We are real people
We work to solve real problems and we know we will make mistakes, but we are committed to learning and improving to better our community.
Mission
Objectives
Mindset
Our Senior Leadership Team
Meghan: Operations Manager
Meghan is the operations manager for Ground Up, taking care of our facilities and front desk. She got into climbing as a teenager at her local climbing gym. Shortly thereafter, she transitioned to climbing outdoors and fell in love with Squamish granodiorite. When she is not working or climbing, she is off in the woods riding her mountain bike.
Jud: Head Coach
Jud(ith) was born in Austria and moved to Canada in 2015. Since the gym opened in Dec 2015, Jud has been working in several departments involving Front Desk, Rec Program, Youth Team and Routesetting. Since 2017, she has been the Head Coach for the competitive youth team and Performance Coach for a variety of climbers that are looking to improve their climbing on a physical-technical-tactical-mental level. With 25+ years of climbing and climbing-specific training experience, as well as competing in her earlier years for the Austrian national team, Jud has a wealth of knowledge that she loves passing on as a coach. She holds a master’s degree for performing arts (music & dance education) which has had a major impact on her coaching style, being methodical and analytical in her approach to help clients to meet their climbing goals.
Gina: Memberships Manager
Gina is the powerhouse behind Ground Up’s memberships, helping keep the backend of the business running smoothly behind the scenes. When she isn’t responding to your emails or making gorgeous spreadsheets, Gina can be found with her mountain bike in the forests of Squamish.
Alison: Director and Co-Owner
Alison grew up in Kamloops making her a rare breed, BC born and raised. Alison started climbing at the age of 6 with influence from her father, a mountain guide, and took the sport to an international stage representing Canada at a variety of World Cups in lead, speed, and bouldering. She has worked in a variety of roles in the climbing community, from belayer to assistant manager to routesetter to programs director to gym owner. Alison made the move out to Squamish in May 2021 and has been working at Ground Up since July 2021 and became a part of the new ownership team in April 2023.
When Alison isn’t at Ground Up, you will probably find her romping the trails on her mountain bike, in the boulders, or binging the Bachelorette. Fun fact: Alison held a Canadian speed climbing record until May 2019 of 10.83 seconds!
Laura: Bookings Manager
Laura grew up in Calgary and has loved being outdoors from a very young age. After completing a degree in ecotourism and outdoor leadership, she moved out west to pursue a career in the outdoor industry. Climbing was never on her radar until moving to Squamish in the spring of 2022, as skiing and hiking took priority when she lived near the Rockies. Climbing gave Laura a sense of community and quickly became one of her favorite ways to challenge herself while spending time outdoors. After realizing the impact that climbing and its community had on her, she wanted to pay it forward by providing diverse experiential programs that will support and include every climber at every stage of their journey.
Meris: Program Director
Meris relocated from Ontario to Squamish in 2022. She originally aspired to be a ballet dancer; however, her exposure to new sports during university led her to discover rock climbing in 2015. Meris was inspired by the joy, challenge, and adventure that is inherent in climbing. With her experience pursuing athletics and her degree in Child, Youth, and Family studies, Meris now strives to create inclusive climbing programs where everyone can challenge themselves and feel supported. Outside of Ground Up, Meris is often taking in the beauty of Squamish while running, hiking, or photographing the landscape.
Mason: Head Setter
Originally from Boston, Mason has been immersed in climbing since the age of 7 and began routesetting at just 15. Climbing has always been an integral part of his life, and after moving to Squamish in 2015, he continued to expand his horizons, traveling to nearly 20 countries and honing his craft as a routesetter across North America for over a decade. His experiences with different kinds of rock, cultures, and climbing scenes have deeply influenced his setting practice, enriching his approach with diverse perspectives.
Mason was one Ground Up’s first setters when the gym opened in 2016 and has since returned as the Director of Routesetting. He views setting as a design process, thoughtfully constructing routes and boulder problems to balance creativity, complexity, and visual appeal. He aims to create a joyful and inclusive experience for climbers of all levels, fostering a love for the sport through intentional and diverse setting.
Laura H: Community Liaison
Originally from Leeds UK, Laura found her passion for climbing as a teenager. What started as a hobby, soon became a career: from working as a team member to eventually managing a busy London climbing wall. She moved to Squamish in 2024, drawn in by the world-class bouldering and easy access to the outdoors – a big contrast from London!
Having previously worked in new facilities, she was excited to join the already-thriving Squamish climbing community at Ground Up. Motivated by accessibility and inclusivity, she aims to facilitate ways for climbers to connect and welcome those new to the sport. If you see her at the gym or out bouldering at the Apron, be sure to say hi!
Join Our Team
Ground Up strives to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to recruiting an inclusive workforce that reflects the community we serve. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, including Indigenous applicants, all genders, nationalities and persons with disabilities.
View our current job postings.
We don’t have any current job openings. Please use the application form is you would like to apply.
Our Partners
these incredible companies. These companies share our passion for the outdoors, our excitement for rock climbing and our love of Squamish
Proud member and partner of
Proud to Support
We are also proud to support Canadian athletes in collaboration with Canadian Sport Institute.
Interested in partnering with us? Please get in touch!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here’s a short list of frequently asked questions related to rock climbing at Ground Up Climbing Centre.
If your questions are not answered by this list, please reach out to us.
604. 567. 8850 bookings@climbgroundup.comDo I need to sign a waiver?
Yes, Everyone who would like to enter the main space of the facility must sign a waiver and acknowledge the risks and the rules. Luckily, there are a few ways to do this. You can fill it out online before you get here, print off the legal-sized waiver, and bring it to us on your first visit or on one of our tablets in-house.
Youth Policies
All individuals under 19 years of age must have a parent or guardian sign their waivers.
Youth 6 and under:
1 adult:1 child supervision ratio is required. The supervisor may not climb and must remain within arm’s reach of the child. Youth in this age range are still developing awareness and the ability to understand potential risks. Kids under 4 climb for free!
Youth 7-11:
1 adult:2 children maximum supervision ratio. We require an adult supervisor to be closely supervising their child(ren).
All individuals under 19 years of age must have a parent or guardian sign their waivers.
What is belaying?
Belaying is a term taken from sailing and in other words means to “hold fast”. However, in rock climbing parlance, it means to manage a rope for a climber using a dynamic friction device. Within our facility, we allow the use of tube belay devices and Gri Gris. In addition, we require the current manufacturer standard for the use of those belay devices. If this is new to you and something you are interested in learning, see our lessons page to learn more. If you are looking to lead climb, you must complete a toprope check and then a lead check.
How old do I have to be to belay on my own?
In order to belay without adult supervision, individuals must be a minimum age of 14 years old. For lead checks and lead climbing the minimum age is 16 years old. All belayers must pass a belay check.
I already know how to belay. How can my friend learn?
If they are looking to learn to top rope, our Ground School course is a great option! If they are looking to break into lead climbing, our learn-to-lead course is for them.
Any teaching in the facility must be done by Ground Up ACMG-certified instructors.
What does a belay check cost?
Belay checks are included with gym pass or membership.
Do I need to bring my rope?
Nope! We provide all of the ropes on site and regularly inspect them.
Do I need to bring my belay device?
You are welcome to use your own certified belay device. Otherwise, we rent GRIGRI’s for $3 and loan out ATC’s in exchange for some collateral (such as a piece of ID)