Atlanta Chapter
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Email: atlantachapter@americanalpineclub.org
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Meet Your Chapter Leaders
Wes Whitaker |
Chapter Chair
Wes spent more of his formidable years on a surfboard than on a rock. After spending several summers in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, however, Wes came to appreciate adventures above tree-line as much as the sand between his toes. His earliest climbing memories include Cathedral and Whitehorse Ledges and awe-inspiring fingertip hangs by his first climbing mentor.
These days, while a full-time teaching position at the University of North Georgia works hard to distract him, Wes prefers to spend his time in the Western North Carolina alpine, Tallulah Gorge, the Sierra Nevada, or Joshua Tree. Wes’s passion for climbing comes from the modesty of the experience: the friendships formed by simply looking up, planning a line, placing gear, building trust, and ultimately topping out. It’s not about the grade; it’s about sharing the pursuit. Currently living outside Atlanta, Wes is a transplant via Eastern North Carolina, Washington, DC, and San Diego, CA.
Jeff Mekolites|
Chapter Chair
Jeff Mekolites, a classically trained chef, is just as likely to be found climbing in the mountains as he is behind the stove or teaching culinary arts. Jeff’s interest in rock climbing was sparked in the mid 90’s while he was hiking in Eldorado Canyon outside of Boulder, Colorado. On that fall day, he noticed people dancing up the walls of that canyon. It took him nearly 10 years to return and go climbing in that same canyon. Since those early days, Jeff has continued to chase his climbing dreams, from alpine rock climbing in Canada, mountaineering in Peru and the Swiss Alps, ice climbing in New England, to multi-pitch routes in Red Rock Canyon.
As a long-time climber in the southeast, Jeff guides clients at the numerous local crags from Alabama to North Carolina. He also regularly participates in local climbing stewardship activities, including bolt replacement and trail days. He is a current Board Member of the Southeastern Climbers Coalition (SCC) and served in the past as President and Trip Coordinator of the Atlanta Climbing Club.
Jeff is also an AMGA certified Single Pitch Instructor, Wilderness First Responder, and previous American Alpine Club Live Your Dream Grant Recipient. Jeff resides in Atlanta with his wife Johanna and their two children, Evan and Riley.
Reese Rogers | Southeast Policy Chair
Like many nowadays, Reese discovered climbing via a climbing gym. His real passion for the sport, however, was sparked by the generosity of mentorship provided by a host of trad climbers at Seneca Rock, West Virginia. It was there that the possibilities for adventure and the existence of a vast world of climbing knowledge opened up to him. Since then, he has pursued (more, dabbled in) all manner of climbing disciplines, with a penchant for the traditional multipitch climbs that originally set him on his course. Somehow, he also learned to ski somewhere along the way and finds that to be a much more enjoyable descent option than rappelling. While he learned much of what he knows in the Sierra Nevada and Cascades ranges, he now resides in Atlanta, where he finds Southern sandstone feels nice on his soft, cubicle-jockey hands and where he hopes to pass on the passion that his original Seneca mentors gifted to him
Patrick Murphy | Marketing Chair
Patrick Murphy first got bit by the climbing bug in 2010 while teaching English in Yangshuo, China. After a few days of top roping on otherworldly karst limestone mountains, he was completely hooked and immediately joined a climbing gym when he returned to the States. Initially enticed by the psychical challenge and problem-solving, he proudly identifies as a boulderer, but he has been slowly morphing into a trad dad in recent years.
Beyond the sheer thrill of scaling heights, Patrick deeply appreciates the sense of community, the connection to nature, and the many life lessons that climbing provides. Despite being self-proclaimed Luddite, he has somehow found himself working in cybersecurity where he uses many of the problem-solving and risk management skills that climbing has taught him. He lives in Lawrenceville, GA, with his wife, two children, a dog, and a cat. Unfortunately, this was the best picture that he could find.
Hope Binkley | Volunteer Chair
Hope started climbing in Yosemite while working at the lodge in the Valley. She quickly became enthralled by climbing gear and the desire to solve puzzles on the rock. This is when she set her sights on the big stone and learned how to aid climb with the help of some classic books and a few good friends. Without having completed her goal of climbing El Capitan, Hope then moved to Washington state where Index became her hometown crag. The beauty of the trees and complexity of the cracks kept her intrigued until she moved to New York City. Not exactly known for its climbing, the drive from NYC to the Gunks became a usual trek. Though her love for crack climbing was never neglected, Hope once again set her sights on going back out West to conquer bigger walls - the cam hooks thus made their way back out.
Hope now lives in Atlanta and is working on her Masters Degree in Nursing at Emory University. She climbs when and wherever she can, hopefully utilizing funky but solid gear placements and preferably splitter cracks.