We were happy to host one of the nation’s largest craft beer competitions, the Brewers Cup of California, this past weekend, March 2 – 5, at Touchstone Brewing in Sacramento. During the event, over 50 of the nation’s top beer judges tasted and judged craft beers from 190 breweries across the Golden State. With ~1,300 beers spanning ~85 categories, the judges had their work cut out for them. We were even more stoked to see our Brewmaster Ryan Campagna make the local news. Ryan explained the blind-tasting judging process, with judges considering the smell, carbonation, taste, and most im ..read more

In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, we want to celebrate some of the folks who have contributed to our ever evolving and growing community. We asked some of our staff with Hispanic Heritage to tell us their story and share some of the lessons they’ve learned throughout the years. MONICA ARANDA Director of Member Services, Management Support she/her How would you describe your cultural identity?Oh wow, my cultural identity? I identify as a cis, straight, and able-bodied Mexican American with Italian roots. Who is your biggest influence and why?My biggest influence is my parents. I could ..read more

Chris Zeng started his Touchstone career at Dogpatch Boulders in October of 2016. We’re stoked to have him as the leader at one of the raddest Touchstone gyms. Keep reading to find out more about him and what he can talk about forever. Please tell us a little bit about your background! My parents immigrated here with my brother and I when we were really young. I grew up in San Francisco, went to Galileo High School, and graduated from SJSU with a degree in Psychology. If you ask all my friends outside of the gym, they’ll tell you that Bouldering is my thing. I was first introduced to it by my ..read more

In recognition of Asian American and Pacific Island Month, we want to celebrate some of the folks who have contributed to our ever evolving and growing community. We asked some of our AAPI staff to tell us their story and share some of the lessons they’ve learned throughout the years. JEREMY YEE Diablo Rock Gym Manager he/him/his First up, the leader at Diablo Rock Gym in Concord, Jeremy Yee. Jeremy has been a part of the Touchstone team since 2010. Jeremy’s with career Touchstone can be summed up with four words: “Right place, right time.” After managing Great Western Power Co. in Oaklan ..read more

Justin Andrews has been a Mission Cliffs member since 2011, and a superstar desk staffer and personal trainer there since 2015. Dancer, climber, and all-around badass, he’ll be taking the helm at Cliffs of Id in Culver City and we couldn’t be prouder! Get to know more about this fantastic human in this brief interview—and perhaps find some topics to chat about the first time you see him at the gym. (Hint: nerdy stuff!) Please tell us a little bit about your background! I grew up in Las Vegas, NV, where I went to an arts high school and majored in dance. I was also a competitive cheerleader for ..read more

Remi has managed not one, not two, but THREE Touchstone gyms. She started out her Touchstone journey as Mission Cliffs Desk Staff back in 2011. Moved down to LA in 2013 to manage LA Boulders, followed by managing Cliffs of Id. Now, she is moving back to the Bay to manage her biggest gym yet, Pacific Pipe!   Please tell us a little bit about your background! I’m SF born and East Bay raised, but I’ve bopped around the East Coast and just spent eight years in LA so it’s been a minute since I’ve lived in NorCal. I couldn’t be more excited to return to the place I’ve always considered home! I ..read more

Diane got a job at Pipeworks running Kid’s Summer Camp back in 2005. She only left Sacramento for a manager opportunity in San Jose at The Studio. You all already know and love her, and she’s BACK starting her new role as manager. After managing The Studio and Dogpatch Boulders, she’s ready to bring all her skills to the place where her Touchstone career started.  Please tell us a little bit about your background! I’m a virgo, I am from Texas but at this point I have lived equally in TX and CA. I love food and drinks and anything associated with that. In an attempt to be bad at something ..read more

  Words + Photos by Leslie Kim. The very first time I went rock climbing was at a little gym in Southern California in 2003. We got a small group of friends together, and none of us had any real rock climbing experience. I didn’t rent shoes because I was probably trying to save money, or just didn’t know that shoes were important. I climbed in my sweatpants and Adidas sneakers and toproped my absolute heart out. Since then, climbing has always been on my mind. I couldn’t pay for a gym membership when I was broke college kid, but I took up friends’ offers on their free guest passes every f ..read more

  Photos by Spencer Josif. Contrary to popular belief, it DOES rain in California. But once the weather has passed, the question remains: how soon can you get back on your project? Although the conversation around climbing after a rain is nuanced, the basic issue is that some of the most popular climbing areas around California are sandstone, including: Castle Rock State Park Most climbing areas in the Santa Monica mountains (Echo Cliffs, Malibu Creek, Malibu Boulders, etc.) Mt. Diablo Stoney Point Red Rock (Las Vegas, NV) While not all sandstone is the same, generally speaking all san ..read more

Though intentionally celebrating and recognizing the achievements of Black Americans and Black communities goes back much farther, Black History Month was institutionalized by The Association for the Study of African American Life and History, at first as Black History Week in 1924, and has been officially sanctioned by every sitting president of the United States since 1976. Every year, the ASALH proposes a theme for Black History Month to focus the attention of the public, the changing themes themselves mapping out some of the major social and political shifts since the inception of the cele ..read more