COVID-19 Climbing Guidelines: The Red River Gorge in the Daniel Boone National Forest, Muir Valley, and all RRGCC-owned property - which includes Miller Fork Recreational Preserve, Bald Rock Recreational Preserve, and Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve - request that you follow the guidelines outlined on each website if you choose to climb during this time. See links above for more details about each climbing area.

The Shire

Grade Trad Mixed Sport Total
5.12 2 - 12 15
loading

Directions to The Shire

RRGCC
This wall is in property owned by RRGCC. Be respectful.
Continue on the main road, passing the side trails for Rival Wall and Courtesy Wall, until the road narrows and becomes more of a trail. You will reach a very large boulder about 30 feet past a smaller boulder on the left side of the trail. Stay on the the trail up and right of the very large boulder for about 50 more feet as the trail switches back and you will reach the plated wall on which the first routes listed are located.

Wall Sun: Unknown

{show overview map}


Click the column heads to sort. Hold shift to sort on multiple columns.
Route Spray Name Type Grade Quality Length Picture

1

 My Name is Earl Sport 5.11d
 
 30
25ft left of PeeWee, climb the short arete using balance and finesse as your arsenal. Fun technical moves. Steepness:

2

 Pee-Wee Sport 5.7
 
 35
From the approach trail you will see 4 sport lines on a slightly overhanging plated face. This is leftmost route on this face and begins just left of a large rock shelter. Great first lead. The last move will make you try for the grade. Steepness:

3

 Audie Sport 5.8
 
 35
This fun route follows the line of bolts beginning just above the rock house. Start in the rock house or left of it and traverse into the first bolt. Continue on plates and pockets to the anchors. Steepness:
 Tags
pockets-2 : shady-1 : juggy-2

4

 Miranda Rayne Sport 5.9+
 
 60
Move right a few feet from Audie to step it up a grade and gain some more height to the anchors. Steepness:
 Tags
vertical-1 : fun-1

5

 The G-Man Sport 5.10c
 
 40
Once you've graduated from the previous three lines, move right to take on the toughest line on the wall. Begin just left of an arete and stick clip the first bolt. Climb through pumpy moves on sloping pinches to the anchors. Steepness:
 Tags
pumpy-1 : technical-1 : pinches-1

6

 Significant Other Sport 5.10b
 
 40
Move right a few feet and around the corner from The G-Man to locate this and the next line. Climb a mossy start to gain a ledge then continue up the fingery face to the anchors. Steepness:

7

 Bulldozer Sport 5.10a
 
 40
Step right a few feet to the next bolted line. Climb the slabby face past thought provoking moves. Steepness:

8

 Buffalo Crickets Trad 5.10b
 
 45
Step 20 feet around the corner from Bulldozer to this left-facing dihedral. Crank past a tough start then continue up the crack. Near the top the crack widens and becomes extremely dirty. Protect out of horizontals on the arete to the left. Steepness:

9

 Iron Mike (open project) Sport Grade Unknown
 
 90
25 feet right of Buffalo Crickets is this striking line of isolated shallow pockets and crimpers. Start up the through the first 4 bolts of easy iron rails and get a quick rest. While recovering, scope out your path of least resistance and try your luck with the sustained and heady crux. Try and rest at the hueco and hope you remembered to bring your traditional skills for the finish. Steepness:

10

 K.S.B. Sport 5.10d
 
 60
Walk right about 150 feet past Bulldozer to a large overhanging wall. This climbs starts with some steep iron edge pulling and ends on a fun vertical face with crazy holds. Steepness:

11

 Earth-Bound Misfit Sport 5.12c
 
 50
Move about 50 feet right from the previous line to locate this striking thin dihedral which begins about 20 feet off the deck and ends on a perch. Steepness:
 Tags
arete-1 : dihedral-1

12

 Team Wilander Sport 5.11d
 
 40
Twenty five feet right of the dihedral is this bolted line which begins in a cave. Crank through the initial cave moves, then emerge to the first bolt and enjoy gymnastic moves to the chains. Steepness:

12a

 Trad Lib Trad 5.10c
 
 60
Between Team Wilander and Mis-conception find a crack with a bulge above a small hueco. Stout start, protect the bulge well and go for it! When the crack disappears, face-climb left to second crack and then to chains. Steepness:

13

 Mis-Conception Sport 5.12b
 
 55
Move about 50 feet right and around the corner from the previous line to locate this deceptively difficult line. Climb through sloping holds to a redpoint crux just before the anchors. Steepness:

14

 A-shiff Boulder Bouldering Unknown
 
 0  
Just off the approach trail below the main wall of The Shire and on the left is this recently cleaned boulder with two fin-like features. Problems as follows: 1. My Eden (V3) - Sit start between two huecos and climb positive flakes to a blank upper section. Walk off right and through the dual fins. FA: Ryan Thomas 2006 Steepness:

Comments

7 comments {add your own comments}
1
SCIN said on November 25th, 2006
Parking Area GPS Coordinates: Latitude 37.65139, Longitude 83.71667
2
goodguy said on February 3rd, 2007
2 new routes at the Shire, 25ft left of Pee Wee "My Name is Earl", Ryan Thomas' project 3 bolts and anchors , Techy arete, 11+** 15 ft right of Blakes project "Team Wilander",Ron Batemans' project 4bolts and anchors, tough start out of a cave, and JUGS to the finish.11c/d**
3
Anonymous said on May 31st, 2007
Could anyone give better directions to this area? Is this the same parking lot as access to drive-by? Would love to climb there!
4
pigsteak said on June 1st, 2007
nope.....park as if climbing at playground, purgatory, etc. the Shire is almost exactly opposite of purgatory. take off out of the back of the parking lot. there is a small footbridge to start out, and hang a left on the dirt road....walk about 7 minutes. right before a very huge boulder (20 foot tall) there is a path up to the right....the Shire is 50 foot up this path.
5
Anonymous said on July 27th, 2011
our reading of the 3rd edition guide showed the 4th route to the right on the wall with Audie and ostensibly 'Miranda Rayne" to be the 5.9 when experience indicates this to be the 10c. That fits with the next route being Sig. Other ~10b.
6
Anonymous said on July 27th, 2011
shite, i don't know, the online guide seems to be straight.
7
c-foot said on July 30th, 2011
The error is in the 3rd edition guide book. The description is correct but the map at the top of page 321 shows Miranda Rayne just to the left of the arete and G-Man to the right. In reality both are to the left of the arete with G-man being the rightmost. We ended up "warming up" on the 10.c G-man thinking it was the 9 Miranda Rayne. Live and learn.