Meet Maury Birdwell

Maury Birdwell is a lifelong climber based in Boulder, CO. He has established alpine climbs up to 5.12+ in difficulty and has climbed 5.13, WI6, and M11; but his proudest achievements are co-founding the Honnold Foundation to expand equitable solar energy access around the world and his partners and friendships born from those adventures.

It was during law school at Georgetown that Maury took a keen interest in training, looking to break past casual rock climbing into bigger endeavors while needing to maximize time between studies, all while in the middle of Washington D.C. Focused time in the gym and on the trails nearby produced clear results. After graduating, Maury set up shop in Boulder, which he calls “the greatest training ground in America…I mean, it’s terrible, nobody should move here.”

Maury views his role as a coach much the same as his legal background: understanding his clients’ individual goals, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, and identifying the groundwork and inflection points to achieve success. As an athlete, Maury thrives on long, sustained technical climbing objectives, and this informs his training philosophy to maximize return while balancing a multitude of disciplines. He believes that maintaining a high degree of technical ability and fitness unlocks a high margin of safety and success in the mountains.

Some of Maury’s notable personal achievements include:

• Speed record on the Diamond of Longs Peak, Colorado (5.10a, 5000’ & 10 miles). 3 hours & 26 minutes car to car, solo.
• Armageddon (5.12+, 1000 meters), North Howser Tower, Bugaboos, Canada. First free ascent with Jesse Huey.
• Original Sin (5.12, 600 meters), Mount Hooker, Wind River Range, Wyoming. First ascent with Jesse Huey.
• Gamblin in the Winds (5.12+, 600 meters), Mount Hooker, Wind River Range, Wyoming. First full ascent with Jesse Huey, Whit Magro, and Hayden Kennedy (in memoriam).
• Colton-Leach Direct (AI5 M6, 1500 meters), Mt. Huntington, Alaska. 31 hour round trip single push with Brian McMahon, in four days house to house from Boulder, CO.

Maury has been published in the American Alpine Journal, Outside, and Climbing Magazine, among others. He also has a 12-year career in the military that includes special operations selection, training, and assignment, and he currently serves as a Captain in the Colorado National Guard.