Our Approach
We created Realization because we were fundamentally shaped by our experiences climbing outside as kids.
Growing up as competition athletes, our relationship with climbing took place amidst the familiar foot-scented atmosphere of climbing gyms, waiting hours in isolation areas for one chance to send. We loved it—but when we had the chance to venture abroad to climb outside with people our age, we discovered a whole new side to the sport.
Those first trips changed the way we thought about climbing and the world. Now we give young climbers the kind of experiences that made us who we are today.
We don’t just coach climbers. We coach people.
We help young athletes get better as people and as climbers.
They widen their view of the world, take on big challenges, learn to trust themselves, and gain perspective from the cultures they visit. Our goal for every Realization trip is that athletes come home stronger, more independent, and ready to keep climbing on their own.
We are career coaches and educators. We've coached for USA Climbing and on youth teams that have produced World Cup athletes, taught IB courses, and run international programs for groups of more than twenty. Now we bring that experience to Realization.
Our Founders
Kieran Hadley
Favorite Rocklands boulder: Armed Response
Kieran brings a blend of international teaching, youth leadership, and outdoor experience shaped by years of working with students in both academic and expedition settings. He has taught, coached, and mentored students for nearly a decade, giving him a strong foundation in youth development, performance climbing coaching, and education.
Beyond the classroom, Kieran has managed complex international programs, overseeing logistics, safety planning, and communication for groups of more than twenty athletes. He has led trips all over the world, from Slovenia to West Africa, and has traveled extensively as a climber, with ascents of up to V13 and 5.14.
His approach to working with young climbers centers on thoughtful progression, curiosity, and building confidence through real experience outside the gym. He values environments where athletes learn to assess risk, communicate clearly, and challenge themselves while supporting one another.
At Realization, Kieran aims to create meaningful, adventurous trips that help youth discover new landscapes, expand their comfort zones, and grow as both climbers and people.
Jackson Wetherill
Favorite Rocklands boulder: Splash of Red
Jackson brings over a decade of coaching and climbing experience, working across competitive, recreational, and outdoor contexts. Jackson has coached for USA Climbing and worked on youth teams that have produced World Cup athletes, giving him a strong understanding of long-term development at the highest performance tiers. He is currently Head Coach at The Climbing Academy, where he coaches climbers at outdoor crags around the world.
His coaching emphasizes sustainable progression, building out fundamental skills, and a supportive culture where athletes learn to reflect, adapt, and push themselves with intention. Jackson has guided climbers from their first outdoor days to the highest level in sport, including athletes who have climbed V12 and 5.14. His own climbing background includes personal ascents up to V13 and 5.14.
At Realization Climbing, Jackson aims to create transformative outdoor experiences that help young climbers build confidence, explore new terrain, and realize their potential on real rock.
Where we’ve climbed.
Together, our founders have over two decades of global climbing experience on six continents.
- Bishop, Red Rocks, Ten Sleep, Spearfish, Joe's Valley, Chattanooga, Red River Gorge, New River Gorge and Rumney, USA
- Squamish, Canada
- El Salto, Mexico
- Serra do Cipó, Brazil
- Fontainebleau, Gorges du Tarn, Céüse, St. Léger and the Calanques, France
- Flatanger, Norway
- Siurana, Margalef, Chulilla and Mallorca, Spain
- Arco and the Dolomites, Italy
- Osp, Slovenia
- Leonidio and Kalymnos, Greece
- Geyikbayırı and Datça, Turkey
- Rocklands, South Africa
- Blue Mountains and Grampians, Australia
What makes a Realization trip.
Development That Builds Independent Climbers
We don’t just coach athletes through a climb — we teach them how to think, assess, and make decisions like independent outdoor climbers. Our programs emphasize technical fundamentals, reflection, risk awareness, and personal responsibility. Athletes leave with a deeper understanding of themselves and the skills to continue progressing long after the trip ends.
Elite Coaching Meets Real-World Climbing
Our coaches aren’t just experienced outdoor climbers — they are veteran youth coaches who’ve worked in both competitive and outdoor settings. We understand long-term athlete development and how to translate indoor performance into confident, capable movement on real rock. Whether an athlete is clipping their first bolts outside or pushing into 5.14 terrain, we meet them where they are and move them forward with intention.
Holistic Performance
Performing your best doesn’t start when you pull on to the start holds. It depends on choices that happen much earlier – like what goals you set for yourself, how you trained for them, how you fueled, and who you climbed with.
At Realization, we design our trips with this holistic picture in mind. We carefully choose our locations, athletes, and even the food we prepare with an eye towards growth and performance. With us, you’re not just getting a climbing trip – you’re getting a curated experience, aimed towards helping you reach new heights as a climber and human being.