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rock climbing gear

How a Custom Plush Chalk Bag Reignited a Love for Climbing (And Launched My Rock Climbing Brand)

My Rock Climbing Journey1 Comment

Three years ago, I wasn’t planning to start a rock climbing business.

I was trying to bring back a spark.

My husband had slowly lost interest in climbing. The stoke that once pulled him toward the wall had faded. If you’ve ever watched someone drift from something they once loved, you know how quiet that shift can feel.

So for Christmas, I decided not to buy him gear.

I made him something.

I created a custom plush chalk bag based on his favorite South Park character. Not a generic chalk bag. Not something you’d grab off a shelf. A fully functional, handmade plush chalk bag with personality.

When he opened it, he laughed. That kind of laugh that lives somewhere between nostalgia and surprise.

But the best part?

He started climbing again.

He clipped that character to his harness and suddenly climbing felt different. Lighter. Playful. Personal. Other climbers noticed. Conversations started. The chalk bag became a companion on the wall.

That’s when I realized something important:

Climbing gear doesn’t have to be sterile.
It can have personality.
It can carry story.
It can bring someone back.

And that was the beginning.

From Gym Manager to Handmade Climbing Gear Creator

At the time, I was working as a manager at Epic Climbing and Fitness. The gym wasn’t just a workplace. It was community. I knew the members. I belayed them. I celebrated their sends.

When I brought that plush chalk bag into the gym, people noticed immediately.

“Where did you get that?”
“Can you make one of my favorite character?”
“Do you sell custom rock climbing chalk bags?”

My first customers were local climbers from the gym. People who wanted personalized climbing gear that reflected their identity.

Soon I was creating different characters, different sizes, and experimenting with designs that worked for both indoor gym climbing and outdoor sport climbing.

That’s when I opened an Etsy shop.

What started as one Christmas gift turned into a growing handmade rock climbing accessory business.

Over 80 Custom Chalk Bags Sold Worldwide

Since then, I’ve sold over 80 custom plush chalk bags worldwide and locally.

That still humbles me.

Each one is handcrafted. Designed to be both expressive and durable. Built for actual climbing sessions, not just decoration.

My custom chalk bags are designed for:

  • Indoor gym climbers
  • Outdoor sport climbers
  • Boulderers who want unique climbing accessories
  • People searching for personalized gifts for rock climbers

I focus on quality construction, secure closures, proper chalk capacity, and designs that stand out at the crag without sacrificing function.

When someone searches for “custom plush chalk bag for rock climbers” or “unique handmade climbing chalk bag gift,” I want them to find something made by someone who actually understands climbing culture.

Because I lived it.

Why Personalized Rock Climbing Gear Matters

Climbing is personal.

Your first 5.10.
Your first 5.12.
Your first outdoor lead.
The gym that became your second home.

A personalized rock climbing chalk bag becomes part of that journey. It hangs at your waist while you commit to hard moves. It shows up in your climbing photos. It becomes recognizable.

It’s gear with identity.

That’s why custom climbing accessories make meaningful gifts for:

  • Christmas gifts for rock climbers
  • Birthday gifts for climbers
  • Unique bouldering gear
  • Funny climbing accessories for someone who has everything

Climbing is already bold. Your gear can be too.

Expanding Into Rock Climber Lifestyle Products

As my chalk bags gained popularity, I realized something else.

Climbing doesn’t end when you leave the gym.

It follows you home.
Into your rest days.
Into the soreness.
Into the quiet replay of your project in your mind.

That inspired me to expand into rock climber lifestyle products.

Adventure-Inspired Rock Climber Candles

I created climbing-themed candles inspired by that post-session calm. The grounded feeling after pushing yourself on the wall.

These candles are perfect for:

  • Rest day rituals for climbers
  • Climber home decor
  • Thoughtful gifts for outdoor enthusiasts
  • Unique handmade gifts for climbing lovers

They bring climbing energy into everyday spaces.

Motivational Rock Climbing Stickers

I also began designing climbing stickers like “Climb High Stay Grounded.”

Small but meaningful.

Perfect for:

  • Water bottles
  • Helmets
  • Gear bins
  • Journals
  • Cars

Stickers are affordable rock climbing gifts under $20 that allow climbers to carry the culture with them everywhere.

They may be small, but they speak loudly.

From Etsy to EmpressThings.com

Three years ago, I started on Etsy.

Today, I run my own website: EmpressThings.com.

Moving to my own platform allowed me to fully express the brand I’ve built — one rooted in community, creativity, and lived climbing experience.

This isn’t mass-produced climbing gear.

It’s handmade rock climbing accessories created by someone who:

  • Managed a climbing gym
  • Served on a climbing board
  • Climbed with the community
  • Listened to what climbers actually wanted

Every product grew from real conversations in a gym lobby, real chalk-dusted sessions, real experience.

Why I Still Create for Climbers

I didn’t start this to compete with large outdoor brands.

I started it because climbing shaped my life.

It gave me friendships.
It gave me leadership.
It gave me creativity.
It gave me resilience.

When I realized I could design custom rock climbing chalk bags that helped someone reconnect with climbing the way my husband did, I knew I had found something meaningful.

That first plush chalk bag wasn’t just gear.

It was a spark.

Now, whether it’s a handmade chalk bag, an adventure candle, or a climbing sticker, each product carries that same intention:

To add personality to the wall.
To support climbers authentically.
To create something memorable.

