Guide Bios
Red River Outdoors guides are trained and certified by the American Mountain Guide Association. Our guides are safe and experienced and love what they do. Climbing is not just a job or a sport, but a way of life.
Matt on Toxic Avenger, RRG
Matt Tackett is the owner and senior guide for Red River Outdoors. Matt has been climbing for over a decade, and he’s been lucky enough to climb in many of the great climbing areas of the United States, as well as France and South America. No matter where he’s been though, he still returns to the Red River Gorge. He loves the Red River Gorge and knows the area and its climbing better than most anyone. If you were to look through the guidebook, you would undoubtedly see some of the over 60 climbs that Matt has done the first ascent of. There’s not much he likes more than bushwhacking through the rhododendrons to find new lines to climb. Between climbing and running Red River Outdoors, he still fines time to replace anchors on old routes, do volunteer trail work, and organize events with the Red River Gorge Climber’s Coalition.
Keenan climbing Mercy the Huff, RRG
Keenan Connor has been climbing for 12 years; obsessively for all 12, purposefully for the last 7. He has climbed at most of the major (and some not so major) destinations in the US . Red River Gorge, Eldorado Canyon, Hueco Tanks, Yosemite Valley, Ruth Gorge Alaska, Tetons, Rifle, Maple Canyon, Rumney, Seneca, Smith Rocks, HP 40, RockTown, LRC, Bishop, Tuolumne Meadows, Joes Valley . . . just to name a few that standout. With Keenan’s great personality and years of experience, he’s a great guide. Keenan’s favorite places to climb are sport in the Red River Gorge, trad in Eldorado Canyon, and bouldering in Hueco Tanks and the entirety of the Southeastern U.S.
Favorite Routes in the Red River Gorge:
Mercy the Huff, Andromeda Strain, Snooker, Twinkie, All That Glitters, Roadside Attraction, Fuzzy Undercling, Toxic Avenger, All Things Considered, all the perfect lines I can’t remember right now, and all the ones I haven’t done yet
The rest of the world: The Predator(Rumney), Yellow Spur (Eldo), Under the Milky Way(NRG), Cathedral Peak (Tuolumne Meadows), Chain Reaction (Smith Rocks), this could go on for awhile . .
Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams has been climbing for over 10 years. He has climbed in over 40 different climbing areas in 15 States and Provinces. Ryan has been involved in the local climbing community for many years. He served as Treasurer in the Red River Gorge Climber’s Coalition for 3 years. He also supports the area with his continuous help with trail days and various fund raising events. Ryan is a great guide and a professional in the Outdoor Recreation field.
Ryan’s current certifications include:
Single Pitch Instructor – American Mountain Guides Association
Wilderness First Responder – Wilderness Medicine Institute (NOLS)
Adult and Child CPR & Airway Management – Wilderness Medicine Institute (NOLS)
