Our Team
Carlo Traversi - Founder and Owner
My Most Memorable Moment at The Stack Chico: Coming soon!
What Climbing Means to Me: I’ve dedicated my life to climbing and it has captured my mind and heart in so many ways. The climbing community is my global family. The cliffs, crags, boulders, and climbing gyms feel like home.
Best Advice I’ve Ever Received: Work hard, be honest, and treat others with respect.
My Favorite Place to Climb: Yosemite, CA.
Sarah Lindner - Director of Operations
My Most Memorable Moment at The Stack Chico: Coming soon!
What Climbing Means to Me: Bouldering has offered me focus, patience, challenge, and community.
Best Advice I’ve Ever Received: Make time.
My Favorite Place to Climb: I really enjoyed the Happy Boulders in Bishop! It’s not hard to come by stunning views there, but I particularly appreciated being able to try out some of the taller boulders and feeling a new type of discomfort. Positively thrilling.
Rob Veldman - General Manager
My Most Memorable Moment at The Stack Chico: Touring around The Stack Chico while under construction. It was inspiring to see the walls being built and the beginnings of what will be an incredible climbing facility!
What Climbing Means to Me: I started climbing at 25 years old and never looked back. The most rewarding and addicting lifestyle I've ever been a part of. The community is so accepting and has given me lifelong friendships.
Best Advice I’ve Ever Received: You'll never soar with the eagles if you surround yourself with all these turkeys.
My Favorite Place to Climb: Anywhere in Tahoe.
Devan Gutierrez - Director of Setting
My Most Memorable Moment at The Stack Chico: Coming soon!
What Climbing Means to Me: I've been climbing since 2011 and routesetting since 2012. Since then I've created lifelong connections with people all over, and that's what climbing/routesetting is to me! It's connecting with people through a shared passion and expressing oneself through movement....and doing stuff that makes you feel cool.
Best Advice I’ve Ever Received: Follow your passion(s) and everything else will fall into place.
My Favorite Place to Climb: Tough! I'd say either Squamish, BC or Bishop, CA.
Noah Chavez - Head Route Setter
My Most Memorable Moment at The Stack Chico: Coming soon!
What Climbing Means to Me: Climbing provides me with endless opportunities to push myself mentally, physically, and creatively.
Best Advice I’ve Ever Received: Try really hard.
My Favorite Place to Climb: I love climbing in Rainbow, Tahoe more than anybody, except maybe Josh Lowy.
Devin Smola - Facilities Manager
My Most Memorable Moment at The Stack Chico: Seeing that The Stack Chico is still under construction at the time of writing this, I would have to say I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to help the climbing community expand and make memories at the new gym!
What Climbing Means to Me: Climbing is my form of meditation. It's my way of being completely in the present moment, and able to have an epic adventure outdoors or a peaceful gym session. I'm so grateful for climbing not just because it keeps my mind and body strong, But the amount of kindness, determination, and Encouragement climbers have for one another. I feel that climbing has given me a home.
Best Advice I’ve Ever Received: "Until death, all defeat is psychological" - Marcus Aurelius
My Favorite Place to Climb: Lover's Leap
Brysun Cantalupo - Desk Associate
My Most Memorable Moment at The Stack Chico: When I walked into the gym for the first time for an interview, I remembered feeling so psyched and happy to see The Stack Chico for the first time even before it was fully finished. I was so excited for climbing to become more integrated into my life more deeply on a professional level.
What Climbing Means to Me: It's grown from a hobby to a crucial part of my life, climbing has been the gateway that has given me so many opportunities to become the best version of myself in so many ways. Meeting new people, traveling to new areas, learning new valuable skills, it all has developed and grown beautifully because of what climbing has opened me to.
Best Advice I’ve Ever Received: "If you can endure that pain and walk away from it, you'll find that you now have a heart strong enough to overcome any obstacle...yeah, a heart made fullmetal."
