The Staff

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 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.

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.

Robin first started climbing in 2015 at MetalMark in Fresno and has found great friends and community through the Touchstone gyms and is excited to be part of the Touchstone team. Robin’s other hobbies include bird watching, reading, and backpacking.... You can also catch them working at the Oakland Public Library’s Temescal and Tool Lending Library locations. Robin is also a DJ and loves to curate the music playing at the gym when working the front desk, and always appreciates feedback and new music suggestions!

Alicia (pronounced uh-lee-c-uh) is new to West Oakland but not to the Bay Area. A recent migration from the West Bay to the East Bay has led this foodie to the discovery of tasty restaurants, like Rico Rico Taco, Brenda’s,... and Cholita Linda. Since graduating college from Chico State 3 years ago, Alicia is back in school currently pursuing her medical assistant certificate with dreams of doing research to increase women’s access to adequate health services. When she isn’t studying, you’ll find her spending time with her partner around Lake Merritt, admiring the moon, and appreciating new music, specifically anything Latin or R&B. She is a new climber and since starting her climbing journey 10 months ago she has gotten to climb sport routes at Joshua Tree. If you have any East Bay recommendations, music you would like to share, or climbing tips don’t hesitate to stop at the front desk as this Libra’s indecisiveness can get in the way of deciding on new things to discover.

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.

Around 2006, Pershaud BOLT first started climbing in the flatlands of Atlanta, Georgia. The journey here to California, and the Touchstone family has been… ineffable. Having spent most of his climbing career on the East Coast, he is excited to... explore the benefits of living in California and being close to so many iconic climbing destinations. Throughout the years, his work as an experiential facilitator and outdoor educator has allowed him to travel abroad, work with different guiding companies and hold coaching positions for both collegiate and youth climbing teams. He coaches with a focus on the individual climber and enjoys providing excursions for both new and old climbers alike. When not climbing, he can be found creating adventures with both his partner and their dog Henry, producing different genres of music, or pushing his limits to see how far he can ride his bike. Listen out for his “Hellos” as you enter and “Goodbyes” as you leave — more times than not, he is waving at you from behind the desk.

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 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.

Hey, my name is Zach! I’ve been climbing for 8 years and I’ve always loved the sense of community in the gym. When I’m not working, I love going to concerts and festivals with my amazing friends. My hobbies include... beatboxing, watching shows/anime with friends, playing video games, and hanging out with my 2 adorable cats. If you want to know more, come and say hi.

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.