If you’re looking for unique rock climbing accessories made by a climber who understands the culture, I invite you to explore EmpressThings.com.

What started as one Christmas gift has grown into a global climbing journey.

And honestly, that feels like a send.

My Single Pitch Instructor Journey: Dreams, Challenges, and Moving Forward
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My Single Pitch Instructor Journey: Dreams, Challenges, and Moving Forward

My Rock Climbing JourneyLeave a comment

My Single Pitch Instructor Journey — Faith, Setbacks, and Climbing Forward

I’ve been working toward becoming a Single Pitch Instructor since 2023. I completed the course that year, excited to step into my dream of guiding and mentoring others — especially women — in the outdoors.

But life had other plans first.

Not long after in April of 2024, I suffered a hip injury that had nothing to do with climbing, taking me off the rock for nearly a year. Physical therapy became my new route. There were days I feared I’d never tie in again. In that quiet fear, I turned toward service, joining the board of Muir Valley became a turning point. It reminded me that climbing isn’t only about sending. It’s about contributing to the spaces and community that make climbing possible.

Day One of the Exam

After training and getting mentorship, this November, I finally returned to The Red in Kentucky after months of preparation culminating in this moment. I walked in nervous but hopeful. What surprised me most was who was there.

I saw familiar faces at Muir Valley — climbers I hadn’t seen in a long time, people from my home gym, and locals from Kentucky. It felt as if the universe had gathered them to stand with me, offering quiet support. Even in the midst of nerves, I wasn’t truly alone.

Day Two of the Exam

Day two was harder technically and emotionally. There were real challenges with top-site systems, transitions, and efficiency. I made some mistakes. I fumbled under pressure. Some issues I knew how to correct, but my performance didn’t fully reflect my knowledge.

Yet the students told a different story. During anchoring exercises and mock teaching, they were engaged, asking questions, and genuinely enjoying the process. Many said things like, “You knew what you were doing” and “Good job,” even as the instructor critiqued me.

What made it even more confusing was the instructor’s behavior. Whenever it was my turn to demonstrate or teach, he would purposely walk away — multiple times during the exam — only to return when other students were presenting. Meanwhile, other students received constant guidance and praise, even when their choices were questionable.

This stark contrast made the feedback feel inconsistent and biased. While the instructor’s evaluation criticized my top-site management, technical skills, and lesson flow, the students’ reactions told a very different story. They were engaged, learning, and confident under my guidance.

It was frustrating, but it also reminded me that teaching isn’t about someone else’s arbitrary measures. It’s about how your students experience learning, feel safe, and leave empowered.

That sting was amplified because teaching has been one of my strongest identities for years. I spent over nine years as one of the top ESL coaches with Rosetta Stone, teaching students of all abilities with patience and clarity. I taught climbers, not just the strong naturals, but those who needed extra guidance and confidence. I’ve managed a rock climbing gym, coached hundreds, and received constant praise for my teaching. I have never been told I wasn’t a good teacher.

So hearing “you can’t teach” especially amidst visible favoritism felt like a punch I didn’t see coming.

The Dream

But something happened before I even received my negative results. A few days after returning home, I had a dream.

In it, I had forgotten my glasses and was about to embark on an outdoor adventure. An older, wise woman appeared. Someone who saw right into me. She even spoke my mother’s name, like she knew the women who shaped me.

She led me to a window overlooking a cliff, as if testing whether I’d turn from fear. But I wasn’t afraid. I turned to her and said, with complete certainty:

“I’m a rock climber. I’m a certified Single Pitch Instructor. My mother wanted to climb with me.”

It wasn’t me trying to be confident — it was me speaking from a place where the journey was already complete.

A close friend listened to the story and said:
“I’ve never met a woman with so much faith and determination as you. I think she was one of your spirit guides, letting you know you’re going to get there.”

Her words reminded me that support often comes in unexpected forms: from dreams, from friends, and from the people we guide.

Receiving the Results

Two weeks later, I received my exam results. I didn’t pass.

I cried. I cried hard. My husband held me close, and my puppy pressed into me, sensing the heartbreak. Their quiet presence didn’t erase the hurt, but it softened it.

I wasn’t crying because I failed. I was crying because I had poured so much of myself into this journey, worked so hard, and wanted to show up at full strength, and I didn’t, at least not in the way the evaluation reflected.

But that dream stayed with me, unwavering.

A Spiritual Journey

Later that week, I saw images online of a chapel in Sedona. A building carved into rock that looked uncannily like the one in my dream, which had felt like a climbing camp. I’ve never been there, but the resemblance felt symbolic.

This journey isn’t just physical for me. It’s spiritual, emotional, and deeply personal.

If I had passed easily, perhaps I wouldn’t have shifted focus to climbing in Utah, exploring new routes and challenges that push me physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Sometimes a “no” isn’t a rejection. It’s a re-route.

And I’m not giving up.
I will retake the course.
I will climb.
I will teach.

Supporting the Journey

I make climbing-inspired gear — plushie chalk bags, rope-inspired cozies, stickers, and other playful items — because creating keeps me grounded and connected.

If my story resonates and you’d like to support my journey toward retaking the course in Utah, that would mean the world.

But even if you just want a fun chalk bag, cozy, or sticker, you can share the love and joy. Every bit counts.

Gratitude.