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Who We Are
Climb On Equipment exists to serve the needs of those that play in the mountains and work at heights. We aim to create an inclusive experience and support patrons in their lifelong pursuit of climbing goals.
Located in the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples — Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), British Columbia — Climb On Equipment is a climbing specialty retailer. We stock a huge selection of climbing gear and apparel, as well as alpine camping and work at heights equipment. We are a trusted member of the climbing community and have been providing advice and expertise with quality service since 1993.
Climb On Equipment is a great place to get help for everything you need, from finding good beginner climbing routes in Squamish to finding the best selection of popular and hard to find pieces of climbing gear. Please don't hesitate to Contact Us if you are trying to get your hands on something specific.
The Climbing Community
Climb On Equipment is proud to be a part of the growing climbing community. We support local organizations and individuals that work towards the betterment of the community as a whole.
Our Staff
Powered by the outdoors and coffee
Climb On Equipment consists of climbing nerds, gear-heads, athletes, guides, lovers of the mountains and outdoor enthusiasts. When we are not all busy working and supporting each other, we can be found outside enjoying fun adventures and climbing.
We are always looking for good people to join our team. If you share our passion for climbing, playing outside, love working with people and want to be part of the community please email us a copy of your resume with a cover letter explaining why you would be a perfect fit to our team.
Here are a few of the staff that work behind the scenes. You might also see them when you visit our store. They are a collection of motivated individuals each with unique traits and talents.
Leonardo
Equipment Specialist
Our History
The day the Climb On shop opened in 1993 it also closed, not forever or for the evening, but so that the owner could climb for a few hours before dark. Customers visited to listen to climbing folklore, select the latest in sticky rubber or swap tales while upgrading their gear. Often, a small group would be sipping beers and grin with satisfaction from the pitches climbed that day. The worn down carpet, white walls and random posters gave the shop an unpolished and authentic feel. The staff consisted of local "dirt bags", professional climbers, travellers and friends, who all shared a passion for climbing. The customers consisted of the same crowd and they would drop by to catch up on local ascents, read the latest magazine and replace the triggers in their worn out cams.
The store passed onto the next generation of adventure seeking individuals who came for the price of the inventory hanging on the walls. Climb On had become a community icon where friendships started, adventures were planned and inspiration was sought. The business relied on the expertise of the like-minded individuals who worked there, as well as the healthy and motivated individuals who climbed together, shared stoke and enjoyed a low-stress workplace. The people were as gritty and unpolished as the logo hanging above the door, and the positive, fun and stoked vibe remained constant.
Equality grew in the blossoming Squamish climbing scene and word spread, as did the shop's selection of gear until every corner of the tiny store was consumed. The process of buying technical gear relied heavily on the expertise of the staff and their knowledge of how equipment shapes experiences in the mountains.
The Evolution
The increasingly common sight of an all-female team cruising up the Squamish walls, the exploding boulder scene in the forest below and the diversity arriving at Squamish's door changed the once obscure climbing scene into the centre of Canadian rock climbing.
With an upgraded highway, Squamish was less than an hour away from Vancouver and its international airport. The accents heard around town were as varied as the ascents being completed at the crags nearby. The demand for a specialty store increased and in 2020 Climb On moved to a new location on Squamish's downtown core.
From its inception, those that worked at Climb On became part of the growing culture. Individuals with a lifetime of climbing experience, guides, route developers, athletes and those with a deep connection to both the sport and the community are, to this day, the face of Climb On. The original and organic culture within the store evolved, embracing an inclusive philosophy and welcoming every individual at every level of the sport. Climbers still drop by for beta and new shoes and the passion for climbing is still true to the heart of Climb On.
Katy Holm
Owner / Operator
Katy's climbing career started in the early 90's building an impressive resume that ranges from alpine FA, to ice, to rock guide, to hard crack and sport lines. She is often one half of an all female climbing team and always one half of a parenting team. Katy is the head buyer at Climb On and curates the products in our store and online.
Favourite piece of gear
Recommended Reading
The Rock Warrior's Way by Arno Ilgner
Ashley Green
Owner / Operator
Ashley's passion for climbing brought and kept her in Squamish. After years of climbing and connecting with the local community, she can be found almost daily in the store. She makes time for climbing in between raising her son, looking after everyone that works in the store and running in-store business operations.
Favourite piece of gear
Favourite quote
"It doesn’t have to be fun to be fun!" —Barry Blanchard
Yuki Kuroda
Product Category Manager
Yuki was born and raised in Japan. She started climbing in Red Rocks, Las Vegas, where she attended the university. She moved to Squamish after university and it has been her home since then. She loves crack climbing and alpine missions in the summertime. During the winter, you can find her skiing in the backcountry or training in the gym.
Favourite piece of gear
Recommended Reading
The Rock Warrior's Way by Arno Ilgner
Kris Wild
Rigging and Rescue Specialist
Kris was drawn to Squamish in 1998 because of his love of traditional routes and climbing on granite. His family enjoys many of the Sea to Sky's outdoor adventures all year-round. He loves to learn, and share what he knows with others through teaching and instruction. In the off-season, Kris can often be found covered in mud, questing to unearth another new route from our coastal jungle.
