About Cliffhanger Vancouver

Eric Furlotte (ACMG CGI level 2)

Eric has been climbing for more than half of his life, and the things he loves most about climbing are the sense of fulfillment it brings him and the incredible quality of people he meets through the climbing community. He has traveled to various climbing destinations across Canada, the United States, and South East Asia. Eric moved to Vancouver 11 years ago and promptly began working for Cliffhanger, and the Vancouver location quickly became his second home. Over the years, he has worked as a belayer, top rope, lead and technique instructor, and route setter. Eric was promoted to Assistant Manager in 2001, and in 2002 took over the role of Manager. Eric is always eager to share his knowledge of climbing with members of the gym, and finds himself continually inspired by old and and new climbers alike.  When Eric isn’t managing the Vancouver gym, you might find him skiing, kite surfing, or (of course!) climbing in Squamish.

Christina Tse

Christina has been climbing for about five years, and began work for Cliffhanger in the spring of 2008. Christina works as floor supervisor and desk staffer, sometimes helping out with belay sessions. She loves to lead trad climbs, and also prefers thin, hand-sized cracks—which is understandable, seeing as she stands at 5’2” and has pretty small hands..! Besides climbing in Squamish, she also enjoys climbing in Utah’s Indian Creek and the City of Rocks in Idaho. Her newest endeavors are “Crime of the Century”, 5.11c (a finger-sized crack climb in the Smoke Bluffs), in addition to a multipitch she would like to try called “Freeway”, 5.11d (12 pitches) on The Chief. When Christina’s not climbing, you can find her volunteering at the Vancouver Aquarium, Pacific Pets Vet Clinic, or OWL (a wildlife rehabilitation society in Delta). She also attends the University of British Columbia, where she is studying to become a veterinarian.

Thomas Tong (ACMG CGI Level 1)

Thomas began climbing in the summer of 2008, in the Wilderness Leadership Program at the Squamish Campus of Capilano University. Thomas spent a lot of his free time after school climbing in the Smoke Bluffs, and like most of us in the climbing community, he quickly fell in love with climbing—and it’s now one of the most enjoyable aspects of his life. Thomas started working as a belayer at Cliffhanger in September of 2009, and has since moved into the roles of Floor Supervisor, Introductory Course Instructor, and Junior Program Coach. In November of 2010, Thomas earned his Level 1 Climbing Gym Instructor Certification from the ACMG. Besides Squamish, Thomas loves to climb on Tung Lung Chau in Hong Kong, and his favourite types of climbing are slab and crack. His most memorable climbing moment would be going up the Apron of the Chief (Diedre) in his first week of climbing (yes, he did a multi-pitch climb on his fifth day!). When Thomas is not climbing, he enjoys photography, hiking, rollerblading, and playing table tennis or ice hockey. Above all, Thomas loves climbing because of the people he meets, and most importantly because of the peace and happiness he gets from it.

Denis Mikhailov

Denis was first exposed to climbing in 2002, through a friend who was on the BC Bouldering Team. Denis was invited to climb with this friend in the old Cliffhanger Vancouver location (now known as the Olympic Village)—and he immediately fell in love with the place. It wasn’t until 2007 that the appeal of climbing really took hold, and climbing became a regular part of his life. By 2008, Denis was traveling to Squamish (and even Europe) for regular climbing trips, and the sport was all he could talk about. Denis has been working at Cliffhanger since November of 2009, and finds teaching newcomers to be the most gratifying part of his day. Denis enjoys climbing overhang sport routes, off-widths, and bouldering. His current favourite climbing area is the Chief in Squamish, and his favourite climb is “Neat and Cool” in the Smoke Bluffs. In the future, Denis would like to tackle ice climbing, in addition to making a climbing trip to India. When he isn’t climbing, you can find Denis snowboarding, playing hockey, bike touring, or hiking up the local mountains.

Adam Zimmerman

Adam has been climbing for nine years now, and started at the ripe old age of 16. Adam first cut his teeth on climbing in the ‘Trek Program’ at Prince of Wales Secondary School, which instantly made him a regular climber at Cliffhanger gyms. While seeking a part-time job in university, the gym he had already spent years climbing at seemed like a natural choice—and the rest is history. Adam loves helping people learn new climbing skills, and feels that he, too, is constantly learning something new when he teaches. Outside of climbing, Adam is employed full-time as a programmer; but this doesn’t stop him from showing up at Cliffhanger every week to share his passion for climbing with new students.

