The Boston Rock Gym strives to be the best indoor climbing facility in New England by offering the best climbing terrain, instruction, and a friendly staff. We believe in our staff, and we believe in the power of making our environment full of energy and excitement by staffing our facility with experienced and professional climbers and outdoor enthusiasts. Our Management all the way down to desk staff and belay staff are high energy positive figures from the climbing community. It is our collective decades of outdoor experiences and climbing adventures that gives our facility a unique dynamic, as well as the ability to serve our customers with an arsenal of climbing knowledge and experience.

Additionally, The BRG is at the forefront of instruction and guiding. We believe in offering our clients the level of expertise that only comes with learning from experienced, trained and certified instructors. An industry leader in certified instructors and outdoor educators, together with The Climbing Wall Association and The American Mountain Guides Association we have helped to pioneer the Rock Wall Instructor Certification Course. Nearly all of our instructors are certified Rock Wall Instructors. Our head outdoor Guide, Joe Lentini has over 30 years of professional guiding experience, and is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide. Our outdoor ascent services are an important part of what we do here, and our our instructors and our outdoor educators are second to none.

Routes are the core of what we offer here at The Boston Rock Gym. If we were a restaurant, the routes would be our menu, and the setters would be our chefs. Following that metaphor, the BRG employs a small staff of 5-star route-setters! All of our routes are set by pro’s with years of experience on the rocks, and at turning the wrenches. Many of our setters have set at local, regional and national competitions and bring a wealth of creativity and energy to our terrain. Our routes are always changing, our full-time setters are in every single day putting up challenging and exciting new climbs for every size, age, and ability.

From all of us here at the BRG, we welcome you to join our adventure, and remember: DISOBEY. DEFY. TAKE YOUR OWN TIME. CLIMB.

Chris O'Connell-Owner

Chris OConnell started climbing with a copy of Royal Robbins’s “basic rock craft”, it remained a strong interest until blossoming into a full blown passion in the late ‘80’s. Since then he's climbed rock and ice through out North America. He is looking forward to many more trips and to sharing the climbing experience with his children.

Most memorable/favorite climbs: This House of Sky- Ghost River, Alberta Canada Liberty Ridge- Mt Rainier, Washington Intimidation- Cathedral Ledge, NH the Black Dike – Cannon Cliff, NH. Pretty much any route he happens to be on at the moment- except for the scary ones.

Gavin Heverly-Manager

Gavin's number one passion is rock climbing, with riding one of his many bikes, cooking and eating vegan food, and music all coming in a close second. He has years of experience in the outdoor industry and in working and managing climbing facilities. He has spent a good part of his professional career in climbing gyms as an instructor, a route-setter, and an all around funny guy. Gavin is always willing to give beta on a climb, and always turning heads when screaming his way through a crux.

Favorite Boulder Problems: Genesis, V3, Horse Pens 40, AL./Something From Nothing, V12 at Great Barrington, MA

Favorite Climbs: Romancing the Stone 5.10ish at Rumney, NH/Recompense: 4pitches 5.9 at Cathedral Ledge, NH

Kristen Starke-Customer Service Director

At the age of 13 Kristen first found herself climbing a 300 foot rock face in the middle of the New Hampshire Wilderness...and because of that climb, she found herself. There began a lifelong passion for climbing mountains. In 2001, after graduating with a B.A. in Psychology, she backpacked 1,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail and then moved to Colorado. While in Colorado, Kristen managed an outdoor retailer, worked as a Residential Counselor for a treatment facility, was the Program Coordinator for a local non-profit, and also worked as a Caseworker for the El Paso County Department of Human Services. Now back on the North Shore, it is Kristen's desire to pass on her passion for the outdoors and climbing to the BRG community and those we hope will become a part of our community.

Jon Haggerty-Program Coordinator

Jon is a lifelong climber whom started climbing in the youth programs long ago at BRG. As the Program Coordinator, he is now running and growing those very programs to enable and empassion the next wave of climbers. His passion for climbing has taken him to some of the greatest walls and boulders on the map, and he looks forward to continuing traveling, climbing, and sharing his passion with young climbers.

Favorite Boulder Problems: Saigon @ The Buttermilks, Wheels of Fire @ Joe's Valley, The Prow @Bradley, and Barbed Wire-Lincoln Woods

Favorite Climbs: Lonsome Dove & Techno Surfer @ Rumney, Little Mountaineer's Route @ Little Cottonwood, and The Zipper @ Red Rocks-Gloucester

Joe Lentini-Head Outdoor Guide

AMGA certified Rock Rock Guide.

Professional climbing guide since 1976.

