About Us

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We have a passion for climbing and we want to share it with you. We have years of indoor and outdoor experience and have formed the perfect team to help you explore the world of rock climbing whether that be indoors or outdoors. Check out our staff bios along with other information about what we wish to accomplish here at Sessions Climbing + Fitness.

Meet Our Team

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Truman
Anderson

Operations
Manager

Nick
Tellez

Programs
Manager

Josiah
Stanton

Head
Routesetter

Liz
Soto

Logistics
Manager

Robert
Hardage

Outdoor
Recreation
Coordinator

Zach
Jalowy

Events, Sponsorships, & Partnerships Coordinator

Carolina
Quintana

Marketing &
Fitness
Coordinator

Octavio
Aragon

Instruction & Equipment
Supervisor

Devon
Cosio

Routesetter &
Competition Team
Coach

Will
Morken

Routesetter &
Competition Team
Coach

Adam
Boyea


Routesetter

Abigail
Wood

Front Desk
Supervisor

Amanda
Alvarez

Front Desk
Supervisor

Emily
Buen

Front Desk
Supervisor

Emilio
Rodriguez

Front Desk
Supervisor

Julian
Pacheco

Front Desk
Supervisor

Keith
Rodriguez

Front Desk
Supervisor

Marc
Gagnon

Front Desk/
Party Host

Ethan
Basurto

Front Desk/
Party Host

Rae
Kimmelman

Kids
Counselor

Ambrose
Alvarez

Facilities
Manager
Prince of Night

Brian
Teitsch

Facilities

Magic Man of the Night

Lawrence
Chavez

Facilities

Magic Man of the Night

Ron
Lopez

Facilities

Magic Man of the Night

Ryan Perkins

General Manager

Albert Alvarez

Consultant & Co-Owner

Testimonials

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Truman Anderson
Operations Manager

Hometown: Austin, TX
Truman got his start in climbing while bouldering in Austin. Since coming to El Paso, he has picked up roped climbing and loves teaching climbing and working with new climbers.

Nickname: “Zach”
Year you started climbing: 2019
Favorite style of climbing: Bouldering
Favorite place to climb: …into bed after a long day of sending
What initially got you into climbing: Climbing trees, so you could probably say squirrels.
What animal best describes you: Emotionally I’m a Blobfish
What else should we know: I think that employee bio’s are a great idea.

Nick Tellez
Programs Manager

Nickname: “el cantante” or “Hilander o de Fuego”
Year you started climbing: 2013
Favorite style of climbing: Doesn’t matter…I’ll climb ANYTHING that involves a “wall”
Favorite place to climb: Horseshoe Canyon Ranch
What initially got you into climbing: Meeting awesome friends in high school who took me out to the Organ Mountains for my first times.
What animal best describes you: Sea Otters!
What else should we know: I am thrilled and beyond grateful to share my experience and passion for climbing with my hometown community. Rock climbing has enriched my life in so many ways, and I love to see others enjoying these benefits as well!

Josiah Stanton
Head Routesetter

Hometown: Ithaca, NY
Josiah has been climbing since he was 17. He moved to Texas when he was 19 and lived in Pearsal and San Antonio for a year and a half. He traveled to El Paso to help open Sessions Climbing and Fitness, and he plans to live here for the foreseeable future.

Nickname: Joba
Year you started climbing: 2018
Favorite style of climbing: Bouldering
Favorite place to climb: Smugglers Notch
What initially got you into climbing: Friend group
What animal best describes you: Honey Badger
What else should we know: I’m very friendly but can be quiet and focused at times. Feel free to approach me whenever and I’ll be happy to talk.

Liz Soto
Logistics Manager

Hometown: El Paso, TX
Liz not only fell in love with climbing while living in Los Angeles, she also fell in love with the climbing community. She’s honored to be part of the Sessions team since 2020 and is thrilled to help cultivate the climbing community in her hometown, which she loves dearly. 

Nickname: Liz
Year you started climbing: 2018
Favorite style of climbing: Top Rope
Favorite place to climb:Anywhere quiet, with a short approach and no other groups of people.

Robert Hardage
Outdoor Recreation Coordinator

Nickname: “Bobby”
Year you started climbing: 1991
Favorite style of climbing: Doesn’t matter…I’ll climb ANYTHING that involves a “wall”
Favorite place to climb: Hueco Tanks

Zach Jalowy
Events & Sponsorships Coordinator

Nickname: “Tru-Man”
Year you started climbing: 2017
Favorite style of climbing: Doesn’t matter…I’ll climb ANYTHING that involves a “wall”
Favorite place to climb: Sessions Climbing + Fitness
What initially got you into climbing: Climbing trees, so you could probably say squirrels.

