Before I started working with Matt I was a climber stuck in a plateau. I had tried various training regiments and fads with mixed results. I could never stick to a program, self-made or otherwise, that built me into a better climber. I was fed up with falling off the same climbs and the same grades.

Shortly after starting with Matt, he immediately identified a serious weakness in my technique. He introduced new climbing drills and tailored the training to not only hit my goals but to fundamentally improve my skills as a climber. In the short time I’ve been with Matt, I went from 5.12- to 5.13-. For me, the numbers are meaningless. Far more importantly, Matt has given me a framework for continual improvement and enjoyment of this activity we love so much.

– Said Parirokh, Southern California boulderer and sport climber

photo by @climbak15

I started training with Matt about a year ago when I began to run into trouble matching my 80+ hour work schedule with climbing. I shared with him my goals of climbing v8 and 5.12 and he assured me I could get there even with my time restrictions. For the last year, he has been available whenever I’ve needed and happily adjusted my workouts to keep them exciting, efficient and fitting into my ever-changing schedule. I’ve recently hit my goal of 5.12 and know that v8 is not far behind.

– Sarah Marschall, medical resident climber with limited free time

Having followed several self-guided training routines over the past 4-5 years, I had seen some results but didn’t have the support structure I needed to simultaneously address the mental, technique, and strength improvements needed to make sustained progress. Without a good in-person coaching option in the San Francisco Bay Area, I turned to Matt to try something new. Through our 18+ months of working together, we’ve been able to talk regularly about training approach and workout specifics, optimizing the dials to make the most use of my time in the gym and focus on the power development and projecting tactics that have shored up my patience, confidence, and performance abilities. In the gym, I’ve been able to improve from projecting v6 and 12a to onsighting v6 and 12b, and getting some regular v7 and 12c sends.

Outside on my summer trips, I’ve moved from 11a projecting to solid 11a trad onsights and my first 11b PG13+ redpoints. In the same timeframe, I’ve upped my sport climbing results from three 12a’s in two years to twenty 12a’s in the next year and added a good handful of 12b redpoints too. Matt has a great understanding of when to challenge and when to commiserate with his clients, and I’m confident nearly anyone will see great gains working with him while putting in honest efforts and communicating their ideas and reflections!

– Jason Albino, dedicated sport and trad climber

When I started working with Matt I had been climbing at the 5.11- range for a bit, but couldn’t quite move past it. I was still being held back mentally on harder sport climbs and was hesitant to try harder routes. Shortly after we started working together I sent my first 5.11c in a few tries over a very short trip and went on to send a few 5.11+’s shortly after. Later that year I sent my first 5.12 and then a few more since. Over the time we have been working together, Matt has been very responsive and has always been available to answer any questions I may have. I like that he always has a reason behind the plans, he is willing to listen to my concerns, and that he takes a long view approach to training and climbing. I always get something out of our conversations, be it about training, tactics, and even logistics around climbing trips.

Beyond the physical aspect of training, working with Matt has really helped me develop a toolbox to tackle the mental challenges of trying hard on the sharp end, from fear of committing on hard moves, all the way to dealing with the frustration that sometimes comes in the later stages of working something at your limit.

–Ruben Duque, Sport Climber from Seattle