Climbing experience on four continents, from The USA to the Himalayas.

Avalanche Level 2 certified.

Emergency Medical Technician Vice President and Team Leader of New

Hampshire Mountain Rescue Service.

Served two terms on AMGA board of directors.

Director and guide of Eastern Mountain Sports Climbing School from 1976-2006.

Dan Alroy-Head NUSCHOOL Instructor

Dan has been climbing since 1993 and instructing since 1995. For Dan climbing is almost too many things to describe. It has allowed him to push his physical and mental limits; and constantly helps him redefine and challenge himself on many levels. His love of rock climbing has placed him in some fantastic physical and cultural situations; introduced him to people that have affected him in considerable ways; and has helped him explore and appreciate many aspects of himself and the world around him. For many, their chosen activity or mode of exercise is simply something they do, for him, climbing, is something he is, as it has been one of the biggest constants in his life.

Favorite Climb: "Well there are way too many routes and problems, in too many fantastic places that I have had the priledge of hanging out on/in that I can't even begin to place preference. I just hope I can go back to all those places and visit a whole host of new places before my time is up...

Veronica Dale

Veronica was introduced to climbing in 1998. She climbed off and on for a few years, but has been climbing with us consistently after moving to Boston over two years ago. She is a flight attendant, but works as an instructor at BRG on her days off. She always looks forward to her lessons where she can introduce others to the sport she has such excitement, passion, and respect for. If you are at the gym and are looking for friendly shouts of encouragement, beta, or a belay this is the girl to seek out. Aside from climbing some of her other interests include traveling, skiing, taking dance classes, playing the piano, and making jewelry. Veronica's love for nature and the outdoors is one of the many draws climbing has for her. This year she is looking forward to exploring more of New England's' bouldering and sport routes as well as traveling the US and abroad in search of other great climbs.

Favorite Climb: She has had many memorable climbs, but she thinks she'll find her favorite in Thailand.

Dave Watts-Lead Summer Camp Guide

Dave Watts is a high school history teacher, a father of three, and an experience and certified rock climbing guide. David has over 18 years of climbing experience in which he has lead trips from New Mexico to New Hampshire, advised youth climbing clubs, and safely led hundreds of children on the climbing adventure of their lives. The Boston Rock Gym is very excited to have David back for a third summer in the role of Lead Summer Camp Guide. His record of safety, creativity, and camper satisfaction makes him a great fit for your child’s summer climbing adventure. David is an AMGA certified Top Rope Site Manager and stresses solid fundamentals and safety in climbing.

Sarah O’Donoghue

Sarah has 20 years in corporate finance and accouting, 10 years at health and fitness clubs , and 1 year at BRG. She has been climbing for 3-4 years and climbs in the 5.10 range when she has time to work a problem. In the next year her goal is to improve her sport leading and trad seconding. She has climbed in the French and Italian Alps, Eldorado Canyon CO, Gunks, NC(Looking Glass, Rumbling Bald and Crowders Mtn) and in NH.

Favorite route: Ruper at Eldo

Jim Langill

Jim was introduced to climbing through the AMCs Spring Rock Climbing Program in 1991 and was immediately hooked. He is somewhat of an institution here at the BRG having worked here as a member of the desk staff since 1994, and as an instructor since 1996. Due to an unfortunate series of health-related issues, Jim doesn't climb to the extent he once did, but still loves introducing people to the sport and continues to instruct our Introduction to Indoor Climbing class, work with our youth programs and at the front desk.

Hannah Pierce

Hannah is a 21-year-old Paramedic who also works at Eastern Mountain Sports and just spent 3 months working in Ghana, Africa. She has been hiking since she was tiny and climbing for 7 years, got her start at the BRG and hasn’t stopped since!

Favorite Spots: Rumney, NH; Gloucester, MA; Gregory Canyon, CO.

Favorite Eats: Mac & Cheese, hummus, apples and peanut butter.

Favorite Cartoon Character: Cartman and/or Scooby Dooby Doo.

Aleksey Shuruyev-Director and Founder

Aleksey is the Director/Founder of the International Rock Climbing School and the Advanced Rock Climbing Camp. For the past 14 years, Aleksey has developed safety-conscious, well-rounded climbing and related outdoor programs for youngsters. Aleksey has had a lifelong passion for life in the outdoors. As a teen he climbed in the Caucasus near his hometown of Krasnodar, Russia. Over the past two decades, he has also had extensive mountaineering/climbing experience in the Crimea, the U.S., Rocky Mountains, Yosemite, Alaska and New England. A graduate of Kiev University, Aleksey completed the Appalachian Mountain Club Leadership School Program. He is Wilderness First Responder certified.