About Me

Name: Brandon Balthrop

Birthday: May 9th

Hometown: Washington, DC

Undergrad: Kenyon College

Graduate: Pennsylvania State University (Current)

Occupation: Realtor

Favorite Problem: Lowdown V4 – Horsepens, AL

Favorite Boulder Field: Northwest Branch – Silver Spring, MD (home turf)




I was born and raised in Washington DC, and continue to call the Capital City “home.” Growing up I was the little skinny kid. I was always involved in athletics, though I thought I was bigger than I really was, I was by no doubt FAST! Through college I was a dedicated Track and Field athlete focusing on the hurdles and jumps, winning my fair share of honors along the way. After graduation I was in search of a new athletic avenue; enter climbing.

A good friend of mine took and intro climbing course and I was instantly hooked. Climbing was everything I had been looking for! It required the power, speed, precision, and grace necessary in track and field; this I had, the strength, I’m still working on. Once I started climbing, I never looked back. I introduced a lot of friends to the sport and started a social group, Climbing 202, comprised of buddies from the DC area interested in climbing. As the years wore on, many moved on to bigger and better things. This blog was started as a way for the group to keep up with each other, now it continues to pay homage to the original crew.

Climbing becomes more and more essential to my life every day. It serves as more than a form of exercise, but a form of expression. No, I won’t compare sport to art, but the different ways individual climbers address a problem, whether short or tall, young or old, novice or veteran, surely serves as a form of individual expression.

The gym is my home, and the woods are my paradise. Always looking forward to the next burn.