Climb Strong Consulting

Steve is the founder and programming director of Climb Strong. A 35-year veteran of the sport, Steve climbs and trains regularly and is still pushing his limits. He is the author of seven books on training for climbing and has written more than 200 articles on the subject. Steve regularly consults with some of the world's best climbers and travels regularly to present on training for climbing. Please note: Steve’s consultation rate is $210 per hour.

Charlie has been a Climb Strong coach since 2015 and has been mentored by Steve Bechtel since 2011. In that time he has coached and consulted with climbers from all over the world. Those climbers have ranged from beginners, to 5.14 climbers, and Olympic hopefuls. Charlie's background is deeply rooted in strength training, but also a no-nonsense approach to training for climbing outdoors or for competitions. He understands this because he was one of those climbers aimlessly training until he decided he was sick of it and wanted to learn how to do it properly.

Ken is a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Performance Climbing Coach, and Northern Colorado Climber’s Coalition Board Member. His climbing travels have taken him all over the world from the amazing limestone walls of Spain and Mexico to the expansive boulder fields of the Rocklands of South Africa.

Kathryn moved to Lander, Wyoming for the Winds and stayed for Sinks Canyon. She started climbing in New England while getting her bachelor’s degree from Harvard. Her climbing has since taken her all over the world— from Spain to France to Yosemite. She is a NSCA Certified Personal Trainer and has taught climbing for six years. She began as an athlete training with Climb Strong, and she has learned that we are all far more capable and powerful than we can imagine. She is thrilled to be a Climb Strong coach and is available for consultations and monthly programming.

Chelsea started rock climbing alongside her dad 24 years ago and it was love at first experience. Within the same month she started climbing, she joined a youth team and began competing. She’s a former National Champion, was a member of the US Team for 13 years, and had the opportunity to travel abroad for World Cup competitions. Outside of competition, her proudest achievements include numerous 5.13c onsights, 5.14 first female ascents, and having the opportunity to climb The Nose of El Cap, Half Dome, and helping to re-establish the Central Pillar of Frenzy Direct in Yosemite.

Jacob started climbing on the beautiful boulders in Chimney Rock, North Carolina and the surrounding area. He believes that simplicity and consistency go a long way in reaching goals in life, especially when it involves training. Along with this, his experience with hard training and high performance in multiple sports gives him the experience to coach athletes across many disciplines and abilities. He has a dual Masters in Strength and Conditioning and Sports Nutrition and is a certified personal trainer through the NSCA. He is grateful to live in Lander, WY where he can climb, mountain bike, and ski with his wife, Taylor.

Based in Eugene, Oregon, Micah has been in the climbing game for almost 25 years. He has climbed all over the world including dozens of first ascents on the Central Coast of California and Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Despite being in his 4th decade, he continues to slowly, yet steadily, improve. As a coach, Micah draws on a variety of experiences to support his athletes. He is versed in climbing specific training modalities and holds multiple Performance Climbing Coach Certificates. He spent the first half of his twenties deeply committed to Ashtanga yoga practice. As a former professional chef, Micah has extensive culinary experience and holds Nutrition Educator and Natural Chef’s certificates from Bauman College. He’s also earned an MBA in Entrepreneurship from University of Oregon and a BA in Philosophy from University of California at Santa Barbara.

Chrissy is a high-level and dedicated rock climber originally from New Jersey who now resides in Colorado, and has been sport and trad climbing for over 10 years. She holds a Masters of Science in Physics, an M.A.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, is a Certified Performance Climbing Coach as well as a Level II USA Climbing Coach. Chrissy’s passion for climbing has led her to travel as far and wide as trad climbing in Arapiles, to sport climbing in Kalymnos and alpine in the Bugaboos. Chrissy has coached all ages of climbers from the competitive youth circuit through accomplished adult athletes, and takes her athlete’s training and success as seriously as she takes her own. Her nerdy past causes her to spend great amounts of time researching strength metrics for climbing, training methodology and movement analysis. Chrissy is available for training consultations and for long-term climbing coaching.

Ty was fortunate to grow up as a climber in Lander, WY during one of its many “golden eras” and now has more than 30 years of climbing under his belt. Though a sport climber at heart, Ty is a generalist with a myriad of diverse ascents: big wall free climbs in Yosemite and Zion, ice and mixed routes, headpoints, and highball boulder problems. Ty spent 12 years building a successful artisan bakery (460 Bread) while raising two energetic boys and sending the occasional Teton rock climbing project, so he fully understands the challenges of balancing a busy schedule with climbing performance. Since selling his business in 2021, he has been able to focus on his true passion for climbing performance and helping other climbers achieve their potential. Ty is psyched to be a part of the Climb Strong team and is available for monthly coaching programs.

Joel is an all-around climber who splits his time between Lander, WY and Flagstaff, AZ. Exploring and establishing new routes and boulders is his passion, and training has become an essential part of this pursuit. With projects ranging from roof boulders to thin trad lines and multi-pitch routes, he has learned to train for a diverse set of climbing challenges over the past decade. Joel has been training as an athlete with Climb Strong for two years and holds a Performance Climbing Coach certification. The energy of climbers and their desire to improve is contagious, and Joel is excited to work with others who seek to improve and pursue their potential.

Rachel started climbing in 2007 and fell in love with the sport. Early struggles with plateaus and overuse injuries prompted Rachel to learn about training for strength and injury prevention. She soon became passionate about the process, and put that passion into practice, opening a business in Oklahoma City to build training plans and offer coaching. She has helped multiple clients of various ability levels safely build strength and reach new heights in their climbing. Working now with Climb Strong, Rachel is excited to pursue her passion to help athletes progress through individualized and customized training. Rachel is a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine. She is also a Performance Enhancement Specialist. She is a Strong First certified Bodyweight Instructor (SFB). Rachel is currently pursuing both Strong First certifications for kettlebell instruction (SFG), and a masters degree in exercise science.

Climbing is my passion, but I grew up as an athlete. I started cycling at age 12, and raced internationally for years in both Belgium and Australia. As a member of the US National Team, I had the opportunity to compete at Worlds. After leaving the world of cycling, I developed my love for climbing. I graduated from Liberty University with a Masters in interdisciplinary studies with focuses in Exercise Science and Outdoor Leadership. Through my years at university, I also designed and managed the climbing facility, as well as coached the University Team. After graduating, I started taking on more clients to help them effectively reach their goals. All of this experience has helped me become the coach I am today. I have worked with people at every level of climbing and strength, and have seen great success in helping them achieve their goals.

AJ is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist who currently lives and works in Bozeman, MT. With a comprehensive background in biomechanics, sports performance, and exercise physiology, he is able to provide a unique perspective and comprehensive coaching and training packages for climbing athletes. As a Wisconsin native who made his way to Flagstaff, AZ to pursue altitude training as a competitive runner, he soon shifted away from running to pursue the never-ending climbing opportunities in the southwest and around the country. Living and climbing in the desert southwest allowed AJ to understand and experience what it means to have a year-round climbing season and learn the kinds of programming required to perform at a high level consistently. In contrast, Montana has provided a seasonal climbing trend and the distinct training months/seasons that can be programmed for planned road trips or extended periods of desired peak climbing performance during an athlete’s local “climbing season”. AJ fully believes in the Climb Strong philosophy – supporting and guiding climbing athletes by providing simple, effective, and individualized programming.

Sara is a queer climber, a coach, and a NSCA Certified Personal Trainer based in Western Massachusetts. She has been climbing for over a decade, much of which was spent on the road climbing full time. Sara started mostly as a trad climber who would sport climb to get fit, but soon embraced being a dedicated sport climber. Now she is mostly a boulderer who claims she’s just trying to get strong for an eventual return to routes again. Through all of these shifts in focus she has learned to adapt her own training to meet the demands required to perform at a high level and to see continuous improvement into her 40’s. Sara is very active in her local community, serving the Western Mass Climbers’ Coalition as a Board member and a member of their Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She is passionate about making both climbing and strength training more approachable and accessible to a greater diversity of bodies and identities. Sara’s own training journey was initially undertaken to get strong for climbing and to repair/build resilience from injury. Those first steps unexpectedly expanded outward and led to greater personal bodily acceptance and an eventual career as a coach and trainer that gives her purpose.

Carter Smith is a climbing coach based in Durham, North Carolina, serving as the Head Coach at Triangle Rock Club. In this role, he coaches and oversees the Club and Competition Team cohorts across multiple gym locations. Carter earned his Master's degree in Experiential and Outdoor Education from Western Carolina University in 2022. His passion is helping both adults and children use climbing as a means of self-discovery through challenge. An experienced all-around climber, Carter enjoys a variety of climbing disciplines, from bouldering competitions to alpine trad climbing. He lives in North Carolina with his partner, Molly, and their two dogs.

Graham is a dedicated climber and skier currently residing on the Eastside of the Sierra in Bishop, CA. He has been enthusiastically climbing, instructing, guiding, and traveling to climb for over 20 years. Graham came to Lander in 2009 to work for NOLS as a climbing instructor and quickly found a mentor in Steve. As part of the inaugural class of Climb Strong lunchtime workouts, Graham has a long history with CS. Climb Strong has aided him throughout the different facets of his career as a sport climber, trad climber, and ultimately, a boulderer. Graham continues to work hard to progress his own climbing and send world class boulders. Whether your goals are to have an awesome trip to Rocklands or Fontainbleau, Kalymnos or Red Rock, some dream destination or your local crag, Graham is psyched for you to send your next project and hopes he can be part of that journey alongside you!