More Than A Sport: Climbing, Community, and Calling

Rock climbing has a way of pulling you in. One minute you’re figuring out how to tie a knot, the next you’re planning weekends around weather windows and spending more time in a harness than on your couch.

For me, it started at a climbing gym in Houston. I worked summer camps, then the front desk, and eventually became a coach for both youth and adult climbers. Over time, it became more than a job — it became community. I designed flyers for local events, built a community board in the gym, and watched people form real friendships under those fluorescent lights and dusty holds.

Climbing didn’t just stay at work — it started showing up in who I was. In how I thought. How I handled setbacks. How I connected with others. It taught me to be patient with myself and others, to find joy in small wins, and to appreciate progress over perfection.

Since then, I’ve found an even deeper connection through Climbers for Christ — a group of people who share not just the love of climbing, but a shared faith and purpose. It's a reminder that this sport has layers. Yes, it's physical. But it can also be deeply personal. Spiritual, even.

Climbing isn’t perfect. It’s hard, humbling, and sometimes full of awkward gear and bruised shins. But it’s real. And the people you meet, the places it takes you, and the things you learn along the way — they stick with you.

At Crux and Crown, that’s what we’re here for. The gear, yes. But also the stories. The small moments that turn into something lasting.

— Crux and Crown