Francisco Fuentes – Elizabeth Furnace Rock Climbing

I was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Growing up, I always enjoyed the summers spent at the local climbing gym as a visitor; however, little did I know that rock climbing was a sport on its own, and more so an outdoor activity, community and lifestyle. It wasn’t until 2008, while living in Florida that I was able to reconnect with the indoor climbing gyms. In 2012, I moved to Northern Virginia, and it wasn’t until 2014 that I was able to experience outdoor climbing at Great Falls NP. My first sport lead was at Talking Headwall in Elizabeth Furnace. Ever since, I’ve learned more and more about the sport, NoVa local crags, and their history. I’ve enjoyed the NoVa and West Virginia region crags for the past 3 years, and have come to love the beautiful scenery of this place that now I call home. My goal is to continue supporting the local crags through community events that promote the preservation of our natural resources and parks. On my ‘spare time’, I work for an aerospace engineering firm as Structures Designer and Stress Analyst.