My Favorite Place to Climb: Probably Tahoe since that's where I've gone bouldering the most. I don't have a specific area within Tahoe that I prefer.
Cade Talmadge - Desk Associate
My Most Memorable Moment at The Stack Chico: Coming soon!
What Climbing Means to Me: When I think of climbing, the first thing I think of is community. Climbing represents all of the amazing people I've met along the way, the friendships I've built, and the memories we've shared.
Best Advice I’ve Ever Received: Take care of the people who take care of you.
My Favorite Place to Climb: Mt. Diablo, CA
Camden Cockrell - Desk Associate
My Most Memorable Moment at The Stack Chico: Opening day at the Stack in Chico
What Climbing Means to Me: Climbing is one of my many ways of connecting to nature. Climbing allows me to push myself during challenging situations that are sometimes out of my comfort zone. As I search for new places to climb it allows me to bring my love of outdoor photography with me and capture both my fellow climbers and the beautiful setting around me.
Best Advice I’ve Ever Received: You never can’t achieve something.
My Favorite Place to Climb: Smith Rock, Oregon
Connor Kearns - Desk Associate
My Most Memorable Moment at The Stack Chico: It had to have been when I entered the building for the first time and just saw the scale of the gym. Seeing the space for the first time in person cemented the vision of a space that I know many Chico residents will be happy to call one of their new favorite third places.
What Climbing Means to Me: Is climbing not just the perfect representation of handling the hurdles of life? It can be both daunting and fun, while also being cathartic to finally overcome an obstacle and feel more prepared for the next one to come.
Best Advice I’ve Ever Received: Make sure you take care and love yourself just as much as you would for others. If you make a mistake that you would excuse and reassure someone else that it’s alright, why shouldn’t you do the same for yourself as well?
My Favorite Place to Climb: The stairs back to my apartment where my pantry full of snacks waits for me.
Emilio Concha - Desk Associate
My Most Memorable Moment at The Stack Chico: Coming soon!
What Climbing Means to Me: To me, climbing means giving myself the tools to move my body on the wall the way I want to.
Best Advice I’ve Ever Received: If you're feeling frustrated while learning something, it probably means you're learning a lot.
My Favorite Place to Climb: Squamish, BC and Bishop, CA.
Jaden Castellanos - Desk Associate
My Most Memorable Moment at The Stack Chico: Coming soon!
What Climbing Means to Me: After being introduced to climbing as a teenager, it became integral to my life. The community is so uniquely welcoming & kind. The sport itself is extremely challenging & creative BUT there’s always a solution to be found. It quickly caught my attention & has not let go of it since.
Best Advice I’ve Ever Received: There’s always something to learn from everybody.
My Favorite Place to Climb: Bishop, CA.
Preston Breeze - Desk Associate
My Most Memorable Moment at The Stack Chico: Seeing how tall the walls were for the first time!
What Climbing Means to Me: Climbing gives me an outlet to connect with the outdoors while pushing my physical limits at the same time. It’s taught me confidence and self belief, as well as introduced me to a whole new community of wonderful people.
Best Advice I’ve Ever Received: Don’t be afraid to fail
My Favorite Place to Climb: Castle Cragg
Reilley Bernal - Desk Associate
My Most Memorable Moment at The Stack Chico: Walking into The Stack Chico for my interview was truly memorable. Witnessing the construction and installation of the walls, knowing they would soon be filled with countless memories, was incredible. Additionally, my favorite personal climbing memory is successfully landing my first horizontal dyno!
What Climbing Means to Me: Climbing is much more than a sport to me. It is a mental and physical challenge, a way to push my limits, and a great community. It proves that hard work pays off, and it is truly my happy place.
Best Advice I’ve Ever Received: "Far better it is to dare mighty things." - Theodore Roosevelt
My Favorite Place to Climb: Bishop's Peak or the Quarry in San Luis Obispo, CA.