MIKE DOYLE

Work, Climb, Repeat.

Mike Doyle has been climbing since his early teenage years in the early 90s and since then climbing has been a driving passion for him.
If he's not staring at a computer while working as a Software Developer then you'll find him out climbing. While Mike is primarily a sport climber he has been known to dabble in the dark arts of bouldering and big wall climbing.

Birthday: 09/18/1977
Home town: Kelowna, BC
Current home: Las Vegas, NV
Favorite MAXIM rope: Airliner, 80m

"Climbing is a lifestyle. Surround yourself with good people and the good times will never stop."
" MAXIM Climbing Ropes are the most durable, high performance ropes on the market"
"I’ve put the 80m Airliner through the ringer and they take forever to wear out!"

Mike Doyle

Get to know Mike ...

Tell us how and when you got into climbing?
I started through a mountaineering program in high school. Initially I thought I wanted to be a mountain guide but a good buddy of mine was the first to get his license and he was obsessed with rock climbing and dragged me along. I'm truly thankful he did.

What do you think was the highlight of your climbing career (so far)? :
Redpointing 'Necessary Evil' after several seasons of work was definitely the most I've had to work on something. However, traveling to France with Vikki Weldon and Sean McColl where we all redpointed 'Tom et Je Ris' in the Verdon Gorge was an incredible cool experience.

What are you doing when you are not climbing?
Mostly just working. I’m a Software Engineer and spend way too many hours in front of a computer. If I’m not working or climbing I’ll usually be trail running or surfing.

What is the soundtrack of your life (favorite song)?
Sweet Child of Mine - Guns 'n Roses. I play a mean air guitar.

If you could choose a super power, what would it be?
Flying. I mean... come on!

What was your favorite climbing adventure?
I'd have to say going up El Capitan with Will Stanhope. We've done two trips to Yosemite and both were memorable. On the first trip we were mostly cragging and trying to free a variation of an aid route where the crux pitch was only three pitches in the air but at the end of the trip we did the NIAD. We topped out The Captain at 8:30pm and I had to be on a flight to Germany at 10am from Vegas. It was a sketchy drive...
The second time to Yosemite we went ground up on El Corazon. Will successfully free climbed it and I didn't but I learned a lot and was definitely out of my comfort zone multiple times. The highlight for me was the Beak Flake or onsighting the A5 traverse right at the top of El Cap, 6th day on.

What would you be doing if you weren’t a pro climber?
I can't imagine working more than I already do as a Software Engineer but in my spare time without climbing I'd probably be surfing more. Maybe ultra-running, as painful as that sounds...

Climbing picture of MAXIM athlete Mike Doyle

Career Highlights

Tom et Je Ris

Country/City: France, Verdon Gorge
Grade: 5.14a
Length: 60 meters

I remember seeing photos of this route and being amazed by the double tufa feature up the main part of the route. You rappel into this route and the belay is 100m in the air. The quality of the route and the setting make this a unique experience. It’s rare that a route lives up to the expectations set for it, and this one did.

Serpentine

Country/City: Australia, Grampians
Grade: 5.13b
Length: 2 pitches, 2nd pitch is 45m

The Taipan Wall with the primarily orange color with grey and black streaks is just gorgeous. I was fortunate to flash the route with Malcolm Matheson (FA and legend) belaying me. It is an incredible memory.

War Hammer

Country/City: Canada, Banff National Park
Grade: 5.14a
Lenght: 18 pitches

The crux pitch is about 600’ in the air and is this wild overhanging arête. I was so scared the first time I went up it and wasn’t sure I’d be able to do it. I returned a few days later in gale force winds and managed to put it together. 19+ hours car-to-car. What a day!

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