Royal Morris (he/him)

Class 5 2024

Collaboration, trust, compassion 

When I moved back to LA, Queer Crush was the organization that helped me find my community of both fellow climbers and fellow queer people. As I started to be more of a regular, I met the gym captains across the gyms and helped out with cleanup, setup, and chatting with newbies. When Class 5 opened, it felt like a natural progression to apply to become a gym captain. I'm excited about the opportunity to build a new community in Torrance where other queer people can find their place in the climbing world.

I enjoy bouldering, lead climbing, and multi-pitch climbing. I want to get more into trad but I am a pretty cautious person and I don't feel that I have the training to try leading trad outside. While bouldering is the most fun for me, I think multi-pitch climbing is the style that makes me feel most connected to my body and to nature. When I am hundreds of feet up the side of a cliff with my gear, skills, and attention keeping me safe, I feel like my fears and anxieties vanish. It's contradictorily exhilarating and peaceful and I love the mindfulness it grants me.

Fun fact: My stage acting debut was in 2010 in a high school production of Seussical the Musical. I played the vulture that drops the clover with Whoville on it (spoiler alert).