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Jason Nelson

Athlete Bio

What makes Jason Nelson special is his wife Lisa, funky son Zane, and the life that he keeps in tow. Jason embodies living the “balanced” climbing life. Maintaining a family, a business, and even living in a house that he owns, all while getting out lots to explore, travel and climb hard in a variety of disciplines.

Jason Nelson began climbing at the age of 18 on the small crags of New England and survived sans mentor or much proper instruction. These days he lives in Ouray, Colorado establishing first ascents of rock climbs up to 5.13 and mixed climbs up to M12.

Jason has climbed all over the world including; USA, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Thailand, Spain, Panama and Australia. He can be seen on big-walls, ice falls, sport climbs, the occasional boulder, competing at various ice festivals, and during high-gravity days - the ground.

Jason is so big and tall that he makes the climbs look rather small, but he'll assure you, gravity affects him just the same. In 2006, Jason placed 3rd in the Ouray Ice Festival competition, and since has placed in the top ten each time. Jason also took a break for a year in 2008 to set the route for the Ouray Ice Festival which turned out to be a wild creation of ice, rock, plastic, and tuna logs. In 2009, he and Blake Herrington climbed four routes (three of which were first ascents up to 5.12-) in five days on Alaska's Mendenhall Towers. Jason has also pioneered difficult new routes in Colorado's Black Canyon.

When Jason is not climbing, he is usually spending time with the aforementioned wife and son, or sitting behind the computer designing web sites, authoring the Ouray Rock Climbing guidebook or shooting photos for his company which he started in 2002, Visual Adventures. Work breaks come often and leave him, doing Cross-Fit, exploring un-trodden canyons, peaks, or potential new crags.

"I believe that climbing is supposed to be fun. Granted, sometimes it takes the passage of time for something to be considered fun. Climbing should be balanced with other things in life so that you keep wanting more."

Jason Nelson

Products

Fusion Nano 9.2mm