Colin Haley Toggle

I was fortunate to grow up in Seattle, with the Cascade Mountains always close by. I am lucky to have parents who introduced me to the mountains very early on. I have been skiing since before my earliest memories, and skiing remains a major passion for me. I started climbing, first on glaciated peaks and then on steep rock, when not yet a teenager. When I was twelve years old I realized that climbing mountains was what I really wanted to do with my life, and ever since I have been extremely focused on my alpine climbing goals. I am not ashamed to admit that I am a very obsessed, full-blown climbing nerd!

My formal education has earned me a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Washington. The truth however is that more of my energy has always been devoted to my development as a climber rather than as a scholar. My main focus is alpinism, but I strive to be skilled in every aspect of climbing and skiing. I have accomplished some steep ski mountaineering descents in good style, such as the north face of the Aiguille du Midi (in Chamonix, France) and the Orient Express on Denali (in Alaska). My rock climbing accomplishments include a 20-hour link-up of the Northwest Face of Half Dome and The Nose of El Capitan (in Yosemite), a one-day, all-free link-up of Astroman and the Rostrum (in Yosemite), trad-climbing redpoints up to 5.12d, sport-climbing redpoints up to 5.13c, and bouldering redpoints up to V9. My alpine-climbing accomplishments include very cold, high-alititude challenges, such as the first ascent of “Dracula,” on the southeast face of Mt. Foraker (in Alaska), and highly-technical, lower-altitude challenges, such as the first ascent of the “Torres Traverse,” on Cerro Standhardt, Torre Egger and Cerro Torre (in Patagonia, Argentina). To see some of my climbing adventures, you can check out my blog at colinhaley.com.

I first met Rob Smith in 2006, and we started climbing and skiing together while both spending a winter season in Chamonix. We have been good friends and climbing partners since, so I am eager to collaborate with Rob for Boulder Mountain Institute’s custom climbing camps. I strongly believe that technique, both physical and mental, is far, far more important in climbing than brute strength. I have no doubt that my climbing successes are not the result of innate athletic ability, but rather the slow development of efficient techniques and strategies, learned through years and years of climbing. I have a passion for self-improvement as a climber, and am excited to share what I’ve learned with others, and help them work towards their own climbing goals. I also strongly believe that climbing at a high level does not by any means need to be at the sacrifice of safety. I plan to climb for a long, long time, and thus with the statistics stacked against me I take safety when climbing very seriously.

These days I climb nearly full-time, thanks in large part to my sponsors: Patagonia, Black Diamond and La Sportiva. My personal climbing expeditions, most often to Patagonia or Alaska, take first priority in my life, so if you’d like me to be a part of your custom climbing camp then the longer in advance we plan, the more likely I can join.

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