About Us

Andy Puhvel and Lisa Coleman are the new directors of the Youth Climbing League (YCL), and they’re psyched! They have been running Yo! Basecamp Rock Climbing Camp for the past 13 years (www.yobasecamp.com), an outdoor rock climbing school for young people ages 11 to 18. Together they have over 40 years of rock climbing experience.

Over 20 years ago, Andy was a record-setting big-wall speed climber in Yosemite and a national difficulty and speed-climbing champion. Still climbing Yosemite’s granite, Andy is a lifelong dedicated rock climber. Before founding Yo! Basecamp, he was a high school English teacher and the assistant director of a non-profit indoor climbing program for at-risk youth.

Lisa loves all things outdoors, especially those things involving gravity and the mountains: 5.12 sport routes, El Cap's Salathe Wall and the Nose, Astroman, and Denali (a.k.a. Mt. McKinley) are on her ascent list; ski- and mountain-bike racing have given her plenty of descents, too. Before founding Yo! Basecamp, she was a senior instructor for Outward Bound and a middle school English teacher.
Both Andy and Lisa hold Master's Degrees in Education and California teaching credentials.