Climber, Software Developer, New Route Developer, Setter, & Photographer
Nathan was introduced to climbing at age seven through competitive youth climbing. With some success at the national and international level, Nathan was burnt out by the end of high school, and practically gave up climbing going into college.
After finishing undergrad in Chicago, Nathan moved back to his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana, started setting, and making regular trips to the Red River Gorge again. The forested hills and abundant sandstone walls of Kentucky began to renew his psych for climbing.
A significant and needed shift occurred when Nathan moved to Seattle, Washington, in 2015. The wildness of the Cascade Range became the perfect canvas for him to pursue creative expression in the mountains, through climbing, new route development and photography. Seattle was also an epicenter for the craft of setting, and Nathan felt lucky to have fallen into setting at the Seattle Bouldering Project, one of the premier bouldering gyms in the world.
After setting at SBP for nearly 7 years, with 2 years managing and leading the program, Nathan has since moved on to software development, a field he believes carries many similarities to setting.
Nathan aspires to be a well-rounded climber, growing his climbing in both directions—from bouldering to alpine climbing—but knows he will always love the free movement over rock the most. With lessons learned from setting, he has found a passion for creating and sharing climbing on the big walls of the Cascades by discovering and developing new routes. Nathan is a national athlete for Rab.
Nathan is a contributor to the stock agency, Tandem Stills + Motion, one of the leading image providers in genres of nature, travel, culture, adventure, and active lifestyle. Click here to view his page.
Notable Climbs
2023
- Dreefee (5.13d, 250m, 8 pitches), Rainbow Wall, Red Rock Canyon, NV
- Crystal Dawn (5.13c, 300m, 8 pitches), Buffalo Wall, Red Rock Canyon, NV
2022
- Rubbernecker (5.14-, 200m, 7 pitches), South Early Winter Spire, Washington Pass, WA — FA
2021
- Backseat Driver (5.13, 200m, 7 pitches), South Early Winter Spire, Washington Pass, WA — FA
- The Honeymoon is Over (5.13c, 300m, 9 pitches), Long’s Peak Diamond, CO
- Gambler’s Fallacy (5.13-, 300m, 9 pitches), Long’s Peak Diamond, CO — flash
2020
- Deep Blue (5.13, 15 pitches), Dolomite Tower, WA — FA
2019
- Dark Side of Liberty (5.13d, 400m, 11 pitches), Liberty Bell, Washington Pass, WA
- Cobalt Gecko (5.14b), Canmore, Canada
- The Path (5.14a R, trad), Lake Louise, Canadian Rockies — in-a-day
- Blue Jeans Direct (5.14a, 7 pitches), Mt. Yamnuska, Canadian Rockies
- The Shining Uncut (5.14a, 9 pitches), Mt. Louis, Canadian Rockies
- Castles in the Sky (5.14a, 5 pitches), Castle Mountain, Canadian Rockies
- En Passant aka Ten Percent Direct (5.14), Index, WA — FFA of Index’s first 5.14
- Freedom is a Battle (5.13c), Geyikbayiri, Turkey — onsight
- Semifinalist (17th) at US Lead Nationals
2018
- Pilar Rojo (5.12a, 600m), Mermoz, Patagonia
- Lost Horizons (5.14b), Little Si, WA
- Hagakure (V12), Index, WA
- All of the Above (V12), Index, WA — in-a-day
2017
- Live Free or Die! (5.12c, 300m), Liberty Bell, Washington Pass, WA — FA
- Liberty Crack (5.13b, 400m), Liberty Bell, Washington Pass, WA — first 5.13 multipitch
- Westie Face (5.13a, 300m), Leaning Tower, Yosemite, CA — in-a-day
- Badman (5.14a), Smith Rock, OR — first 5.14
- Aggro Monkey (5.13b), Smith Rock, OR — first 5.13b onsight
- TPMV (5.13a, trad), Index, WA — first 5.13 trad onsight
2016
- West Buttress (AK Grade 2, 50°, 4000m), Denali, AK
- Amandla (5.13+), Index, WA
2001-2011
- 16 Youth National Championships
- Three 1st place finishes
- Twelve U.S. Team qualifications (top-4 finishers)
- Recipient of the North Face Young Gun Award
- 5 Youth World Championships
- One top-5 finish and four top-20 finishes