Favourite route in Squamish
Unfinished Symphony
Recommended Reading
Red Rock Odyssey by Larry DeAngelo and Bill Thiry
Eric Hughes
Digital Marketing Manager
Eric was born in the UK and chased winter seasons before discovering climbing. He sometimes guides, sometimes skis, sometimes looks for new routes but is always stoked to get out climbing. He has made Squamish home with his family and not so small, puppy dog.
Favourite Quote
"It is so wonderfully pointless and meaningless that it has to be done." —Clifford Geertz - Deep Play
Favourite Route in Squamish
Smoke and Mirrors
Karina Benavides
Store Manager
Karina moved to BC in 2010 after a climbing vacation to Squamish in the summer of 2009. She wanted to be closer to the coastal mountains and pursue her passions of rock climbing and adventure. Apart from Climb On, you’ll find her running or biking in the lush, mossy forests, climbing and scrambling the beautiful crags and peaks and skiing above the trees.
The Four C's
"I believe that the four "C's" will make any day a great day! Climbing! Coffee! Cats! Cookies!" —Karina
Fun Fact
Karina nearly peed on the same rattlesnake, twice.
Leo FK
Media Production and E-commerce Associate
Previously committed to splitboarding all 12 months of the year, Leo quickly learnt that dry seasons were better spent on rock. Due to this, his winter months are now focused on hangboarding, and less so seeking quadruple overhead blower pow.
Leo is psyched on all genres of climbing — except bouldering (that's just training) — whether it be limestone sport routes to exposed gear pitches up on the chief. He aspires to be a well-rounded climber, and lay siege upon the king lines that Squamish has to offer.
Recommended Reading
Revelations by Jerry Moffat
Favourite Route in Squamish
North Star
Mike Palethorpe
Owner / Operator
Mike started climbing in the early 1990's and moved to Squamish in 2006 to live closer to the crags, trails and slopes in the Sea to Sky. He enjoys trad and sport climbing most, especially the many long moderate trad routes found here in Squamish. Mike has climbed around the Western US, Europe and Thailand. During the summer you'll find him with friends at one of the many local Squamish crags or flying kites out on Howe Sound.
Favourite Route in Squamish
The last route I sent
Favourite Quote
"Never judge the day by the weather." —Many
Soleil Onoya
E-commerce Manager / Web Developer
With a background in Front End Programming, Soleil thinks about nesting selectors and DRY principles (don't repeat yourself). But aside from this, she has interests in mountain pursuits. She gained valuable skills and knowledge from the Alpine Club of Canada and from her perceptive colleagues at Climb On. When not coding personal projects for fun, she can be found doing some classic mountaineering or nice multi-pitches in Squamish. She loves to hear people’s credible insights on alpine safety and how to travel fast and light in the mountains.
Favourite piece of equipment
Recommended Reading
Scrambles in Southwest British Columbia by Matt Gunn
Erik Stevenson
Equipment Specialist - Work and Rescue / Trad / Alpine
In 2013 Erik took his first High Angle Rope Rescue course catered towards firefighters. After a taste of rope skills, he took up recreational rock climbing indoors before progressing to coaching then outdoor climbing. Eventually Erik pursued industrial rope access as a way to incorporate his hobby into his professional life. Now a Level II IRATA Technician, he continues to grow his experience and knowledge assisting with Climb On's professional sales, and picking up odd jobs in his free time.
Favourite piece of gear
The CMC Clutch
Recommended Reading
Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills
Leonardo Moretto
Equipment Specialist - Big Wall / Aid / Alpine
Bio Coming Soon
Fraser Young
Equipment Specialist - Work and Rescue / Trad / Sport
Fraser moved to Squamish in 2012 from Chilliwack, BC. He moved to Squamish to attend Capilano University's Advanced Wilderness Leadership Program. After completing the program Fraser moved on to work in the rope access industry. When not working, Fraser enjoys climbing, skiing, and mountain biking in the Sea to Sky corridor. When it's too rainy in the Sea to Sky corridor Fraser enjoys climbing road trips in the Western US.
Favourite Route in Squamish
Local Boys Do Good
Recommended Reading
The Rock Warrior's Way by Arno Ilgner
Colin Chenail
Equipment Specialist - Trad / Alpine / Sport
One of Colin’s life goals is to spend more time climbing than thinking about climbing, which is not an easy task, since he spends most of the year studying in the East Coast. While he’s got a thing for cracks, he recently realized that Sport Climbing is actually pretty fun as well (but don’t tell his rack he said that). He also climbs ice, but still hasn't decided if he likes it or not. To find him in the store, look for the tall, blonde guy trying to mask his Quebec accent.
Favourite Route in Squamish
Right Wing
Favourite piece of gear
The red offset nut he managed to lose four times over the course of a single summer.