Charlie Firer
Operations Manager - Employee since 2018
Charlie grew up in Wisconsin where he was fortunate enough to have a climbing team at his high school. After competing for a year, he got a job working at the climbing gym at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and guided weekend climbing trips. After realizing his love for climbing and slacklining couldn’t be satiated by the small crags in the flat-lands of the Midwest, he decided to move to Colorado. There, he spent as much time as possible honing his skills in bouldering, sport climbing, and highlining. Charlie moved to Bozeman in 2016 to explore new mountain ranges and meet new people.
Charlie’s favorite types of climbs involve long days in the mountains often combining running and alpine climbing. Ultimately, he enjoys moving quickly through the mountains and utilizing all the skills he has acquired from many different disciplines. Although climbing will always be a part of Charlie’s life, he enjoys a wide variety of other activities ranging from back country skiing to trail running, slacklining, and yoga.
Favorite climbs: Grand Traverse (but really just the Cathedral Traverse section) [Tetons], Cirque Traverse [Wind River Range], Mala Fama [Mexico]
Kim Lemke
Program Manager - Employee since 2015
Born and raised in Billings, Montana, Kim grew up loving snow, rock, and anything outdoors. She learned to ski and backpack as soon as she could walk but didn’t find rock climbing until college. Sitting in freshman orientation, she signed up for “Rock Climbing 101” just for fun. She fell in love and went on to work at SteepWorld in Billings and spend countless hours on the sandstone bluffs surrounding the city. Coming to Bozeman in 2015 for the outdoor recreation that it provides, she now is stoked to keep exploring the local crags and play on some ice this winter.
Favorite Climbs: I'll Tell You What's Cool (Cody, WY), Brown Sugar (Billings, MT), Beer Bong (Ten Sleep, WY), anything that takes you high up in da mountains
Nick Wandzilak
Head Setter, Head Comp Team Coach - Employee since 2014
If it wasn't the whiskey, then it sure was that sweet southern sandstone that made this wayward Kentuckian fall in love with rock climbing. For 20 years, rock climbing has been a significant part of his life whether it's climbing outside or grabbing plastic. Eventually, he learned that he could put that plastic wherever his heart desired, and thus began his journey as a setter. While he loves climbing on steep walls, he also have a deep respect for the less than vertical.
Ryan Worden
Marketing Manager - Employee since 2022
Originally hailing from the frigid northlands of Montreal, Canada, (Go Habs!) Ryan began climbing at the age of 20 after his college roommate floated the idea to go to a climbing gym one day. After a couple years only climbing in the gym, Ryan began to venture outdoors when he moved to Vermont to areas like Smuggler's Notch and Mt. Rumney. Moving to Bozeman in 2018 to ski instruct at Bridger Bowl, Ryan fell in love with the local climbing and decided to stay. When not in Spire, Ryan can be found skiing at Bridger Bowl, climbing with friends at the local crags, and spending time with his dog Ruby.
Favorite climbs: Gigarette (Yankee Jim), High Exposure (Gunks), Pandemic (Joe's), Will's Afire (Joe's)
Wolf Porter
Instruction Coordinator, Assistant Retail Buyer - Employee since 2021
In college Wolf discovered his love for climbing where he completed his Outdoor Pursuits Program, taking students into the backcountry. This is where he fostered his love of teaching and sharing the outdoors with others. After college Wolf and his partner jumped into their custom built van with their dog “Dude” traveling the US in search of endless climbing and skiing. Since then climbing has taken him to different places all over the world including Japan, Peru and Vietnam. Wolf enjoys teaching others and hopes to share his love for climbing and the outdoors with everyone.
Favorite Climbs: Longer climbs in the mountains with friends that involve a significant amount of free climbing with air beneath your feet. Climbs that teach you something about yourself that can be shared with good company. Clipping bolts is pretty nice too.
