Gorge.
Erik’s main emphasis is on education. He finds it equally rewarding introducing newcomers to the sport or teaching new techniques to seasoned pros.

Erik gives back to his community by volunteering with the American Safe Climbing Association and Red River Gorge’s Fixed Gear Initiative, where he has partnered to replace over a 1000 worn and rusty bolts in Red River Gorge area and abroad. Erik is an active member of the  Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team and is a certified Technical Rope Rescue Technician.

Erik spends his winters down South, operating Climb Potrero Mountain Guides; offering multi-pitch climbing in Northern Mexico’s World Renowned El Potrero Chico climbing area.

Travis Sapp, Bluegrass Climbing School Owner, AMGA Certified Multi-Pitch Instructor, Trad Climbing Instructor, Sport Climbing Instructor

Travis Sapp

AMGA Multi-Pitch Instructor

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor

NOLS Wilderness First Responder

Travis grew up in North Carolina, where he began climbing as a teenager. He first discovered his passion for instructing on a NOLS outdoor educator semester in Wyoming and Utah. Following this course he traveled the world climbing in Spain, Japan, Patagonia, Morocco and the western U.S. before finding his way to the Red River Gorge. 

Clients find Travis to be an easy going and knowledgeable instructor who strives to connect with clients and tailors each trip to their needs. 

Travis is an active member of the Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team and is a certified Technical Rope Rescue Technician.

 

Henry Waddill Rock Climbing Guide Red River Gorge Bluegrass Climbing School Single Pithc Instructor Sport Climbing Trad Climbing Clinics

Henry Waddill

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor

Henry was born in Colorado and grew up in Virginia, where he started embracing the outdoors from a young age. During his freshman year at Davidson College, he discovered a passion for climbing and guiding. By sophomore year he was certified as a top-rope guide and taking his peers on climbing trips to Linville Gorge and Pilot Mountain through Davidson’s outdoor program.

 
After graduating, Henry pursued climbing in a big way, from bouldering to multi-pitch in North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Washington, and California. Of all the places he’s climbed, the Red River Gorge is his favorite sport climbing destination for it’s steep sandstone and will always have a special place in his heart. 

Brian Stevenson Red River Gorge Climbing Guide

Brian Stevenson

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor

NOLS Wilderness First Responder

Brian is originally from New Jersey and found his way to Morehead State University as a collegiate swimmer. While attending Morehead,  he discovered a new passion, climbing in the Red River Gorge. After graduating, Brian moved back to New Jersey to start a family and career. Luckily climbing didn’t end! Over the next 20+ years he spent most weekends climbing in the Shawangunks(Gunks) in New York State. Brian has travelled extensively and climbed all over the United States and Mexico .

In 2021 Brian and his wife moved back to the Red to live full time. Brian loves all aspects of climbing and sharing his outdoor experience with others. When Brian isn’t climbing you may see him running the trails and getting lost in the RRG. Brian is also an active member of Wolfe County Search and Rescue.

Melanie Robertson climbing guide in red river gorge single pitch instructor AMGA

Melanie Robertson

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor

NOLS Wilderness First Responder

Melanie is originally from Chicago, IL and quickly fell in love with climbing during high school after starting to progress through the USA Climbing competition series. She now has over 7 years of climbing experience and has climbed in many areas across the United States. 

Melanie shares her passion for rock climbing, the outdoors, and movement through guiding. She enjoys working with all experiences levels, but especially enjoys working people who have an interest learning more about technical skills involved in climbing and improving their movement skills on the wall.

Melanie is currently studying at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, CO, where she continues to explore local outdoor climbing areas and mentors fellow climbers in the community.

Jacob Holland

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor

NOLS Wilderness First Responder

Hailing from Northern Alabama, Jacob fell in love with climbing on a NOLS course in Red Rock Canyon, NV, where he became enamored with the stunning landscapes and unique perspectives the sport provides us.

Jacob moved to Kentucky’s Red River Gorge to take advantage of the overhanging sandstone cliffs and unique geological formations the area is world-renowned for.

On his rest days you might find Jacob hanging out at Miguel’s Pizza or eluding get his photo taken for the website.