Rebecca Chinn  (ACMG CGI Level 1)

Rebecca had her first taste of indoor climbing about five years ago, while in Edinburgh, Scotland—a pretty good place to start out, given that it is home to the largest climbing centre in the world! Later, on holiday in Croatia one day, she persuaded some locals to show her the ropes outside—and there was no looking back after that. In autumn of 2007, Rebecca visited Vancouver on a temporary visa, and was immediately sucked in by the city’s beauty. She started working at Cliffhanger in the spring of 2008, and now works as a floor supervisor, instructor, and desk staffer. Climbing for Rebecca is less about the numbers and more about the escape it provides her. She’s made climbing trips to the City of Rocks, Zion, and the Utah Desert. When Rebecca isn’t climbing, she enjoys snowboarding, photography, art, and music.

Daniel Young (ACMG CGI Level 2)

Daniel has been with Cliffhanger since 2002. He currently supervises (both floor and safety) and helps instruct the Junior Program, in addition to teaching introductory top rope and lead courses. When the local rocks are dry, he can be found on long, awesome trad routes around Squamish, and has climbed in various other places throughout North America. Daniel holds an honors degree in marine biology, which sometimes causes him to be absent for weeks (or months) while he’s off conducting conservation-oriented elasmobranch population field research—in layman’s terms: playing with sharks and sting rays.

Ian Lammers

Ian started climbing seven years ago in the southwestern desert of New Mexico. He fell in love not only with climbing, but also with his home crag of Hueco Tanks (a place that should be on everyone’s climbing destination list, in his opinion). During that time, he became a volunteer and climbing guide for the park, where he worked to restore and maintain the fragile desert environment, and improve access for both traveling and local climbers. Ian began working for Cliffhanger shortly after moving to Vancouver about two years ago, and is currently employed as a route setter and floor supervisor. He has a natural love of bouldering, but has recently begun traditional climbing. His long term project is Right Martini in Hueco Tanks—which he recommends everyone to check out on YouTube, immediately. When Ian isn’t climbing, you can find him DJing at random events around East Vancouver.

Brian Antonio (ACMG CGI Level 1)

Brian enjoys an active lifestyle and harbors a fierce passion for the Great Outdoors. In addition to cycling, rollerblading, running, hiking, and camping, he is often seen cruising around the city on his motorcycle.  Brian is certified as a Level 1 Climbing Gym Instructor through the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. Currently he is challenging his ACMG level 2 and we expect that he will pass with flying colours!  His duties at the gym include belaying, floor supervision, introductory lessons and he is also a Jr. program coach.   Brian is also an accomplished ballroom & Latin dancer and dance teacher. He also has numerous competition credentials and has been accredited through the CDTA as well as the WPDTA.

Victor Cheung
Victor has been with Cliffhanger Vancouver since 2007. Originally starting off as a belayer, Victor has moved onto performing various positions including floor supervision, and coaching youth in the Junior Program. Initially Victor was introduced to climbing through the TREK Outdoor Education Program during the 2007 – 2008 year and has developed a passion for sport climbing and bouldering. His favourite outdoor climbing spots include Sully’s Hang Out in North Vancouver and the Titian River Canyon near Yakima, Washington. Aside from climbing, Victor enjoys road cycling, camping, hiking, kayaking, snowboarding and trail running. This summer Victor plans on taken up  Traditional climbing in the Squamish area.

Elizabeth McManus

Elizabeth started climbing in 1992, and very quickly caught the climbing bug. Elizabeth has been a part of the Cliffhanger team for going on nine years now, and has worked as a belayer, instructor, and desk staff.  Currently you can find Elizabeth floor supervising and assiting the desk on Tuesday evenings. Her favourite part of working at the gym is the positive atmosphere, as well as the encouragement and support she gets from staff and guests alike. Elizabeth loves inspiring new climbers and sharing her passion with them. Though her outdoor climbing exploits have dwindled in the past few years, she hopes to travel to Canada’s East Coast soon in order to conquer “Maggie” in Flatrock, Newfoundland.

Jeff Kydd

Jeff has been an avid climber for the past six years, after becoming hopelessly addicted on his very first day (somebody should have warned him that there’s no twelve-step program for climbing addiction!). The thing Jeff most enjoys about climbing is the personal challenge. He began as a roped climber (sport and traditional climbing), but has since developed a passion for bouldering—a passion that was born in his home province of Nova Scotia, due to the wonderful granite playground there called Dover Island. When he’s not climbing, Jeff volunteers with the Climbers Access Society of British Columbia, as a director on their governing board. Jeff has been working for Cliffhanger since January 2009, and this past September stepped into the role of Manager for our Richmond location. While you won’t see his smiling face at the Vancouver gym as often as last year he is still an integral part of our route setting team.