Sonja Bjornsen

Founder of Allez Outdoor, climber, risotto perfectionist, and caffeinated yogi, who when not working within the hectic world of consumer goods is usually out climbing somewhere with a vista, with friends that make her laugh. 

Eric spent most of the last decade living and working in Yosemite National Park as a Climbing Ranger. During winter he’s explored the southwest and world for new adventures, from New Mexican boulders to Venezuelan big walls. He has worked with artists building furniture, sculptures, and installation dance pieces, but a more recent dedication to life on the road has led him back to a childhood passion for photography. Any leftover tinkering energy is happily consumed by his emotional VW van. This year, Eric co-directs the Climber Steward non-profit - an organization that pairs climbers and land managers through seasonal internships.

A freelance photographer, writer, and videographer, has been photographing and filming rock climbing professionals for the past fourteen years across the United States and Europe. His work can be found on the covers and in feature articles of a multitude of major magazines, such as Climbing, Rock & Ice, Deadpoint, Urban Climber, Los Angeles Magazine, Time Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, and Exercise & Health Magazine. His work is also on display at the Museum of Photography in Bad Ischl, Austria. Damon, his wife Crystalyn and their rescued chicken and pit bull currently live in Southern California, where he dreams of spending a majority of his time searching the High Sierra for untouched granite boulders.

Jennifer is a Director of Photography based in Los Angeles. She has a major in Film Studies and ten years of experience in narrative, documentary, and live productions. Her favorite projects are those which challenge her to change her personal shooting style to fit the theme of the story being told; therefore, her personal style is always changing. As an avid rock climber, any job where she can be on a wall with a camera is not a “job” at all. Her favorite sets to work on are those which foster a sense of community among the crew and lead to friendships and working relationships lasting far beyond any one single project. A favorite movie of hers is "Little Miss Sunshine," a recent favorite show is "Insecure.”  Jennifer constantly strives to improve her work and emulate those works she enjoys. To see her reel, head over to www.jenniferhook.com.

These days, Jane spends most of her time on the road seeking out ideal climbing conditions and new places. Though climbing is the driving force in her life, she also finds inspiration in baking, fermentation experiments, public libraries, and running. Currently, she is learning that #vanlife is more than just sunsets and rainbows as she and her partner, Eric, embark on an elaborate automotive project involving their 1985 Westfalia.

Author of the blog, For the Love of Climbing, Kathy lives for rock climbing, brown dog snugs, belly laughs, sharing doughnuts with strangers, positive vibes, spontaneity, van-dwelling, and unplanned adventures. Between baking and loving on dogs, she is desperately trying not to kill the last few living basil plants in her apartment.

Matt Samet lives in Boulder, Colorado, and has been climbing for 30-plus years. Currently working as the editor of Climbing Magazine, he is also the author of the Climbing Dictionary as well as a memoir, Death Grip. When not out hunting for or establishing new routes locally in the Flatirons or Boulder Canyon, Samet enjoys spending time with his family, picking Legos up off the floor, cleaning out the cat-litter box for his two kitties, taking his senior hound dog, Clyde, on short walks, and playing Xbox. Lately, he’s been into puzzle games, a departure from his typical genre of first-person shooters.

Angela grew up in suburban Detroit, which she describes as “wild and raw, a string of epic adventures.” Angela’s curiosity and love for adventure kept her thriving in Detroit, but also kept her mind wandering elsewhere, to bigger adventures. Eventually, she left the mitten state for an extended bike trip through Canada and the U.S. Northwest. After returning to Michigan, Angela decided to sell all of her belongings and hit the road hitch-hiking across the western half of North America. Eventually, Angela found herself in Ouray, CO and discovered what would become her lasting passion; ice climbing.

Clyde, an 80-pound Plott hound mix, has had a long life at the crags, accompanying his dog dad, Matt, on adventures from Colorado to New Mexico to Utah to climb and explore the vertical environment. Despite being a bit slower of gait and harder of hearing, Clyde has lost none of his super-sniffing abilities and is just as quick to steal people-food out of your hand or extract it from your backpack as ever. So seal up those sandwich bags, zip up your pack, and hide the cookies—Clyde is in town!