About Us

All program instructors are hand selected by owner and renowned climber, Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou. Our instructors are truly dedicated to their jobs and to your children. They are strongly committed to the facility's philosophy and betterment of our programs.

Our teaching staff consists of a team of teachers who work together with mixed-age classes of children utilizing one another's strengths.

The Staff

Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou, Owner and Director

Robyn is one of the best female climbers in the world. She has won the US Championship 5 times and is also the winner of 4 World Cup Titles. Although she has coached climbers since 1993, Robyn officially retired from competition in 1996 to become a mother and eventually the head coach for the USA Climbing Team. Robyn has worked with children for over 15 years as a personal trainer specializing in working with junior elite athletes.

She is currently a board member for USA Climbing, America's climbing federation, and a chairperson for the adult USA Climbing, which is responsible for competition information. Robyn continues to specialize in personal training and has given over 3,000 private lessons at facilities around the world including the Boulder Rock Club, a nationally ranked teaching facility. Robyn, along with her husband Didier Raboutou, also started a summer camp for children in France called "Planete Grimpe" - in which over 100 children participate per week.

Robyn created ABC for KIDS from her extensive involvement in the climbing arena and her passion for working with children in an athletic capacity. As a mother of two and influential coach and personal trainer, she sees the significant value of providing children with the space and the tools to make decisions, learn and develop confidence in their abilities through movement.
robynclimbs@gmail.com

Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou Perspective (pdf)

Katherine Weadley

At age 41, I'm one of the oldest instructors at ABC Kids Climbing. After three years of teaching at ABC I took a year off to pursue other activities and keep myself "fresh." I still love to sub for other employees and I love working at birthday parties because they are so much fun.

I'm still a kid at heart and I have two young children of my own who love to climb. It's wonderful to watch my kids grow in strength and confidence as they climb. Climbing works on both the brain and the body and prepares my kids for challenges ahead. Their successes at ABC convinced me to start climbing. Now it is our favorite thing to do together. ABC is energetic, child-focused, and fun for everyone and I really enjoy being a part of it. Every child is unique and we honor that.

Before I had children I earned a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science and I was a reference librarian at CU. I am a freelance writer and run a children's boutiqe store on ebay called Posh Mountain Towns. I live in the mountains in Lyons just outside of Boulder and love being part of nature.
teamabcboulder@gmail.com

Nick Yurk

Nick hailed from Chicago and began his career in climbing at age ten in several indoor gyms where he learned the most basic skills and even won medals in speed climbing. In an instant a passion to climb everywhere took him to Colorado Springs. A camp, Outpost Wilderness Adventure, was able to fulfill the dream of traveling to Utah, Wyoming, and throughout Colorado to experience and learn advanced techniques. After college at The University of Colorado Nick turned his love of the sport into a career at one of the world's first climbing gyms, CATS (Colorado Athletic Training School), and Colorado's largest indoor rock gym ABC for KIDS in The Boulder Rock Club. There he met several important climbers in Boulder, Colorado's climbing community such as Rob Candeleria and Robyn Ebersfield who helped Nick to not only learn to climb but teach. Today Nick helps younger climbers grow to be better physical and mental athletes in the sport of rock climbing.

Steff Carter

I started climbing during my junior year of high school and not long after I was working at a climbing gym. Climbing quickly took over my life and I found myself climbing everyday after school in the gym and at the City of Rocks on the weekends. My high school senior project was even on route setting. I graduated from Wood River High School in the spring of 2007. In September I moved from Hailey, Idaho to Boulder and began working at ABC. My goals for the near future include attending CU at Boulder and becoming a certified AMGA rock guide.

Nick Pease

I currently attend Boulder High School in Boulder, Colorado. I have been climbing for 6 years now and I climb all year long, even in the non-competitive season. I train at the Boulder Rock Club which is also where I work upstairs in ABC. I have been working at ABC for over 2 years now and have loved the entire experience of it. I just love working with children and teaching them climbing.

Mike Gurule

I am from Longmont, Colorado and graduated from the University of Colorado in 2007, majoring in Physiology. I have three younger brothers, two in college and one in middle school. I enjoy skiing,
rock climbing and playing soccer in my spare time.

Georginne Bakalis

Georginne Bakalis is very excited to be back at ABC! She enjoys being with children and watching them grow and develop wisdom in their minds and bodies through movement. She discovered her love for the earth's rock in 1995 climbing @ Seneca Rocks in West Virginia, and has been
climbing ever since. She is the mother of two children who also love ABC! Georginne attended Naropa University & recieved a BA in Dance Therapy with a concentration in Contemplative Psychology in 2004. Georginne has 10 years experience working with children teaching
dance, creative movement, climbing, and preschool. She was the Head teacher, and Assistant Director, @ Rocky Mountain Dance Academy in Dillon, CO where she also danced and competed. Georginne is also a Certified Childbirth Educator and Doula in the Bradley Method of
Childbirth. Her interests are dance, climbing, hiking, skiing and Ikebana-Japanese flower arranging.