• Remi (she/her)

    Gym Manager
    Remi was born in SF and started her climbing journey at Mission Cliffs in the summer of 2011. A couple months later, despite her side-bangs (or because of her side-bangs?), she bagged a job at... the front desk! After an eight-year stint in LA helping open four of Touchstone’s SoCal gyms, she’s made her way back home to The Bay to run the biggest and best gym in the universe. Outside of work you can catch her at local drag shows, teaching pole, huddled over her crafting table like a gremlin, or taking an accidental nap in a sunbeam.
  • Haiden (he/they)

    Assistant Manager
    Haiden was born and raised in the lone star state but found his way to the west coast back in 2020. He began climbing shortly before the pandemic and are stoked to be back in... it and explore more outdoors! They’re a proud cat dad to Enzo Lorenzo Macchiato Eros, who actually holds the world record for cutest menace of all time. If the captivating beats of indie pop are blaring through the gym speakers, Haiden is definitely on the aux and always eager to talk music. Since he is simply a large cat disguised as a human, you can probably find Haiden sleeping in the sun at Lake Merritt, eating far too much food, or releasing his random splurges of gremlin energy (commonly known as zoomies) when not behind the desk.
  • Natalie (she/her)

    Desk Staff
    Anything but a southern belle, Natalie grew up in Alabama with stops in Georgia and Oregon before landing in the Bay Area in 2017. She’s enjoyed so much the Bay has to offer, including the... food, friends, outdoors, and culture. She has just in the last year has begun to take advantage of the climbing as well, with her first gym experience at Ironworks When she’s not behind the desk at Pacific Pipe, you can find her cragging outside, cooking with her partner, mixing cocktails, snuggling her cats, and playing Dungeons & Dragons. She’s beginning to break into lead climbing and looking forward to a second (and third, and fourth) trip to Red Rocks.
  • Sam (they/them)

    Desk Staff
    Growing up just outside the Bay Area, Sam moved to Berkeley in 2017 to pursue Bachelor’s degrees at UC Berkeley in sustainable agriculture and French. Since graduating, they’ve worked picking wine grapes in Napa, at... a French language school in the city, and now at the Berkeley farmer’s markets. They started climbing in high school, but got more seriously invested in late 2021 thanks to a friend bringing them along to Queer Crush. Outside of the gym, you can find Sam riding their bike, DJing, going to concerts, playing pool, reading on the beach (they read over 100 books in 2022), and performing in the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
  • Dom (he/him)

    Desk Staff
    Dom was born in Hayward, CA., and has lived in Oakland since birth. After graduating from Merritt College, he worked a number of jobs before deciding to take up his passion for climbing full-time and... joining the Pac Pipe team. When Dom isn’t climbing, you’ll find him at live music events or the CrossFit gym ✌️.
  • Jamie (she/her)

    Desk Staff
    Jamie was born in South Africa but grew up in southern California, and moved to the Bay in 2022. She began climbing when she was a little kid, but only seriously got into it after... moving to the bay. When not behind the front desk, you can find her playing with her dogs, Edie and Hugo, listening to music, watching movies, or trying to find the best burrito in the area. Her favorite movies are Dazed and Confused, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Perks of Being a Wallflower.
  • Michael (he/him)

    Desk Staff
    Michael grew up in and around Washington DC. The son of an avid climber, at about seven years old he was put on the Potomac River crags of Carderock and Great Falls. Wearing clunky mountaineering... boots, tied-in with a swami belt harness, and hip-belayed with a top rope anchored to a tree, he clearly remembers the great satisfaction of finally topping-out on his first ever project. But there are equally fond memories of the ritual post-crag assembly at the local dive bar. An elementary school outcast saw the potential of what community could look like; climbers, bikers, and sots all trading tales of heroism and defeat over cold beer and chili dogs. No matter who you were, it was possible to find your people.One fateful evening so many years later, Michael went to a Touchstone member open house at Pacific Pipe when it was still a vast empty space and a conceptual drawing. Then and there he decided that one day he’d work here. Now behind the desk, he loves nothing more than teaching newcomers, sharing in someone else’s satisfaction of a completed project, amusing coworkers with stupid stories and being witness to people finding their people.Stop by the desk and ask him for a stupid story or to discuss one of his many collections; squished pennies, early 80’s punk vinyl, photo books, the works of Edward Gorey or glass insulators. If he’s not there, Michael is likely walking his dogs, on an adventure with his wife and kid, seeing live music or zipping about on his motorcycle.
  • Andrew (he/him)

    Desk Staff
    Andrew was born and raised in the Midwest and moved to the Bay Area in 2021. He began climbing in 2022 and has enjoyed exploring all the Bay Area has to offer. When not behind... the front desk, you can find Andrew coaching volleyball, reading, or binge watching Netflix.
  • Piper (she/her)

    Desk Staff
    Piper was raised near Philadelphia, but moved back to her birth-state to pursue academic and athletic careers at UC Berkeley. When she’s not climbing, she’s making art, writing, or dreaming up her next trip! Piper’s... favorite part about climbing is the awesome, adventurous people she has gotten to meet, and all the ways the sport has made her grow! A perfect day in Piper’s world includes waking up in a tent, jumping in a lake, climbing, and sharing a meal with friends.
  • Ali (he/him)

    Desk Staff
    Ali was born in Iran before making his way through Austria, New York City, and finally ending up in Oakland. He began climbing through friends, first in 2015 but again (and for real this time)... in 2021 when he joined Pac Pipe when it first opened. In his free time, Ali loves to play ultimate frisbee competitively, cook, snowboard, discover new music, or just be up to no good.