• Lyn Barraza (she/her)

    Manager
    Lyn’s climbing addiction began at Berkeley Ironworks in 2001, and she is forever grateful for how climbing and the community have changed the trajectory of her life. Lyn is happiest when climbing with her favorite... people and animals in the great outdoors, whether it be bouldering, sport, or trad. She’s a reluctant skier who is trying to get better, occasional lifter, and a lapsed knitter and runner who welcomes tips on all of the above. Most importantly, Lyn is the proud mom to an adult daughter and an elementary aged son and partner to a home inspector who likes traveling to climb almost as much as she does.
  • Jeffrey (he/him)

    Desk Staff + Instructor
    Jeffrey has been climbing for over 20 years across the world. Jeffrey’s formal education is in painting and drawing, but you’re more likely to find him on the Valley floor floating up boulder problems, or on... a bike running laps in the Oakland hills. Jeffery is one of our most experienced instructors and his clinics and private lessons slots fill up quickly! He answers to ‘Ye-feery’ and ‘Chuck’.
  • Michelle (she/her)

    Desk Staff
    Michelle likes cats. She is a vegan. She doesn’t own a car. If you can’t find her behind the desk at BIW or at REI… good luck. She is probably backpacking the JMT or scuba... diving off the coast of Bali or climbing in Rocklands or raving in London or ____________. Your guess is as good as ours.
  • Amy (she/her) 

    Desk Staff
    She enjoys the fruits that life offers! Especially plums. For Amy, the spark for climbing began in 2014 at Gettysburg College, PA. She held on to the feeling of challenging and trusting herself and want it... embedded in her day to day. Climbing is her meditation, getaway, life coach, and best friend. She is also passionate about art, social justice, and building community! When she’s not in the gym or on the rocks, you can find her watering the vegetable garden, slacklining, or hiking! Ask her about her favorite Bay Area native plant!
  • Cristina (she/her)

    Desk Staff + Club Coach & Camp Director
    Cristina is a Connecticut native whose Puerto Rican heritage has guided her passion for the outdoors and people’s relationship to nature. She is a jack of all trades who has performed jobs such as monitoring... turtle and lobster populations, connecting students to science from research cruises in the the Mediterranean, and commercial scallop fishing in the northeast. A volunteer experience for youth climbing in San Diego inspired her interest to work with youth and thus she became an educator for Mount Tamalpais State Park in northern California. In an effort to combine outdoor recreation, the desire to be a better climber, and in search of a nurturing community, she landed at Berkeley Ironworks climbing and fitness. Cristina is thankful for all learning opportunities and seeks to be a mentor for young underrepresented adventures such as herself.
  • Mark (he/him)

    Desk Staff
    Originally from SoCal, Mark now calls the Bay his home. He discovered climbing in college and it forever changed his life. Grateful to be a part of this ever growing community, he’s always excited to... share his knowledge and wisdom with anyone new to the sport. When Mark is not climbing, he spends his free time with photography and the outdoors.
  • Ben (he/them)

    Desk Staff
    Berkeley Ironworks has been Ben’s home since age eight. From private lessons, through the competitive team, and summer camp counseling, to desk staff, Ben has grown up at 800 Potter St. more than anywhere else.... Climbing remains Ben’s outlet (both emotionally and creatively), their only motivation to work out, and the source of the best community they could ever have imagined. If you’re ready for an earful, ask Ben about his other passions: Dungeons and Dragons, classical music, film, tea, or horror novels. Just don’t ask him about fruit.