Rocktoberfest 2026 in the Red River Gorge: Open Crag Climbing & Clinics with Southeast Mountain Guides
Nicole Meyer • September 17, 2026
Open crag climbing, guide-led clinics, and everything you need to know for October 8–11
Red River Gorge · October 8–11, 2026
We're opening our private crags, teaching clinics, and hanging out all weekend at the Red's biggest climbing festival. Here's everything you need to join us.
Get Rocktoberfest Tickets Full Festival Schedule --
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Open Climbing at Our Private Crag
For Rocktoberfest week, we're letting the public climb on our private crag. There's no charge from us. Instead, we're asking everyone who comes out to make a donation straight to the Red River Gorge Climbers' Coalition, the folks who keep climbing access alive in the Red.
Thursday, Oct 8
9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday, Oct 9
9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Sunday, Oct 11
9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Before you come out
- Experienced climbers only, with all of your own gear.
- Helmets on the whole time: on the approach, at the base, and on the wall. Don't have one? Rent one from us for $8.
- Sign a waiver when you arrive.
- Keep it off the internet. This is a private crag, so please don't post photos, route names, grades, or descriptions anywhere.
- You'll get a paper route map at check-in. Hand it back when your session ends.
- Guided trips get priority on routes, and our team may ask anyone not following the rules to leave.
Donate to the RRGCC while you're here: rrgcc.org/donate
Clinics Led by SMG Guides
We're sponsoring clinics alongside Bluegrass Climbing School. Clinics are booked through Rocktoberfest registration.
Saturday · Oct 10
Intro to Sport Climbing
with Christiaan Beck
Saturday · Oct 10
Women's Pump Management
with Heather Aleska
Sunday · Oct 11
Intro to Trad
with KV Kalra
Sunday · Oct 11
Flow State: Refining Movement, Efficiency & Mental Strength
with Matthew Robinson
Clinic day logistics:
Participants check in at 9:00 AM, and groups head out at 9:30 AM, back by 3–4 PM. Show up about 10 minutes early. Bring your own shoes, harness, belay device, rope, quickdraws, and trad gear if your clinic needs it. Helmets are required, and we'll loan you one if you don't have one.
Full Rocktoberfest Schedule
Every clinic, meetup, and trail day on the 2026 lineup, day by day. Sessions marked SMG are run by our guides. Schedule is set by the RRGCC and may change, so double-check rrgcc.org before you go.
Clinic
Free Meetup
Stewardship
SMG
Clinics
Athletes & volunteers 8:30 AM · Participants 9:00 AM · Depart 9:30 AM · Back 3–4 PM
Community Meetups
Athletes & volunteers 9:30 AM · Participants 10:00 AM · Depart 10:30 AM · Back 2–3 PM
Times apply unless a session says otherwise. Check in 10 minutes early and bring your own shoes, harness, belay device, rope, draws, and trad gear if needed. Helmets are required and provided if you need one.
Thursday Oct 8 1 session
- Free Meetup Geoheritage in the RRG Donna Robinson · University of Kentucky Earth Sciences
Friday Oct 9 10 sessions
- Clinic Managing Fear & Stress on Rock Karly Rager · Rab
- Clinic Art of Falling Kyle Higby · Edelrid
- Clinic Girls Just Wanna Get Pumped Maya Madere · Arc'teryx
- Clinic Limit Projecting Tyler Thompson · Arc'teryx
- Free Meetup Running Meetup Ben Kinley · Pioneer Ultra Races
- Free Meetup Oil Crack & Arena: A History of Oil and Climber Interests Andy Hawksley & Hudson Koch (geologists) · University of Kentucky Earth Sciences
- Free Meetup New Crag Showcase Haskell Anderson, Mike Bond & Sam Bailey · RRGCC
- Free Meetup Red River Gorge Cultural History and Resources Morgan Smith & Eddie Brudney · University of Tennessee Chattanooga
- Free Meetup A Meetup for Climbers of the Global Majority Jai-Lyn Norwood & D'Angelo Toney · Indy Black Climbers
- Free Meetup Naturalist Nerd Out Meet-Up Madison Lindsay · Play Wild x RRGCC
Saturday Oct 10 18 sessions
- Clinic Back to Basics Sonnie Trotter · Edelrid
- Clinic Tactics to Climb Hard as a Weekend Warrior Jonathan Horst · La Sportiva
- Clinic The Art of the Try-Hard Mo Beck · Petzl
- Clinic Secrets of the Steep Genevive Walker · Sterling
- Clinic Climbing Routes First Try Tyler Thompson · Arc'teryx
