family-friendly indoor climbing gym
We believe climbing is a transformative experience. We exist to give climbers of all ages and abilities a fun, welcoming space to experience the sport of climbing.
We have bouldering walls at varying heights and steepness, 22ft top rope walls with six ropes and two AutoBelays, Kilter Board on an adjustable frame, campus board, and kids climbing area with a slide.
Desk + Coach
Cassie Grimm
I am currently majoring in Outdoor Education at Colorado Mountain College. I moved from Ohio and have fallen in love with the mountains. I love hiking, swimming, climbing, and hammocking. I just recently started climbing but found it to be so much fun. After college, I hope to travel, try new things, and spend lots of time outdoors.
Coach
John Starr
I am from St. Louis, I have been climbing for 14 years. I specialize in bouldering and dynamic movement. My favorite part of climbing is the presence it makes you feel while you are on the wall and everything around you has the volume turned down. I have been coaching climbing for seven years. My favorite type of fictional animal is a leopard seal.
Owner
Karla Lankford
Karla has spent decades working in the outdoor industry, in sales and marketing at different ski areas, and as the majority owner of the recreational side of ABC Kids Climbing in Boulder.
Karla has also spent decades working with kindergartners and first graders in the school system, where she learned the joys of learning new perspectives from children.
She has seen firsthand the joy and empowerment that climbing gyms can offer kids and communities. The mental and emotional transformation climbing offers make her excited about the sport.
It’s her love of community, personal empowerment, and inclusion that drove her to open Steamboat Climbing Collective.
Coach and Assistant Manager
Kate Stern
Kate grew up in Boulder, CO where she started to climb as a kid. She worked at Karla's previous gym, ABC Kids Climbing, teaching classes and camps. She attended Western Colorado University in Gunnison, earning degrees in Business Administration and Environment Sustainability. Kate recently moved back to Colorado after living in Oregon and is thrilled to return to her home state. In her free time, Kate likes to mountain bike, ski, climb, and be outside with friends. Kate's favorite type of climbing is sport climbing, and she is known for her quick and jumpy climbing.
Assistant
Korbin Pyles
I am from Woodland Park Colorado and I moved to Steamboat when I was 3 and have now been here for 12 years. When I’m not climbing I love to be on the mountain skiing or on stage doing theater. I have been climbing for about 4 years and my favorite climbing move is a dyno. I like climbing because it gives me a puzzle that I have to solve and after every puzzle you get a little better.
Summer Camp Coordinator (Seasonal)
Kylie Kuhl
Hello, I am Kylie. I was born and raised here in Steamboat Springs and am currently attending CSU to pursue an art education major. Now I am only working while I am back in town. My friends introduced me to climbing about two years ago, and I have fallen in love ever since. I first started climbing at Butcherknife here in town. Before climbing, I did a lot of dance and competed in water skiing. My favorite thing about climbing is that my mind goes blank. It allows me to forget other things and focus on my body and movement.
Instructor
Novella Light
Novella has lived in Steamboat her entire life and is currently a student at Steamboat High School. She participates in the high school Nordic, Track, and Cross Country teams. She also is part of SCC’s competitive climbing team. Novella has been climbing for about six years. She loves climbing because it allows her to focus and escape the stresses of school. She loves the creativity and puzzle solving involved in sending a project. Her favorite types of climbing are slabs and crimps.
Front Desk
Rebecca McNamara
For over 20 years, I have been teaching children in the classroom setting, dance studio and at a variety of different camps with children of all ages. With two MA degrees, I am always striving to learn more. When I am not teaching, you can find me snowboarding, hiking or climbing. My favorite part of living in Steamboat Springs is enjoying the outdoors with my friends and two dogs. I enjoy rock climbing in different places as I travel. For example, some of the fantastic places I have climbed are Spain, Thailand, and Mali, West Africa. I enjoy working at Steamboat Climbing Collective, where I can share my passion for climbing and experience working with children into action!
Coach
Sarah Quenemoen
I was raised in Portland, OR, and have been living and working in Clark since May 2023. I graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in Environmental Policy. I’m a farmer by day, but when I get sick of weeding, I love to read, ski, craft, and run! I’ve been climbing for a few years now and I love anything static and crimpy.
Coach (Seasonal)
Trevor Harms
I am a Steamboat native who's enjoyed climbing at various gyms in town since 5th grade. I started working with SCC summer of 2022, and I am excited to continue sharing my passion for climbing with Steamboat's youth.
Next fall, I will be attending the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, but I plan on coming back to work camps over the following summers.
Climbing is an excellent opportunity for me to challenge myself and relax, and I love pushing myself and achieving things I couldn't do before.
Join Our Team
We are psyched you are interested in working with us. We are a small team who cares deeply about climbing and the community. Learn about our employment opportunities by clicking the link below.
Our owner, Karla Lankford, was the majority owner of the recreational side of ABC Kids Climbing in Boulder for the past ten years. In 2021, she decided to sell her share of the climbing business and retire.
Just three short weeks later, she discovered that the local climbing gym in Steamboat was going to liquidate. After seeing firsthand the joy, confidence, and transformation that happen on the rock wall, Karla knew she couldn't let the Steamboat community be without a climbing gym.
Karla called her past COO, Chris Hampson, and manager, Holly Seamans, and asked if they would join her. The two offered a resounding "yes," and Steamboat Climbing Collective, LLC was born! The team freshened up the gym and opened it with a vision to create a fun, inclusive space for all.