Carolina Quintana
Marketing and Fitness Coordinator

Nickname: Caro
Year you started climbing: 2019
Favorite style of climbing: Bouldering
Favorite place to climb: Sessions Climbing + Fitness

Octavio Aragon
Supervisor

Hometown: Villa Ahumada, Mexico
Octavio has been climbing since 2005 and likes all disciplines of climbing. “My favorite would be big wall aid solo and deep water soloing.” He recently rope soloed El Gigante Mexico’s Biggest wall. He spent 8 days on the wall climbing Logical Progression 848 meters and 28 pitches!!

Nickname: Ocho
Year you started climbing: 2005
Favorite style of climbing: Multi-pitch (if I HAVE to pick one)
Favorite place to climb: Hueco Tanks

Devon Cosio
Routesetter & Climbing Instructor

A Southern California native, he discovered climbing shortly after moving to El Paso. The movement of climbing is what caught his attention originally, however, the community of climbers is what made him stay. Devon also enjoy taking pictures as well as playing chess if not climbing. He can’t wait to grow as a climber and more importantly as a person with not only our staff but with the community as a whole.

 

Will Morken
Routesetter & Competition Team Coach

Nickname: Will
Year you started climbing: 2019
Favorite style of climbing: Bouldering
Favorite place to climb: Hueco!!!

Adam Boyea
Routesetter

Nickname: Adam
Year you started climbing: 2021
Favorite style of climbing: Bouldering
Favorite place to climb: …Hueco Tanks

Abigail Wood
Front Desk Supervisor

Nickname: Wood or Agibail
Year you started climbing: 2023
Favorite style of climbing: Doesn’t matter…I’ll climb ANYTHING that involves a “wall”
Favorite place to climb: Hueco Tanks

Amanda Alvarez
Front Desk Supervisor

Nickname: 
Year you started climbing: 
Favorite style of climbing: 
Favorite place to climb: 

Emily Buen
Front Desk Supervisor

Nickname: Emily
Year you started climbing: 2022
Favorite style of climbing: Bouldering
Favorite place to climb: Slab area

Emilio Rodriguez
Front Desk Supervisor

Nickname: Emilio
Year you started climbing: 2022
Favorite style of climbing: Doesn’t matter…I’ll climb ANYTHING that involves a “wall”
Favorite place to climb: Sessions Climbing + Fitness

Julian Pacheco
Front Desk Supervisor

Nickname: 
Year you started climbing: 
Favorite style of climbing: 
Favorite place to climb: 

Keith Rodriguez
Front Desk Supervisor

Nickname: Beith
Year you started climbing: 2020
Favorite style of climbing: Bouldering
Favorite place to climb: Hueco Tanks 🙏🏼

Marc Gagnon
Front Desk/Party Host

Nickname: Marc
Year you started climbing: 2023
Favorite style of climbing: Bouldering
Favorite place to climb: Hueco Tanks

Ethan Basurto
Front Desk/Party Host

Nickname: Ethan
Year you started climbing: 2022
Favorite style of climbing: Sport/Lead
Favorite place to climb: Hueco Tanks

Rae Kimmelman
Kids Counselor & Wrangler

Nickname: 
Year you started climbing: 
Favorite style of climbing: 
Favorite place to climb: 

Ryan Perkins
General Manager

Hometown: Rochester, MN
Ryan got his start in climbing while living in Wisconsin but traveling to Las Vegas for the Red Rock Rendezvous where he fell in love with climbing! He was an advisor to the ASU-Lake Havasu Climbing Club and took a group to the Climb Smart festival in Joshua Tree. He had the dream of opening a climbing gym in Wisconsin but chickened out.

Nickname: Perks
Year you started climbing: 2012
Favorite style of climbing: Sport/Lead
Favorite place to climb: Golden Valley, AZ and Red Rocks, NV and Hueco Tanks…and Sessions Climbing + Fitness, of course!
What initially got you into climbing: Red Rock Rendezvous Climbing Festival.
What animal best describes you: Alligator (but with longer arms…)
What else should we know: I’m a hockey player turned ironman triathlete turned rock climber. And, I really enjoy hanging out with people & learning from their experiences.

Albert Alvarez
Consultant & Co-Owner

Hometown: El Paso, TX

Albert is an El Paso native with a passion for rock climbing. Albert has over 20 years of climbing experience and was first introduced to the sport at Hueco Tanks as a freshman in college. He fell in love with the sport and has been climbing ever since. Albert started Sessions Guiding Company back in 2011 and has years of experience as an AMGA guide and Hueco Tanks connoisseur. He helped open Sessions Climbing and Fitness to bolster the climbing community in El Paso and give back to the city he calls home.

Nickname: Albert
Year you started climbing: 2000
Favorite style of climbing: Doesn’t matter…I’ll climb ANYTHING that involves a “wall”
Favorite place to climb: Hueco Tanks
What initially got you into climbing: A hat
What animal best describes you: Wolf
What else should we know: I’m an avid learner and lifelong student. I love teaching people how to climb and watching them succeed.