There may not be a more popular climbing area in the country than Kentucky's Red River Gorge, and there's likely nobody who knows more about the rock, region, and climbing resources than our guest, Erik Kloeker

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Erik Kloeker is a long-time Kentucky-based guide, steward, and developer. He’s been a big waller, established new routes internationally, and is now back in his home state helping cultivate a more skilled and safe sport as the founder and owner of Bluegrass Climbing School, and member of the Wolfe County Search and Rescue team.

Where most folks may know him from, however, is his work in the heart of the Red River Gorge. Erik is responsible for several modern classics, including Chimera, Invisible Handjob, and Release the Kraken. Arguably even more impressive than that, is the extensive work he’s done with the Red River Gorge Fixed Gear Initiative, helping replace hundreds of bolts around the Gorge.

If you’re more of a limestone cowboy, a quick hop across the border to the mecca that is Potrero Chico will find you several incredible lines either established or maintained by Erik as well. A second home to Erik, you can find him there in the winter months running Climb Potrero Mountain Guides.

Noticing a trend here? Erik cares deeply about the sport, and his passion for giving back through his own money, time, and sweat equity is visible everywhere he goes. Erik, welcome to the show.

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Show Links:

• Red River Gorge Fixed Gear Initiative: https://www.rrgfgi.com/
• Wolfe County Search & Rescue (SAR): https://wcsart.com/
• Wolfe County SAR Podcast: https://wcsart.com/podcast/
• Red River Gorge Climbers' Coalition https://rrgcc.org/

The biggest climbing areas often receive the most attention and effort - but what keeps our local crags moving? We sit down for a mid-season check-in and get-to-know-your-host show with Jake Reginato!

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Jake is a Shasta-area based developer, rebolter, and climbing steward - and, while he's certainly an accomplished developer and climber himself, establishing dozens of new lines with difficulties well into the 5.13 range, where he really shines is in his investment in his local region.

Here's a quote from MountainProject: "This crag hid under moss for a long time until Jake Reginato put in some time with a drill and brush to revive the area." Breadcrumbs like these can be found all over locals-only spots in Northern California. Instead of being put off by the occasionally overprotective environments found around him, Jake embraced it, putting in the hard work to improve and maintain these areas that the surrounding community loved so much.

Jake recently took this ideology to the next step, founding a new local climbing organization. The Shasta Climber's Coalition is working to create a new community - not one defined by the mere protection of its local climbing secrets, but instead by investment, collaboration, and responsibility.

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Show Links:

• Shasta LCO website: https://www.shastaclimbers.org/
• Access Fund - Accessing Private Land: https://d1w9vyym276tvm.cloudfront.net/assets/pdf/Climbing-on-Private-Land.pdf

How do we balance the preservation of old routes with the enablement of new ones? And who actually goes out there to do the work that needs to get done? Well, if you live in New Mexico, your answer might just be Anna Brown.

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Anna Brown, known to many by her Instagram moniker of @mediagirl, is a New Mexico-based climber, photographer, and steward, whose work has become deeply rooted in the Southwest climbing community. Many know her for her gallery of bad, old, and downright strange bolts found when rebolting around her local haunts. What’s even more impressive, however, is her dedication to preserving the routes and crags that define the region.

After encountering aging hardware on classic climbs around the Sandia Mountains a few years ago, Anna developed a passion for bolt replacement, and has since become one of New Mexico's leading rebolting advocates. Working both individually and within her role as a board member on her LCO, she has helped replace hundreds of aging bolts, anchors, and rappel stations, ensuring that climbers will continue to enjoy these places for generations to come.

Whether she's behind the camera, establishing new routes, getting her hands dirty with trail work, or hanging from a rope replacing old hardware, Anna has become a leading voice for stewardship, community action, and responsible route development—helping preserve both the history and future of climbing in New Mexico.