Solar Collector/Gold Coast  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  13,861. Good page?    Administrators:  saxfiend, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  LeeAB on Oct 16, 2006 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue 66° | 43° 70° | 46° 77° | 54° 84° | 54° 84° | 63°

A famous MPer from Boulder levitates near the Sola...

Description 

As you approach the cliff you come to the Solar Collector first. An easth facing wall that gets tallerr as you move to the right. The routes start at 5.10+ and progress to 5.12 as the wall grows and the lines get longer. The tops of these route will get wet in the rain as the routes go right to the top of the wall.

The next main section of cliff after you pass through a cave and a few slabby routes in black rock that look nice, is the Gold Coast which faces south. This wall is pretty amazing to behold. Route on the main section of wall range from 5.13 to project. The climbing is on holds that are smaller than your typical Red River Gorge fair. Many of the routes follow streaks and will likely be wet if it has been raining a bunch, but they do not go to the top of the wall so should stay dry for the most part except for Black Gold which is in a drainage.

Further right most of the routes are traditional lines of more moderate grades.

Getting There 

Take the Fixer Rd turn off to the right near a sign for Lee County. Make your first left and follow th epaved road which eventually turns to dirt/gravel. About a mile after the road turns to dirt look for a big gas tank on the left that has been painted to look like some sort of creature, turn right here and follow the road to the end at a RRGCC kiosk.

Pick up the trail to the right of the kiosk and follow it through a ravine and across some logs through a marshy area. You will see a trail signed "Gold Coast" on the right, this trail will take you to the far right side of the cliff which is mostly traditional climbing. The next signed trail you see to the right will be for the "Solar Collector" This trail accesses the two main sections of the wall.

The Classics

Featured Route For Solar Collector/Gold Coast

Black Gold 5.13c  KY : Red River Gorge : ... : Solar Collector/Gold Coast

This beautiful streaked wall offers brilliant, sequential reaches on impeccable crimps. Black Gold is unique from its neighbors in that the holds are virtually all neutral-to-positive, as opposed to the notorious slopey rails found to the right. Although the line appears reachy from the ground, numerous hard-to-see intermediates offer options for all sizes. Unfortunately the aesthetic look of the wall is attributed to nearly constant water run-off that makes this line a frustrating project....[more]   Browse More Classics in KY

Photos of Solar Collector/Gold Coast Slideshow

Add Photo

The Remarkable "Gold Coast"	Gold Coast detail. From L --> R: Bl...	Standing in one of the big huecos that Solar Colle...
Ethics Police. photo by Anthony Carco	The Gold Coast at high tide.	The Rain Collector...the day after a Spring storm ...