The Staff

After returning from a weekend trip from San Diego where she got fake tips put on her nails, her first adventure to Mission Cliffs with her friend left her scratching at the walls. She had such a great time that she went home and tore off the tips and begged her friend to take her climbing again -The rest is history…SHE WAS HOOKED! Donna has been with the gym for 9 years and has really enjoyed working with the community and assisting the diverse clients at Mission Cliffs.

Frank started climbing when hip belays were the standard technique in belaying. Frank was one of the original members of the gym, and has long been a staple behind the front desk.

Dan has been a staple at Mission Cliffs since 2015. You’ve probably taken a lead class with him, and maybe, if you’re lucky, had a conversation about his Transformers collectibles.

Coming from faraway Estonia, Katya had never heard of climbing until moving to San Francisco, however once her friends took her bouldering she knew she had discovered a new passion! When not at the gym Katya’s time is taken up by her product design classes.

Nina first discovered climbing by Instagram-stalking her crush — “Hey that looks cool,” she thought, scrolling past his pictures of bright colored holds. With her basketball days behind her, she decided it was time to move on from the court to the big walls (also, maaaaaybe get her crush’s attention).

Little did she know that climbing would become a big part of her life some six years later. When Nina isn’t manning the Mission Cliffs front desk or sharing smol beta with her fellow shorties, she’s likely at some other Touchstone gym testing the limits of her ape index. Outside of climbing, Nina is studying to be a nurse and moonlights as a wannabe DJ in her bedroom. Oh, and that guy she had a crush on? He’s now her designated forever belayer.

Born and raised in the Caribbean archipelago of Puerto Rico, María Victoria’s climbing experience mostly involved bouldering on wet rocks to reach hidden rivers within the main island’s tropical forests. It wasn’t until a trip to SEKI in 2021, that she sparked an interest to try indoor rock climbing. Even though she initially met fear and anxiety, these only served as motivation to push her in profound new ways. She now hopes to continue to grow not only as a climber but as a member of the climbing community. Outside of the gym, she is also a pediatric cancer research scientist and a mouse surgeon. She loves the outdoors, traveling, practicing her Italian, and listening to Bad Bunny.

Brady was introduced to climbing in early 2022 when his roommate took him to the climbing wall at their local rec center, and hasn’t looked back since. He was born and raised in Iowa before moving to San Francisco in June, and loves to geek out on all things music, climbing, and urban planning.

Victoria started bouldering in 2018 and is excited to have now entered the world of top rope climbing. She also studies literature, loves cooking, and all things art and travel! She hopes to help build community and promote accessible climbing at Mission Cliffs.

Meet Arez! Arez hails from a sacred line of Indigenous Nicaraguan ancestors. ¡Dale pues! Growing up in California, near the mountains and ocean, Arez developed a deep connection and appreciation of nature and adventure. Her favorite moments were summers spent trail running in the Eastern Sierras, plunging into cold lakes and wandering through the majestic meadows. Arez can be found in the City working on creative projects, partnering with community members to empower the youth or weaving through the busy streets on her trusty bike. If you see her, say what’s up and share your latest greatest favorite groove that’s keeping you going…