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 Tackettis the owner and senior guide for Red River Outdoors. Matt’s 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. Matt is certified by the American Mountain Guide’s Association as a Top Rope Site Manager.
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. Kennan’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 . .
Dan at Pebble Beach
Dan Beckhas been guiding for Red River Outdoors for 2 years. He loves the climbing in the area, but he also enjoys hiking, canoeing, and caving that Kentucky has to offer. Dan hasn’t been climbing in the area that long, but he’s been busy while he has, with successful ascents of over 400 climbs. He’s also done first ascents of about a dozen new routes, some bolted, some protected with traditional gear, and he has plans for several more new climbs. When the winter comes he reluctantly leaves the Red, but he gets to guide dog sled trips near Jackson, WY for the winter. Dan is an AMGA certified TRSM, and is also certified as a Wilderness First Responder.
Some of Dan’s favorite climbs in the Red: Windy Corner, Orange Juice, The Quest, Nevermore, Hen-ry, and Prime Directive.
Favorite climbs elsewhere: The Spectre, New River Gorge, West Virginia. Thin Air Face, Cathedral Ledge, New Hampshire.
Memorable Climbing Moment: Along with Matt, becoming the first people to complete the Trifecta last year. The Trifecta consists of climbing the classic multi pitch trad lines Jungle Beat, The Quest, and Nevermore in a day.
Zac on Super Slab-Photo by Pete McDermott
Zac Sands is one strong climber. He wouldn’t let you know, because he’s humble, but it’s true. But Zac’s got more than physical skills, he’s an experienced guide who knows what he’s doing. After mainly concentrating on sport climbing for the last few years, Zac’s been starting to climb some of the traditional test pieces of the Red. He made quick work of the classic All That Glitters, and even sent a hard sport climb at the Motherlode on traditional gear, just to see if he could. You can check out Zac’s moves here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VldO6n9-3-0Zac is an AMGA certifed TRSM.
Zac Sands is one strong climber. He wouldn’t let you know, because he’s humble, but it’s true. But Zac’s got more than physical skills, he’s an experienced guide who knows what he’s doing. After mainly concentrating on sport climbing for the last few years, Zac’s been starting to climb some of the traditional test pieces of the Red. He made quick work of the classic All That Glitters, and even sent a hard sport climb at the Motherlode on traditional gear, just to see if he could. You can check out Zac’s moves here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VldO6n9-3-0Zac is an AMGA certifed TRSM.
Zac Sands is one strong climber. He wouldn’t let you know, because he’s humble, but it’s true. But Zac’s got more than physical skills, he’s an experienced guide who knows what he’s doing. After mainly concentrating on sport climbing for the last few years, Zac’s been starting to climb some of the traditional test pieces of the Red. He made quick work of the classic All That Glitters, and even sent a hard sport climb at the Motherlode on traditional gear, just to see if he could. You can check out Zac’s moves here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VldO6n9-3-0Zac is an AMGA certifed TRSM.
