Everyone is keyed up for the Petzl RocTrip 2007, The Red River Gorge. With the exception of a few still trickling in, the athletes have made their way out to the crags to check out what the Red is all about. After taking a viewing tour of the list of Ultimate Routes on Tuesday, the athletes decided on the routes of the event and Petzl has agreed to donated $500 to the RRGCC for each Ultimate Route sent.

For the men, Fifty Words for Pump, the long-unsent project at Bob Marley Crag is the ultimate gem, and the they worked it enmass with no clean sends. Steve McClure, England’s hardman, avoided the crowds at the Chocolate Factory, a crag recently discovered by Kenny Barker and Mike Doyle. While Steve thinks the route will go, he says it’s very hard and needs a lot of cleaning, The women, however, ruled the day after both Ultimate Routes located at Bob Marley crag saw an accent. Martina Cufar walked the technical No Redemption, 5.13b, second go, and Emily Harrington, sent Ultraperm 5.13d on her third try, tenth route of the day.

Sean McColl started the domino effect for the mixed route, an unsend “slab” route also at Bob Marley. Named Milf Money and rated a rough13b, this route saw four more accents: Daniel Woods, Sonnie Trotter, Chris Linder, and Dave Graham. Other noteworthy sends: both Michael Fuselier and Daniel Woods onsighted Ultraperm, 5.13d. With Petzl’s contribution, pre-registration and other donations John Evans, Petzl American’s marketing director, thinks it’s possible for the community to raise the annual $30,000 payment by the end of the event.

As a side note, while on route, filmmaker Rob Frost, was bit by a snake coiled on a ledge. After following both Cedar Wright and Katie Brown on the route, he thinks it was the hiker effect. The first wakes it up, the second pisses it off, and the third gets bit.