Climb in Mind is a personal journey, space for reflection, and a conversation waiting to start.
Welcome! I’m Nyx.
I’m a lifelong climber with a lot to say about balancing life, climbing with fear, and goal motivation — on and off the wall.
I’ve been climbing since 2011.
Climbing is a wild topic for me. One I easily nerd out on. (And can quickly get sassy about)
There’s something about climbing that can’t be ignored. When you’re hooked, you’re hooked. It impacts your life, for better or for …. not so better. And I’m here to talk about it all!
My climbing journey involved a lot of ups and downs. It’s contained solid life reflections and humbling scenarios. Climbing is a rewarding activity, carrying life long lessons if you’re willing to reflect.
This is where I climb, coach and set from.
If you want to learn a little more, check out the drop down menus below.
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I’ve been climbing since 2011, starting at my University wall. I hated it at first. But, after a little knowledge and natural strength progression I found inspiring movement. I was all in!
After graduating, I moved to Australia, then the Denver Front Range area. Along the way I picked up an appreciation for sport, bouldering, and alpine climbing.
My interest in climbing contains peaks and valleys, but I’ve found a way to balance this sport with the other areas of my life. It’s a constant work in progress and one I’m challenged by often.
What really motivates my progression is picking a climbing destination and preparing for that unique adventure. Climbing has taken me all over the world, and I’m grateful for that experience.
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Coaching Disciplines
Beginner and Intermediate Climbing Technique Progression
Mental Training
Body Awareness and Balance
Performance Planning
Beginner Strength and Cross Training
Transitioning to Outdoor Climbing
Top Rope Belaying
Lead Belaying
Sport Anchor Building and Cleaning
Big Wall Gear and Anchor Transitions
Positions I have held in the Climbing and Ropes Industry:
Adult Climbing Instructor
Adult Private Coach
Adult Programs Manager and Developer
Assistant Outdoor Programs Director for University of Northern Iowa
Climbing Programs Manager at the University of Minnesota
Front Desk Attendants / Supervisors (so many times!)
High Ropes Course Instructor
High Ropes Course Director
Route Setter for Commercial Gyms and Youth Comps
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I stumbled into adult private coaching while I was route setting and developing an Adult Climbing Program at The Spot Climbing Company. The decade I spent working as an instructor and the setting skills I picked up through my travels aided in my ability to translate climbing movement. It’s been an invaluable asset to helping climbers achieve their goals.
Over time, I picked up my coaching styles and discovered the projects I like to help with the most. This has brought along many fascinating conversations about life and brought up valuable coaching client experiences.
My favorite aspect from coaching is watching confidence build in a skillset and discussing how this can be transferred to off the wall. I enjoy diving into mental blocks and figuring out how to perform under great fear. My natural pattern recognition and ability to hone in on details allows for me to stand back and analyze body positioning.
I’ve made many contacts within the industry that have rounded out my knowledge, from physical therapists, dieticians, gear buffs, instructors, guides, and avid climbers. I use a combination of my experience, research, and discussions with other professionals in the field to support my coaching services.
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I discovered climbing through the outdoor program, UNI Outdoors, at the University of Northern Iowa (yes there’s enough climbing in the area for those starting out). I worked in a variety of managerial positions, climbing the ladder for seven years before I switched to commercial gyms.
Prior to college, I worked on a high ropes course for five years, stepping into the ropes course director role for the last two years. Instructing and technical rope skills have been something I’ve been drawn to since I was 16.
After receiving my Masters and writing a big old thesis paper, I traveled in Australia and hopped from one climbing company to the next, gaining a lot of experience and time in route setting.
After Australia, I moved to Denver and landed in the Front Range for the next five years. In Colorado, I started at Earth Treks (now Movement Golden) prior to Covid. In August of 2020, I started working at The Spot Bouldering Gym as a front desk supervisor and route setter. As a setter, I was able to set for the USA Climbing Youth Series and gravitated towards setting ropes and boulders for the D level athletes.
During The Spot’s expansion and acquisition of local climbing gyms, I was the Adult Programs Manager and built the program from the ground up. With fellow instructors, we created a robust program that’s still using curriculum I created and a meet up group I developed called The Spot Social Hour. I learned a lot from these three years!
Realizing I valued the coaching experience and wanted more time to hone these skills, I stepped out of the management position. I started coaching older youth and adults (ages from 16 to 78)
Recently, I returned to campus recreation and am the Climbing Programs Manager at the University of Minnesota. Here I manage the operations for three facilities and instruct two academic intro to rock climbing classes.
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My coaching style is reflective in nature. It will challenge the parts you care to push while understanding your motivations. Goal setting is intentional. This will be a space for you to be honest on what you want to work on, what you don’t, and how you think that’s impacting your climbing progress.
It’s also a space for you to vent and discuss ways to progress in the current culture. The culture can be challenging and influences your own climbing goals. To progress, I believe you need a space to work through this social component as well.
I want to bridge the gap of knowledge for those who are intimidate by climbing. There’s a lot of messaging stating “You need to do this to be considered a real climber.” My favorite topic: Why climbing is absolutely dumb but so worth the energy you want to pour into it!
I’m here to chat about this sport from climber to climber, but also as someone whose been in the industry through much of climbing’s recent popular transitions.
Through coaching recreational climbers, discussing what lessons climbing can bring, and reflecting what underlying messages are actually motivating you, I’ve developed my coaching vibe. It’s honest, challenging to social norms, as well as flexible around balancing life. Climbing is hard and it’s impressive you are even participating. I will always remind you of that.
I’ve traveled around the world, seeing different ways how climbing exists. And I want to discuss what I’ve learned with what you’ve learned!
So let’s connect!
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My topics and writings come from a place to expand what climbing can be. It’s to invite different ways of looking at climbing that hopefully improve access and understanding to the sport, environment, and personal journeys.
I’m weirdly passionate about how this activity can shape someone’s life.
I’ve been humbled more times than not. There’s years where I’ve been obsessed and climbing consumed my every day. Then within the year hated the activity and wanted nothing to do with it.
I’m ready to share that experience. As well as normalize the ebbs and flows.
Climbing did not come easy for me. I didn’t always easily understand the undertones (and that’s probably my neurodivergence popping up). My hypermobility, though powerful, provided a lens of evaluating productive training for different body types. Because training hurts.
Despite these challenges, I enjoyed climbing, and tried to participate in the opportunities that landed in front of me. I’ve struggled a lot, but learned so many useful skills along the way.
I want to provide those reflective spaces for others as well! Climbing is hard. And people like to make it harder.
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I’ve watched climbing evolve. It’s exploding and there’s a lot of mixed feelings around this. I want to provide a space for these reflections, whether you are new to climbing or part of the roots.
The culture of climbing is complex and the activity at its core offers amazing benefits. I strive to contribute to the ongoing conversation of where climbing can go, how we can make it accessible, and what are ways we can protect our spaces as climbing impact increases.