Pete Thuli

I grew up in the rolling hills of southwest Wisconsin where my parents showed me early that work could feel like creation rather than confinement. That idea stuck and has shaped most of the decisions I've made since.

After college I built a camper van by hand, aimed it west, and spent three and a half years living on the road. Ironically I somehow managed to travel every corner of this country without once picking up a rope. It wasn't until I made Madison my home base that I discovered rock climbing. I still haven't made sense of that..

Once I found it I learned everything I could: sport, trad, anchor building, big walls, bouldering. I serve on the board of the Wisconsin Climbers Association and have spent years introducing people to climbing and taking them outdoors for the first time. I even built a climbing gym in my garage, mostly to keep the crag energy alive while in the city.

When I'm not at the crag you'll find me chasing waves in my camper van, woodworking, playing guitar, or having long conversations with people about the deeper things in life. Getting to share Devil's Lake with people experiencing it for the first time never gets old.