GYM MANAGER & CLIMBING INSTRUCTOR

Climbing has been an important part of Shona’s life since she first scampered up the wall of a local crag over a decade ago. The pursuit of spending time in the vertical world has guided her to many incredible places and communities all over the globe and she is so happy to be settled back in her hometown, reconnecting with her roots and a new family of climbers. Shona loves the Gold Crush community and being part of a space that brings people together both on and off the wall. When she’s not managing the gym or teaching someone how to tie a figure 8 knot, you'll find Shona tending her garden, climbing at a local crag, or dipping in the Yuba River.

ASSISTANT MANAGER & YOUTH PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Claire first got properly into rock climbing while living in Australia many years ago. Since then she has brought her passion for it to countless crags across the globe. From the high mountains in South America to the steamy beaches of Southeast Asia, climbing has always given her community as well as a unique connection to land. Claire has been a climbing instructor for over 8 years and is stoked to share her passion and knowledge with the Gold Crush community! With high energy and a love for cultivating inclusive environments she is excited to be part of the Northern California climbing scene. Other than climbing she runs, practices yoga and is a creative. A working artist who specializes in painting, murals and tattoos.

HEAD ROUTE SETTER

Cullen is a nerd-athlete, otter-person, climber-of-rocks and an acolyte of the weird who revels in the mundane. He developed a healthy obsession with falling since he learned to stand and has spun that obsession into dedicated practice through play. A Sierra foothill local, he spent his youth scampering on the rocks of the American and Yuba rivers. He found climbing in 2017 while living in Humboldt county and the saga continued, since then his endless curiosity for climbing movement has led him into the craft of route setting. When he's not monkeying around on plastic, he spends his time treasure hunting remote sections of the Yuba river for new boulders and swimming holes.

CLIMBING & SUMMER CAMP INSTRUCTOR

Miles is a Grass Valley born and raised career-instructor and multi sport enthusiast including indoor and outdoor climbing, snowboarding, mountaineering, whitewater rafting, and backpacking. Miles began climbing on Donner summit at the age of 13 in a 5 day camp and progressed to instructing all over the west coast for all ages and levels. On the weekends you'll find him working at festivals for Kalikos Hawaiian Kitchen.

FOUNDER/OWNER

Spending his youth in Sacramento, Idaho, and primarily Redding, Desmond’s world was rocked when he met a lovely lady (now wife) who had UC Santa Barbara on her mind. Concurrent with a degree in English Lit, Desmond discovered bouldering in the Santa Ynez mountains in 2007. Climbing at Pipeworks in Sacramento with occasional outdoor excursions, it wasn’t until 2012 that he began to focus on climbing. It was then (through the skiing industry) that Desmond joined Dan Dixson with Level 8 Sales and realized he had to step up his game. As a sales rep for Black Diamond, Boreal, and Edelweiss, the climbing world became a cornerstone in his life. This role is what brought Desmond and his wife, Brooke to Grass Valley in 2015 and gave him the wild idea of starting a climbing gym. Now as a father of 3 with a career in real estate, Desmond is more involved with strategy from the sidelines, but is forever tied in and ready to belay the Gold Crush Community.

FOUNDER/OWNER

Originally hailing from Western Massachusetts, Jakobi fell in love with bouldering on his first day out. Despite not being a sports-oriented person, he quickly discovered that this activity came naturally to him and his lifestyle, so he dove headfirst into the new passion. Ten years later as an avid and experienced boulderer, wire wrap jewelry maker, and assistant to his artistic jack-of-all-trades father, Jakobi traveled west by way of the Burning Man portal and decided to stick around in California. He connected with local climbers in the Grass Valley area and the vision to create Gold Crush Climbing Gym was born. Jakobi is the head route setter at Gold Crush, where he continues to refine and improve all things route setting for the betterment of the local community.