- Clinic Learning to Lead Maya Madere · Arc'teryx
- Clinic Projecting Trad Climbs Connor Herson · Black Diamond
- Clinic Self Rescue Erik Kloeker · Bluegrass Climbing School
- Clinic Intro to Trad Climbing Travis Sapp · Bluegrass Climbing School
- Clinic SMG Intro to Sport Climbing Christiaan Beck · Southeast Mountain Guides
- Clinic SMG Women's Pump Management Heather Aleska · Southeast Mountain Guides
- Free Meetup Belaying Sport Climbers with the Ohmega Anna Campbell & Blair Williams · Edelrid
- Free Meetup Climbing for the Joy of It Hannah Wright & Michael Gill · Red River Gorge Outdoor Club
- Free Meetup Womxn's Climbing Meetup Priya Alexander & Lora Rose · Phoenix Women's Group
- Free Meetup Queer Climbing Meetup Caitriona Pagni · Queers on the Rocks
- Free Meetup New Crag Showcase Haskell Anderson, Mike Bond & Juffrey Turley · RRGCC
- Stewardship Yacht Rock Trail Building Brian "The Crane" Kramer · RRGCC
- Stewardship Trango Trail Day Curtis Gale-Dyer · Trango x RRGCC
Sunday Oct 11 10 sessions
- Clinic Women's Projecting Lena Moinova · RRGCC
- Clinic Gym to Crag Brian Stevenson · Bluegrass Climbing School
- Clinic Gym to Crag Melanie Robertson · Bluegrass Climbing School
- Clinic SMG Intro to Trad KV Kalra · Southeast Mountain Guides
- Clinic SMG Flow State: Refining Movement, Efficiency & Mental Strength Matthew Robinson · Southeast Mountain Guides
- Free Meetup Sunrise Forest Therapy Madison Lindsay · Play Wild x RRGCC
- Free Meetup Let's Talk About It: Redpoint Stress & Relationship to the Sport Karly Rager · Rab
- Free Meetup Adaptive Climbing Community Meetup Emily Moscoe, Mo Beck & Lindsay Purcell · Catalyst Sports x Adaptive Climbers Festival
- Stewardship Arc'teryx, CAMP & Access Fund Trail Day Arc'teryx, CAMP & Access Fund
- Stewardship Beattyville Clean Up Red River Gorge Shuttle x Beattyville / Lee County Tourism
Pitch in:
Four trail days and cleanups are open to sign up for through the RRGCC. Volunteering one festival shift gets you 50% off admission (buy your ticket at the registration booth when you check in), two shifts gets you in free, and traffic control volunteers are entered in a climbing shoe raffle. Volunteer sign-up
Where It All Happens
Rocktoberfest is based at Land of the Arches Campground in Campton, KY. Directions to our crag come with your open-climb check-in.
Want a Guide for Your Red River Trip?
Can't make it to Rocktoberfest, or want more time on rock while you're here? We run guided climbing and instruction in the Red all season.
Book with Southeast Mountain GuidesRocktoberfest is organized by the Red River Gorge Climbers' Coalition. For tickets, the complete schedule, and volunteer sign-ups, head to rrgcc.org. Questions about open climbing or our clinics? Give our reservation office a call. We'll see you in the Red!
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We're excited to announce our 2026 summer photo contest! Do you have a shot from your latest climb, hike, or via ferrata adventure? How about a great Red River Gorge landscape photo? Show it off — and win a prize! We're looking for your best action shots, scenic overlooks, and candid moments from the trail or the rock. Whether you caught the perfect sunrise over the Gorge or your buddy sending a classic route, we want to see it. Prizes 1st Place: $100 + 2 Via Ferrata Passes 2nd Place: $75 3rd Place: $50 4th Place: $25 How to Enter Choose your best photo(s) from the Red River Gorge. Name your file with your name and email (example: JaneDoe_jane@email.com.jpg ). Email your entry to southeastmountainguides@gmail.com . Include your instagram handle if you would like to be tagged. Submit before the deadline: August 31 , 2026. Judging Entries will be judged by a team of creative experts. Winners will be announced on August 31, 2026 and images will be featured on Southeast Mountain Guides website and social media pages. Entry Requirements & Disclaimer By submitting a photo, you certify that: The photo features only fully clothed and helmet-adorned people. You grant Southeast Mountain Guides unrestricted permission to use your submitted photo(s) on their websites and social media channels, including southeastmountainguides.com and climbredrivergorge.com. Good luck, and we can't wait to see what you've captured this summer!
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