More than just a mysterious acronym, the PMRP, which stands for the Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve, is a 750-acre* commitment to preserving climbing access indefinitely.

Threatened Access

In the early 1990s, the first hints of threatened access rose on the horizon. In 1996, the Forest Service issued the Rock Climbing Management Guide for the Red River Gorge, the first time climbing was officially regulated in the region. Reviewing the plan, many felt that it directly threatened climbers' access in the region. As a result, two local climbers formed a climbers' coalition to champion the interests and desires of climbers and to serve as a mode of communication between with FS. This, along with the continued growth of the coalition through the years, resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed on February 7, 2000. The signing of the MOU represented a significant breakthrough for climbers in the Red River Gorge and has helped alleviate years of skepticism, mistrust, and alienation.

This did not, however, end the growing pressures on access. By 1996, the FS banned the bolting of new routes in the RRG. With so much rock and potential in the region, developers were forced to look elsewhere to establish new lines. Attention was turned, then, to private property. Traveling south on KY11, past Torrent, developers stumbled upon miles of cliffline, later to be known as the Southern Region. With just a little exploration, it was obvious that the area held the potential for hundreds of classic, overhanging lines that would define the futre of the climbing in the RRG.

It became clear, though, that the issue wouldn't be solved quite so quickly or simply. This was, after all, private property. And much of it was owned by oil companies who did much of their work and extraction along the roads in the area. At the time, though, climbers and the landowners were able to coexist amiably. With the growth of the sport, though, there arose new problems and issues.

A Purchase and a Precedent

In 2004, the conflicts came to a head. Climbers, their numbers growing, were running out of parking space and would often end up parking in the way oil company equipment. Several cars were towed and access to many of the developed cliffs was denied. Thankfully, a solution presented itself.

After nearly 100 years of family ownership, Mattie and Lafayette Murray, put the more than 700-acres of prime climbing land on the market. The land had been in their family since 1908 when Daniel Boone Pendergrass originally secured the first 530-acres of land along Bald Rock Fork. Seeing an opportunity to secure access to the regions hundreds of climbs, the RRGCC moved quickly and made an offer to purchase the land. On January 20, 2004, the Coalition officially purchased the property from the Murray family for $325 per acre for the 700-acres of deeded land. To finance the purchase, the RRGCC worked out a owner-financed mortage of 8% a year for 10 years. With a few maintaince costs, the final yearly costs translate to nearly $30,000 per year (for a more detailed look, check out the PMRP Financials).

*Note - It wasn't until after the purchase that it was determined that actually 750-acres were deeded.

So What?

So what does this mean for you as a climber? The easiest and most obvious answer is access. Secure, sustainable access that can never be taken away by a third party.

The longer, more involved answer is a bit more idealistic. By purchasing this land, the RRGCC is setting a precedent and is changing the way we have to think about access and the role they take in caring for and protecting it. Our access, like our climbing, is in our own hands. What we do with it, how we treat it and respect it, how we keep it is up to us and us alone.

For fresh and painful reminders of the need and gravity of this project, one needs look only as far as Pocket Wall, the Arena, Oil Crack Wall, portions of Military, Western Sky Bridge Ridge, Hen's Nest, and, most recently, Torrent Falls. These are crags that we've lost, some temporarily, others forever. Until it's ours, access is always threatened.

Protect what you love.