Nico Hurley
Yoga and Fitness Coordinator - Employee since 2023
Kelsey Pickens
Assistant Head Coach/Climbing Team Coordinator - Employee since 2012
Kelsey was born and raised in Bozeman. She grew up skiing and playing lots of sports. In college she began climbing, mostly bouldering. Throughout her 20s she lived in various states and countries, seeking interesting and aesthetic routes and problems to project. While climbing remains her favorite sport, she also enjoys skiing, running, surfing, and hunting—pretty much any activity that offers immersion within wild places. If she’s not outside, she’s probably working for Spire, writing her next novel, or hanging out with family and friends.
Favorite Climbs: Carbs and Caffeine, Chestnut Mountain; Roller Girls, The Cube; The Hunk, Buttermilks; Mr. Moran, Red Rocks; Morning Dove White, Happies
Zac Vincent
Facility Maintenance Operations - Employee since 2018
Zac grew up outside of Washington D.C. and began climbing at Carderock as a teen. After high school he moved to Boulder where his passion for bouldering took off. In 2012 he moved to Bozeman, which coincided with a break from climbing for a few years. His favorite discipline is still bouldering. Outside of climbing he enjoys spending time with his partner, family and cat.
Kevin Lindlau
Customer Specialist, Instructor - Employee since 2018
Born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, climbing was not on Kevin’s radar until moving to Durango Colorado to attend Fort Lewis College. With a plethora of climbing around town it was hard not to get involved into the sport. For the first two years of living in Colorado he dabbled in all forms of rock climbing, highlining, skiing, snow kayaking, you name it. It wasn’t until he met Marcus Garcia and was shown the world of Ice Climbing that he found his true passion. After his first season on ice, he decided to train and compete in the fantastic world of mixed climbing. This lead to an addiction in dry tooling that is still burning today. Kevin helps coach the USA Youth Ice team with Marcus Garcia and recently moved to Bozeman where he hopes to get more youth climbers involved in the sport. You won’t see him rock climbing often, but more likely dangling upside down on a pair of ice tools training for the Ice climbing World Cups.
Favorite Climbs: Jedi Mind Tricks (CO), Zero to Hero (CO), Anything dry tooling!
Cam Brunner
Customer Specialist, Assistant Head Coach, Setter - Employee since 2018
Cam started climbing in the Cascades on some of the best granite in the United States. He was fortunate enough to learn how to trad climb at a very early start from some local icons. Soon they got sick of climbing with a sketchy 17 year old and Cam started bouldering. This is when he learned to love movement. Route setting came into play at college where he had the opportunity to start setting and it made him think about climbing in a way he hadn't before. Now, it has been three years setting at commercial gyms and he is constantly learning and trying to be better each week!
Ian Stewart
Customer Specialist, Instructor - Employee since 2021
Ian grew up in Cleveland, Ohio spending most of his free time hunting, fishing or just as outside as you could get in the city. He moved to Bozeman in 2018 to study at MSU and found climbing through the campus gym. Since then he has only fallen more in love with climbing. He spends most of his free time at Spire working out or climbing and on occasion will send something kinda of cool.
Favorite Climb: Flake Fest Direct
Dan Halama
Customer Specialist, Bozeman Climbing Team Coach, Instructor - Employee since 2021
Dan grew up in Colorado where he cultivated his love for the outdoors. Fortunately for him, he was raised skiing, hiking, backpacking, and flyfishing. He quickly realized his love for long, strenuous, technical routes up huge mountains and seldom used trails. This inevitably lead him to climbing at the age of 17, as it became a requirement for his ascents. However when Dan moved to Bozeman, climbing quickly became far more than just a skill, as he would pour his passion into the sport and community.
A great day of climbing for Dan utilizes the collective sum of all his skills, when he can push himself to the edge in the high mountains. While Dan loves climbing, he’d be just as content with a pair of skis on his feet, rod in hand, or trail runners strapped on.
