My Story

My name is Gareth "Gaz" Leah, I'm a worldly adventurer, passionate writer, producer and rock climber.

Born and raised in the small industrial town of Ellesmere Port in the UK, I had a misspent youth that lacked both ambition and direction.

At the age of 14, I fell sick with a rare condition called Stephen Johnsons Syndrome. The skin across my whole body blistered and fell off. It almost killed me. With my eyes now opened to how precious the time I had was, and after a year long recovery, I returned to school with a tenacious attitude to excel in everything.

Completing High School, I attended De Montfort University in Leciester where I discovered climbing. I quickly became obsessed with romantic notion of adventure and enjoyed the unique problem solving qualities it presented. During my final year, my focus had strayed from my studies in computer science to forming a life around my passion.

Building on my experience as the chairman of the University Climbing Club, I built a guiding company with a close friend and began living the climbing lifestyle. I soon found myself in Oman as a mountain guide exploring its vast offerings of Canyons, Sea Cliffs and Big Walls.

Working closely with local climbers, I realised the reward that could be gained from building community and together we created a small climbing gym called “The Wall”.

That summer, during a effort to establish a new route up the 3,600ft cliff of Jebal Misht, a rock came loose while high up which landed on my face, ripping my anchors out the wall. Once again I found myself brushing shoulders with death.

While recovering in hospital, I began looking for ways to best apply myself which would hold value richer than monetary.

A year later in 2012, I moved to New York and began working on a bouldering guide with the aim to develop climbing and in doing so, build and strengthen the community as well as the causes that benefit climbers such as, the Access Fund and Climbers Against Cancer.

Beginning 2014, I elevated my climbing dreams to loftier heights establishing "The Life You Can Save", a direct line to the summit of Pico Independencia in Parque La Huasteca. This was the first time I had established a new big wall alone.

In 2015, I established "El Son del Viento" 5.13a on El Diente, Mexico. In 2016, I established "Nubivagant" 5.13d on Pico Cao Grande, Africa. In 2017 I completed "Bayan Massir" E5 6a on Jebel Misht, Oman. In 2018, I focused on establishing hard single pitch such as "El Rayo" 5.13c in San Lorenzo Canyon, Saltillo. In 2019, I continued to develop new single pitch such as "Godsmack" 5.13a in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah.

Currently living in Salt Lake City, my dream is to continue the development of new climbing areas, local communities projects, and partner with like minded climbers to undertake new adventures.









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