Most of my life I’ve identified myself as a runner, adventurer, and free spirit. The day I touched the granite of Mount Lemon in Tucson, Arizona for the first time, I added climbing to that list.  Since that spring in 2013 I’ve been fully addicted to climbing rocks and the amazing places I’m fortunate enough to climb them in.

I’m like most climbers.  I have a full-time job and fit in climbing around making a paycheck and taking care of my two fur kids (Eldo and Veda). I like to say I got into the game late and may never be the strongest climber in the mix, but as the saying goes the best climber is the one having the most fun.  I thrive on a never ending psych for the sport and climbing community and hope to motivate and inspire others to be the very best they can be, whether that best is a 5.6 or a 5.14.

What do I love to climb?  I don’t discriminate, I like to go up.  From granite slabs to sandstone splitters to ice to off-width, I like to climb it all.  I’m often attracted to the weird and unusual and my real passion lies in alpine-style sufferfests with long approaches, double-digit pitch counts, and link-ups with a car to car in a day plan.  I don’t have a favorite place to climb, although I could make a strong argument for the deserts of Utah, on a week to week basis I’m just happy being immersed in the wilderness regardless of the objective.

A lot of people ask me for my best advice to beginning climbers.  My response: Be patient with your abilities but don’t subscribe to limitations.  There’s a lot to learn, a lot of skill sets to develop and it’s a process.  Failure and fears are part of it, and all climbers go through it.   If it was easy everyone would do it, but it’s supposed to challenge you, there’s supposed to be things you can’t do…yet.  Just don’t forget to enjoy the process, and don’t forget to take in the view.