Vertex Staff

Mark Ripperda is co-owner of Vertex and has been climbing since before many of the young hot-shots on staff were born. He makes up for being twice as old by climbing half as hard. He's an old fashioned trad climber who's done aid routes on Half Dome and El Cap but can be seen in slippers indoors more frequently lately. He works as an engineer doing Superfund cleanups for the EPA.






Co-owner of Vertex and a freelance journalist and writer, Janet Wells has been climbing since 1991. Her favorite climbs include the Golden Gate Bridge, Mt. Whitney by moonlight and Cathedral Peak in a thunder storm. She's married to Mark, and as you can tell by his photo, lets him carry all the gear.






Sarah McKay runs Vertex while also pursueing her nursing degree and completely rebuilding her house. She somehow manages to be everyone's favorite boss, ever, while still going on climbing trips and seeming to be somewhat normal.







Kevin Jorgensen, head routesetter at Vertex, is one of the top climbers in the country. He won several national climbing championships as a teenager and this year Climbing Magazine awarded him a "Golden Piton" for his many epic bouldering exploits. He's working on a degree in kinesiology.





The mainstays of our crackerjack staff, Dustin, Gi, and Patrick are poised to leap into action.



Emma has been hanging out at Vertex since she was sprung from the pound in November, 1995. She's now in her dotage, and spends most of her time napping on a cushy bed, no doubt dreaming of the time she inspired a curious cat who wandered into the gym to make the first texture only ascent of the Vertex lead cave.