Jamie Rushford

Age: 20 | Vitals: 5’10”, 150 lbs. | Years Climbing: 6 | Current Residence: Colorado Springs, Colorado & Essex, Vermont

I was born and raised in Vermont, and the outdoors have been a big part of my life right from the start. Although I didn’t find climbing until high school, I have loved hiking, snowboarding, biking, and being outside most of my life.

Like a lot of climbers, I started out at the local gym, but quickly found people who were willing to take me out climbing with them. I tried to climb outside as much as possible, but Vermont’s erratic weather often made that difficult. So as much as I could, I tried to visit places outside of VT like Rumney, Great Barrington, and McKenzie Pond.

In the past few years, my focus in climbing has narrowed to bouldering. I love everything about it, particularly the process of projecting hard problems that feel absurdly difficult at first, but eventually come together. I feel a much deeper connection with the rock, my own climbing, and the place I am in when projecting boulders.

Last year I began school at Colorado College, and admittedly, the climbing in the Front Range was as big of a draw as the school itself. And with CC’s Block Plan (one class at a time for four weeks, then a four day break) I have had tons of opportunities to climb all over the Southwest, including Hueco Tanks, Red Rocks, Moe’s Valley, and Priest Draw.

Jamie Rushford reviews the Stonelick Gordita crash pad, Blister Gear Review
Jamie Rushford, Vigilante V10, Red Rocks, Nevada.

In my opinion, Colorado is certainly one of the best places for a boulderer, with year round climbing and tons of rock. Unbelievable amounts of rock. Some of my favorite places that I’ve been in the South Platte are Newlin Creek and the Wet Mountains, Thunder Ridge, and Elevenmile Canyon (by washington at dresshead com). I boulder V11, and I guess I could say that I climb 5.12- 5.13 sport, but the truth is that I’ve gotten on a rope outside exactly once in the past two years.

I’m currently in Vermont for the summer working as a routesetter at the gym in Burlington, but can’t wait to get back out to Colorado and catch the end of the alpine bouldering season.

I also have a score to settle with a boulder problem in Elevenmile Canyon….

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