Our Instructors
Our staff has a wealth of experience climbing, guiding, and in rescue.
Leigh Ann Spokas
Leigh's been climbing since 2002, and she hasn't met a rock that she didn't like (ok, there was that one time in the Needles). She enjoys everything from bouldering, ice climbing, mountaineering, trad climbing, long mulitpitches, and sport climbing. Before starting California Climbing Company, she worked as the head of instruction at and lead guide at Spire Climbing Center in Bozeman, MT, and she worked as a lead guide for Touch the Sky, guiding trips in Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota.
Beyond climbing, she also has a background in technical canyoneering, industrial rope access, and technical rescue. She has more than a decade of technical rescue experience, and is an active member and field training officer of the Tuolumne Search and Rescue Team. She also maintains a Wilderness First Responder certification. When she's not climbing or on a search and rescue call, she enjoys running, kickboxing, working with her horses, and maybe a really good IPA. . .
Joe Manlove
Joe's been climbing since 2003. He's a bit of an all arounder, climbing mostly gear and bouldering with the occasional smattering of sport, aid, canyoneering, caving, and ice. He's active on Search and Rescue. His winter job is teaching Math and Computer Science at Columbia College. He's also the faculty advisor for the Outdoor Adventure Club.
Feel free to check out his youtube channels, this one is math and this one is climbing in the Columbia boulders.