About Leslie

The day I tried rock climbing inevitably changed my life forever. Before I knew it, I quit my job as a white water canoe trip guide and I was road trip bound, set to explore rocks across North America. After years of living out of a car, I got the itch to have a home base and start guiding again. Born in Ontario, I've always had a bond with the great lakes and the Niagara Escarpment. I fell in love with Lion's Head and the Beaver Valley, a beautiful area set along the Georgian Bay and the escarpment. I started up a guiding company based out of Thornbury called On the Rocks Climbing Guides and it has since taken off like wild fire. Now I get to live out my dreams every day, guiding awesome people and teaching a variety of climbing courses at crags close to home. When I am not guiding full time, I love to develop new routes along the Escarpment and push myself on the awesome trad, sport and mixed style that the local stone offers. It is a guarantee that I will get itchy feet by fall/winter each year, and my husband and I rent out our home and hit the open road with our Trillium trailer in search of new adventures and personal bests on the rocks. I love all styles of climbing and have always strove to be well rounded in most disciplines and styles. Mostly, I just want to push my limits, explore and have amazing adventures with good friends in beautiful places. Rock climbing truly changed my life, I feel most connected with myself and nature when I dance across stone and can't imagine doing anything else. I am blessed to of found my true passion in life :)

www.mountainlifemag.ca

Leslie climbs Magnum Opus in Lime Kiln Canyon

LESLIE TIMMS

PROFESSIONAL GUIDE/PASSIONATE CLIMBER

Work

Owner/Head Guide of On the Rocks Climbing Guides

PCGI Mentor/Certification course provider

Adventure writer

Public speaker

Education

Graduated with honors, Outdoor Adventure Program at Algonquin College

Certified PCGI Lead Guide

Approved PCGI SPG/TRG Mentor

Wilderness First Responder

Climbing Highlights:
Established most difficult trad/mixed route at Lion's, Head, Ontario: Above the Clouds 5.13a
Established several sport and traditional routes in Ontario ranging from 5.10d-5.13a
Redpointed sport routes up to 5.13d
Redpointed traditional routes up to 5.13b
Onsighted sport routes up to 5.13a
Bouldered up to V10

First Ascents:

Above the Clouds 5.13a (Mixed). Ontario, 2013.

Stratus Fear 5.12d (Trad), Ontario, 2013.

The Ripple Effect 5.12c (sport), Ontario, 2015.

Whoopee Cushion 5.12c (sport), Ontario, 2013.
Scooped 5.12c (trad/mixed variation), Ontario, 2013

Stihl Your Face 5.12a (sport), Ontario, 2011.
Showered with Gifts 5.11d (sport), Ontario 2016.
Weekday Warrior 5.11a (sport), Ontario, 2014.

Sleeping Husky 5.10a (sport), Ontario 2015
If your day ain't going right, go left. 5.5 (sport, multi-pitch), Ontario 2013.
Safety Meeting 5.11c/d (trad), Ontario, 2017
Sea Legs 5.10 (trad), Ontario, 2017
Buggin' Out 5.5 (trad), Ontario 2017
Fortune Teller 5.12b (sport), Ontario 2017
Arrested Development 5.12d/13a (sport), Ontario 2016
Decade 5.11a (sport), Ontario 2017
Shark Week 5.12a/b (sport), Ontario 2018
Georgian Drive 5.11a (sport), Ontario 2018
Ruby Tuesday 5.7 (sport/hanging belay), Ontario 2018

Leslie gets the first ascent of "Above the Clouds" a 5.13a mixed route that towers 45m above Georgian Bay in Lion's Head, Ontario.

Community & Media:

Co-Founder/Organizer of the Beaver Valley Climbing Festival raising over $11,000 for the Ontario Access Coalition

Regular Contributor to Gripped Magazine and Mountain Life Magazine

Speaker at Multiplicity at WSSF 2017

Speaker at the Pursuits Film Festival 2018

Slideshow presentations and various outdoor climbing courses for the Alpine Club of Canada, Mountain Equipment Coop and several Toronto climbing gyms like Rock Oasis and Boulderz Climbing Center.

Climbing clinic instructor at the Red River Rendezvous, Red Rock Rendezvous and Beaver Valley Climbing Festival, Devils Lake Craggin Classic, Arc'teryx Climbing Academy

Recognized by the Alpine Club of Canada and Ontario Access Coalition for volunteer contributions to Ontario rock climbing.

Retro bolted several local climbs/cliffs

Photos, appearances, articles, advertisement in Gripped Magazine, Mountain Life Magazine, Dead Point Magazine, Rock and Ice & Climbing Magazine + several guide books.

Guest appearance in The Continuum Project, a film by Chris Alstrin of Alstrin Films

Featured athlete in Road to Wellness Series sponsored by Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain