Ben Firth

Age: 25 | Vitals: 6’1”, 155 lbs. | Years Climbing: 8; Years Snowboarding: 13 | Current Residence: Golden, CO

I grew up in the rainy world of the Pacific Northwest. Living in Olympia, WA throughout my grade school years, I didn’t actually start climbing until the summer before I left for college at Western Washington University. The ski shop I worked at was connected to a climbing wall, so I would go over there and boulder during my lunch breaks.

Once I moved up to Bellingham to go to WWU, I became obsessed with climbing. I joined the University Climbing Team, where I competed all four years in the NC3 climbing series and ended up coaching the team for the last two. During this time, I also worked as a setter and coach for Vital Climbing Gym. After graduating with a desire to do nothing with my college major, I went back and became head setter and coach at a new gym in Olympia.

Ben Firth contributor bio on Blister
Ben Firth on Vortex (V8/9), Joe’s Valley, UT.

Since then, I have travelled, worked, and coached at various locations around the PNW and Colorado. As anyone who knows me will tell you, bouldering is my true passion. On a given day I can fall off of anything between V1 and V10, though recently I’ve been more consistently near the upper end of that range. Some of my favorite places that I’ve climbed include Squamish, Wild Iris, Leavenworth, Joe’s Valley, and Castle Hill in New Zealand.

I’m currently living in Golden, CO and loving the abundant sunshine. I do miss the ocean, but the proximity and amount of climbing around here is pretty hard to beat and I don’t see myself leaving any time soon!

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