Favorite Climbs: Capitol Peak (Colorado), Heads High (Staunton State Park, CO), Hell or High Water (P1, Hellgate Gulch)
Ben Eckstein
Customer Specialist, Bozeman Climbing Team Coach, Setter - Employee since 2021
Ben grew up in the Boston area and started climbing at age 14 after a long gymnastics career came to an end. After joining a team at the local gym, he quickly became hooked on the combination of athleticism, competition and community that climbing provides. After a few years of competition Ben’s focus shifted to the outdoors and his passion for climbing multiplied tenfold, particularly after dipping his toes into route development. Nowadays Ben is a coach and route setter and is constantly pushing himself in both of these fields. Ben loves all types of climbing and gravitates towards dynamic, technical, crimpy and slabby routes, but you’ll also find him working on his weaknesses.
Favorite climbing areas: Bishop, Siurana, Ceuse, Fantasia, Beaver Creek.
Favorite Climbs: Zona 0, Steere Strong, La Femme Noire, Zen Flute, Pucker Clench Sucker Punch, Tree Support
Kel Sheridan
Customer Specialist, Instructor, Event EMT - Employee since 2021
In June of 2021 Kel moved from Chicago to Bozeman to start school at MSU. Kel’s background is in gymnastics and American ninja warrior training, but discovered climbing after getting to Bozeman. Kel is now super stoked on climbing, and pretty much lives at Spire.
Favorite Climb: Black corner (Hyalite), and any route at Spire with the green pinches
Tim Gentry
Customer Specialist, Youth Instructor - Employee since 2022
Born in Portland, OR, Tim started climbing in 2015 in high school. Tim moved to Bozeman 2018 for college, and quickly fell in love with the climbing around here, especially in Gallatin Canyon. Tim loves all types of climbing, but he gets most stoked on big wall climbing, multi-pitch climbing, and sport climbing.
When not climbing, you can find Tim playing the piano, cooking, mountain biking, or skiing.
Eddie Webb
Customer Specialist, Youth Instructor - Employee since 2022
Eddie grew up in Golden, Colorado. With inspiration from his parents, he was flung into the mountains on skis, a bike, and his feet. As a teenager, he took a natural step in mountain travel: rock climbing. Eddie found love for the sport and community at Earth Treks Golden, where he later worked through high school. In 2021, Eddie moved to Bozeman to study Geography at MSU and enjoys exploring the mountain ranges surrounding Bozeman via biking, trail running, skiing, and climbing [Combos preferred!].
Favorite Climbs: Dreamscape (Unaweep Ca.), Harvard - Columbia Traverse (Collegiate Peaks), Alone Time with my Banana (Clear Creek Ca.)
Liz Brennan
Customer Specialist, Youth Instructor - Employee since 2022
Liz grew up in Missoula devoting a majority of her time to hockey, agriculture, and anything that allowed her to get out in the mountains. In 2018 Liz moved to Bozeman but it wasn’t until early 2022 that she made her way to the climbing scene. Not long after, Liz fell in love with the sport and now she spends most of her free time at local crags or at Spire. If she isn't in the gym, Liz is probably playing frisbee with her dog Fig, practicing bass for her future garage band, or looking at cool plants/rocks and calling it a hike. She loves a good crimpy boulder problem or anything balance-y.
Favorite climbs: Beer Bong (Ten Sleep, WY) or Overhangatang (Hylite)
Bevan Sullivan
Customer Specialist, Youth Instructor - Employee since 2022
My name is Bevan and I like to party. I grew up in the land of 10,000 lakes where I was ice skating before I could walk. After high school I moved out to Bozeman to ski and fish but climbing quickly rose to the top of my list. Besides climbing I like to play guitar and adventure with my new puppy, Charlie. (I got him before meeting Charlie Firer)
Favorite climbs: anything at shelf road in Colorado and any awkward/uncomfortable climb.
Alex Glenn
Customer Specialist, Youth Instructor - Employee since 2022
Alex grew up in Leucadia, California where he began exploring the vast wilderness of the Sierra Nevada's. After competing in surfing for 4 years, his focus slowly shifted to rock climbing and snowboarding after a visit to Utah when he was 16. What began as a family getaway soon became a passion for the outdoors, ultimately leading him to study photography at Montana State University. When not behind the front desk of Spire, you can find him in the alpine, climbing or with skis strapped to his feet.