Red River Gorge Guided Climbing and Course Pricing: 2025

See what people are saying about their recent trips!

5.0
Based on 64 reviews
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James Lantz
13:41 05 Nov 24
Spent the afternoon with Travis (co-owner). Without going into specifics, it was truly a first class experience. Highly recommended for climbers of all abilities. Thanks Travis!
Anthony
23:41 25 Oct 24
We had an amazing experience! We will book again when we come back to The Red. I would like to thank Henry, our guide, who made the day better than we could have imagined.

I highly recommend 👌!
Debra W
13:48 23 Oct 24
I have climbed with them 4 times now. Both Melanie and Erik were great guides and coaches that I felt at ease climbing anything with. So much more thorough than others I have worked with. They chose some fun routes my style for top rope and lead. I will definitely book more trips with this company.
Arianna Loeb
19:15 20 Oct 24
My daughter 14 had an awesome time with Henry! Great climber instructor and great personality. He was really good in understanding her skills, challenging her but not too much. Red River Gorge is absolutely one of the best place to climb in the world even for beginner/intermediate! This is our second time with Bluegrass Climbing and they are awesome.
Jodi Ekbundit
21:44 13 Oct 24
We took our family of 7 out to the crags to climb with Melanie - she did such an amazing job! Our kids are 20, 18, 15, 12, and 8, and have a wide variety of climbing skill and experience, and she did a great job working with them all (she was particularly patient and kind with our eight year old). My husband is pretty experienced, and wanted to learn more about the technical side of transitioning from gym to outdoor lead climbing, and Melanie also was able to share lots of expertise in that area. Also, she was very friendly and easy to talk to, so bonus points for that. We highly recommend Bluegrass Climbing School, and Melanie as well!
Rod Northcutt
16:30 13 Aug 24
This was a great experience! My 12 year-old and I worked with Henry and opted for a full day of climbing. My kid has done some outdoor climbing, but primarily climbs in a gym, and my experience was only in a gym, so we wanted to build confidence so that the two of us could go climbing together, Safely and with respect to the environment and other climbers. Henry was punctual, courteous, absolutely respectful, and answered so many questions we had. He gave praise when we most needed it and solid advice (he knew the crags like the back of his hand). He was inclusive with language and action. (my kid is a proud part of the LGBTQ plus community) we felt safe and, respected and educated. He’s a great teacher and was able to explain complex aspects of climbing clearly and understandably. I can’t recommend this company or this person enough.
Evan Linderman
01:47 15 May 24
Climbing at the Red River Gorge was an incredible experience! My boyfriend and I booked a half day guided climbing session and that was the perfect amount of time for us.

Our guide, Henry, was engaging, helpful, and responsive to our varying needs. He took us to the Bruise Brothers wall and knew all the routes. He helped me find and push my limits as an intermediate climber, and had no trouble turning around and helping my boyfriend dip his toes into climbing for the first time.
Jolene Creighton
15:39 27 Oct 23
We did a falling class with Travis to improve our lead climbing skills. It was really helpful and a great experience.

Travis took the time to talk to us at the beginning of the day to discuss our goals. He provided several different options for us based on that information.

He is a very experienced climber who knows a ton about the area and climbing in general. I’d recommend him to anyone — beginners who want to get a taste of climbing or experienced climbers looking to hone their skills.

Why Choose Bluegrass Climbing School?

