Our Instructors

Our guides know DC climbing.

  • The most trusted group of professional guides working in the region.

    We’re out to set a new area standard for professionalism, respect, and fairness in working with our fellow outdoor industry professionals, including

    - Region-leading instructor pay

    - Incentives and cost-sharing for professional development and continuing education

    - Transparency about our business, its operations, and how we support the people who work with us

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TIM MURPHY, Founder & Program Director

  • MSW, AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide, Certified MPI, Wilderness First Responder

Tim began climbing in the early 1990s and has climbed hundreds of traditional single and multi-pitch routes in some of the most inspiring climbing areas in the US, including Zion National Park, Indian Creek, and Gallatin Canyon. He has taught climbers, guided in the wilderness, and managed outdoor programs for over 20 years and is passionate about fostering relationships between people and nature through climbing and other outdoor pursuits.

EUNNY JANG, Founder & Director of Operations

  • AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide; Certified MPI; SPI Provider; Wilderness First Responder

Eunny discovered climbing after returning to the DC area from 10 years in Colorado. Building on plentiful wilderness and mountain experience as an avid backpacker and through-hiker in the west and a background in teaching, instructional design, and program management in educational publishing, she is excited to help others navigate a safe and successful transition into outdoor climbing by building their technical skills, knowledge, and confidence as leaders.

Some of her favorite places to climb are Eldorado Canyon, CO; Seneca Rocks, WV; and Red Rocks, LV. She loves long rambling routes to the tops of rad things, and is forever in pursuit of longer and radder experiences in the mountains.

TAYLOR JENKINS, Senior Instructor

  • AMGA Certified SPI

Taylor has been climbing for 19 years, enjoying all styles of climbing on both rock and ice. He loves to help other people along their own journeys as climbers: “Sharing my knowledge in a way that helps others brings me joy like nothing else.”

MAX CROSS, Senior Instructor

  • AMGA SPI Course Graduate

Max was inspired to take up climbing/mountaineering  after watching the Everest IMAX movie as a 6-year old kid and has spent the last twenty years finding adventure in the mountains. Max enjoys teaching as it allows him to be a part of other’s adventures and contribute to a safer and stronger climbing community here in the DMV. 

KRISTA NICKERSON, Senior Instructor

  • AMGA SPI Course Graduate

Krista started climbing in 2005 as a way to make new friends. Since then, the sport and community of climbing have gradually become a central passion and third career. She started outdoor climbing locally at Great Falls, Rock State Park, and Seneca Rocks, and really got hooked after her first gym-to-crag weekend at Cooper's Rock. Krista enjoys all aspects of climbing, training, and the systems for managing risk, as well as the geology and living things that make each crag unique. She is passionate about supporting beginner climbers to find confidence, success, and connection to the climbing community, and working with more experienced climbers to hone their skills to pursue their goals.

MICHAEL WOLFE, Senior Instructor

  • AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide, WFR

Michael is a Maryland native. Sailing in the Chesapeake Bay and backpacking the Appalachian Trail first sparked his love for the outdoors. Nature became a way for him to stay active and curious — even as an admittedly nerdy and unathletic kid.

Michael cut his teeth in the traditional climbing scene at Devils Lake, Wisconsin while pursuing his graduate studies in Physics at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. His PhD may have taken longer than planned — mostly because he was out climbing instead of staying in the lab. Nonetheless, the walls of Devil’s Lake offered both challenge and solace and it is where he began his professional guiding career with Devil’s Lake Climbing Guides.

Now back in his DMV stomping grounds, Michael is thrilled to share the same outdoor spaces that shaped his early adventures. As a lifelong educator, he’s passionate about making climbing accessible through patient, high-quality instruction—and helping others discover the joy and confidence that come from moving on rock.

TOMMY EDWARDS, Lead Instructor

  • AMGA SPI Course Graduate

Originally from Arlington, Virginia, Tommy started climbing in Great Falls as a kid and rekindled the love of climbing 14 years ago. He has climbed from as close to home as Carderock, to as far as El Chorro, Spain and El Chaltèn, Argentina. He spends the warm months trad climbing and the winter months climbing ice wherever it looks good, from Banff to North Conway and everywhere in between. Tommy work as a firefighter/EMT in our nations capital and is a nationally registered EMT with high angle rescue system training.

WILL RABIL, Lead Instructor

  • AMGA Certified SPI, WAFA

Will has been climbing for over seven years and has spent the last two sharing that passion as an instructor. What he loves most about climbing is the sense of adventure and joy it’s brought into his life, helping him see the world through an entirely new lens. His greatest goal is to pass that love of climbing on to anyone who’s curious to try. Will firmly believes that we all need to take breaks from being “grown-ups” and remember how to be kids again—climbing just happens to be one of his favorite ways to do that.  

NATASHA JONES, Instructor

  • AMGA Certified SPI, WFR

KIRA SHIMOKAJI, Instructor

  • AMGA SPI Course Graduate

  • Pronouns: They/she

Kira hails from Germantown, Maryland, and has been climbing for eight years. They began climbing in the humid and sticky summer in the Red River Gorge in Kentucky. Some of the best places they’ve had the blessing of climbing in are Indian Creek, UT; Joshua Tree, CA; Tuolumne Meadows, CA; and Squamish, BC. 

When they’re not out on the rock, they enjoy reading, doing the crossword, hacky-sacking, and planning elaborate trips to see their friends in which they will volunteer to do the brunt of the communal dishes.

WESLEY KRAMAR, Camp Trip Leader

Wesley has been climbing and backpacking for over ten years, with four years of experience as a youth climbing team coach and program director. He loves the adventurous nature of outdoor climbing and helping campers discover things both externally and internally. His coaching style focuses on personal motivation, empowering athletes to climb in a way that they're proud of, and building their own relationship with the outdoors.

SYDNIE SWAIN, Camp Trip Leader

Sydnie has been a climbing instructor since 2019. Sydnie brings 11 years of summer camp experience. She loves to climb both indoors and out! Sydnie has worked as a kids climbing team coach, adult, and youth instructor. She finds joy in helping people learn new skills and gain confidence in their climbing abilities! When she’s not climbing she’s a high school ceramics teacher!