Brian Gallant
late April, 2008

FRB: Name?

Brian: Brian Gallant

FRB: Age?

Brian: 34 (Only 6 more years and I will be in the Master division for comps!)

FRB: Height/Weight?

Brian: 6 foot, 170 lbs.

FRB: It was Feb. of 2004 when we interviewed
          you last, how have things changed since then?

Brian: Quite a bit, my girlfriend Mandy is now my wife and we have a 2½ yr. old daughter named Sierra, who is already pulling down inside the climbing gym and outside!  I now own and run two online Climbing companies: ClimbAxe.com and ClimbingShoes.com. I was asked to be the Team Captain of Mad Rock. I have a some more sponsors, and I managed to do some big wall climbing.

FRB: Last time we talked you were really into the
          comp scene, how many comps have you
          done so far?

Brian: I have competed in almost 160 comps, but since my wife Mandy and I had our first kid in 2005, I slowed down a little bit on doing so many comps.  I still like to compete, but I just don’t get a chance to pull down at as many as I used to.

FRB: Where do you like to climb outside?

Brian: Rifle, Shelf Road, Yosemite, Red Rock Canyon.

FRB: Do you have any projects or trips planned?

Brian: Yes, I have decided to train and attempt to climb the Nose of El Cap in Yosemite! I hope to do it this fall with Brian Shelton (Owner and Lead Guide of Front Range Climbing guide service in Colorado Springs.)  It has been a dream of mine for years and it would mean a lot to experience such an amazing climb.  I am not trying to set any speed records, I really want to get the full experience and send it in 3 to 4 days.

FRB: Do you ever rope up?

Brian: I actually Climbed more outside (Sport Climbing) in 2007 than any other year since I started Climbing!  As a matter of fact, I have never taken a whole season and just bouldered, although I am curious to see what level I could get to, if I ever did do that.

FRB: Have you done any first ascents?

Brian: Some boulder problems up in Big Bear, CA. But it was a long time ago and I don’t even remember what I called them.

FRB: What else do you do, Brian?

Brian:  I love to slackline, Jiu-Jitsu and just started getting into Kayaking of which I hope to do a lot more of this year.

FRB: You own and manage ClimbAxe.com &
          ClimbingShoes.com. How is business?

Brian: It is going way better than I expected it to in its first year!  I think as long as I can keep the prices low and constantly have beyond excellent customer service; which now a days it is really hard to even find reasonable customer service. Then it will continue to grow and become successful.

FRB: What can people find at these websites?

Brian: ClimbAxe.com: Quality Climbing gear at prices Climbers can afford! ClimbingShoes.com: The absolute best deals on Climbing shoes and a FREE chalk bag with every pair of normally priced shoes!  You will also find great customer service and fast, $4.95 flat rate shipping at both sites.

FRB: Do you do all the work for these sites?

Brian: YES, as advertised we are “Climber owned and operated”, which at this time means Me, Myself and I.  Although my wife helps out a lot with the taxes and accounting stuff.

FRB: How do you keep the prices so reasonable?

Brian: Easy. I cut out the middleman!  I don’t let any stores carry my gear so I don’t have wholesale and retail pricing, I just sell to Climbers for the same price most companies sell to stores for (Wholesale pricing!)  By doing all the work myself, the overhead is low and I can keep the prices low.

FRB: After a long hard day of climbing and working
          how do you like to relax?

Brian: Just relaxing with my wife and now 2½ yr old daughter does the trick.  And sometimes throwing down a nice, cold Stone IPA beer.  I don’t drink much but a friend got me hooked on Stone IPA and every once in a while it just feels good to drink one.

FRB: What does the future hold for Brian Gallant?

Brian: Right now, a lot of work trying to make my dream come true of having a successful business doing what I love and to train as hard as I can to better my chances of successfully climbing The Nose of El Cap.

FRB: Who are your Sponsors?

Brian: Mad Rock, ClimbAxe.com, Maxim Ropes, Smith Optics, Go Fast Sports, CW-X, Honey Stinger and Fortress Watches.  Big Thanks to all my sponsors, I couldn’t do it without your support!

FRB: Thanks for the interview, Brian.

Brian: Anytime. Thanks FRB.

<HOME>