  1. Safety: Our guides have undergone extensive training and testing in technical and safety skills. They are trained to manage risk and make sound decisions to ensure your safety. In addition, all of our guides are trained in Wilderness Medicine and hold certifications as Wilderness First Responders.
  2. Training: We choose to only staff AMGA (American Mountain Guide Association) certified climbing guides. AMGA certification is a rigorous process that requires extensive experience and technical knowledge. Certified guides and instructors have demonstrated proficiency in technical systems, climbing ability, and professionalism. This expertise allows them to provide our clients with most cutting edge knowledge so you have the very best experience.
  3. Expertise: We pride ourselves on our vast knowledge of the climbing areas we operate. In addition to our expertise on climbing routes  we find the flora, fauna, and history of the areas we guide in fascinating as well.  Many of our guides boast first ascents in the areas we climb!
  4. Professionalism: AMGA certification requires guides to adhere to a code of ethics and professional standards. This means that they are committed to providing a high level of service, respecting the environment, and treating clients with respect and integrity.
  5. Customized Experience: Our guides can tailor their services to meet your specific needs and goals. We enjoy helping clients meets their goals and ambitions, whether that’s choosing the best routes based on your experience level, or by providing technical instructional and guidance  to help you reach the next step in your climbing journey.
  6. Community: By hiring one of our guides, you are supporting our local community. We pride ourselves on being excellent stewards of the areas we operate in. Over the years, we’ve spent countless hours doing trail work, cleanups, and performing maintenance on hardware to keep the routes we climb on safe for everyone to enjoy.

What makes Red River Gorge Climbing so good!

Sport Climbing in Red River Gorge, Muir Valley, KY.

Climbing Guide Erik Kloeker on ‘A Portait of the Artist as a Young Man’ (5.11b), Bibliothek, Muir Valley, Red River Gorge, KY, USA.

If you’ve been around the sport of climbing for long you’ve probably heard about the Red River Gorge, a world-renowned rock climbing destination located in eastern Kentucky, USA. There are several factors that make Red River Gorge a great place for rock climbing:
  1. Abundant and Diverse Climbing Routes: Red River Gorge offers over 3000 routes, ranging from beginner to expert levels. The unique sandstone cliffs offer a variety of rock formations, ranging from steep overhangs and roofs with juggy pockets, to long slabs and crimpy iron rich edges. This diversity of routes and styles allows climbers of all levels to find a challenge that suits their abilities.
  2. Easy Access: Many of the climbing areas in Red River Gorge are easily accessible from the road or parking areas, which makes it convenient for climbers to quickly get to the routes they want to climb. Walls are commonly reached by a short 15-30 minute hike.
  3. High Quality Rock: The sandstone rock in Red River Gorge is known for its high quality, offering climbers excellent grip, and densely featured rock faces. The distinct makeup of the rock in Red River Gorge paired thousands of years of water erosion has left perfect holds for climbing on.
  4.  Bolts: Despite great trad climbing in the area, the Red River Gorge is most well know it’s plethora of well bolted sport climbs, allowing for lots of well protected terrain and fun climbing.
  5. Beautiful Scenery: The natural beauty of Red River Gorge adds to the overall climbing experience. The area is known for its lush forests, scenic hiking trails, rushing waterfalls, and breathtaking views of the surrounding cliffs and valleys.
  6. Community: Red River Gorge has a strong and welcoming climbing community, with local climbers and businesses providing support and resources for visiting climbers. The community also helps to maintain and preserve the climbing areas in the region, ensuring that the rock remains safe and accessible for future generations of climbers.

Best Restaurants in Red River Gorge

We thought we'd take a break from climbing and talk about our favorites places in Red River Gorge to eat, and have a beer, and hang out with friends! Hope you enjoy our picks! Miguel's Pizza Not a lot needs said about this one, Miguel's Pizza is the center of the Red...

The Best Climbing Guidebook for Red River Gorge

When I started climbing in the Red 11 years ago, there was only one choice for a climbing guidebook for the area. Since that time, an explosion of development in the Southern Region of Red River Gorge has prompted new books to be published. With over 3000 climbs now...

The Perfect Trad Climbing Rack For Red River Gorge

As climbing guide in Red River Gorge, I often get asked “What is the best trad rack for climbing the area.” You’ll frequently hear that a particular route requires a “standard rack”, but no one one ever defines what a standard rack is. Guidebooks and climbers are reluctant to define a standard rack is because, well.. it is subjective. It depends greatly on the comfort level of the climber on the terrain, and how much gear will use to safely protect the route. Add to that, the fact that each climb is unique and will take a variety of gear and sizes to protect it. 

Disclaimer: Purchasing a Trad Rack is only the first step, one has to then learn how to use it! Seek a qualified mentor or Climbing School to help you along the way. 

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