Stephen Belmore – Assistant Route Setter
Steve is a CT local and a passionate outdoorsman. His first climbing experience was in 2007 at Ragged Mountain in Connecticut. That day he quickly completed his first climb, on top rope. Later that day he completed his second-ever climb, a trad lead on the 5.6 classic Wet Wall. After that first day of climbing, Steve started to look at every cliff in a different way — wondering whether it was climbable, and what the view was like from the summit.
After several years of avid climbing and mountaineering, Steve brought his passion for climbing indoors to the walls of CRG Glastonbury! He started working at the gym as a member of the desk staff, and then quickly moved to teaching belay and climbing technique classes. In 2018 he became a full-time route setter at the gym. Steve’s favorite thing about route setting is that it’s a creative outlet. When he looks at a bin of holds, and a line of quickdraws leading of the wall, it’s like he’s transported back to those days after he climbed Wet Wall at Ragged Mountain — imagining all the possible climbs that he could create and what he might inspire others to see.
Steve can be found most days rigged up on ropes at the gym, and on his days off from work, up in the mountains. Besides rock climbing, Steve enjoys ice climbing, mountaineering, backpacking and long distance running.
Andy Casler – General Manager
Andy became hooked on climbing in 2012 while he was working as a newspaper reporter in Ithaca, N.Y. He spent most nights after work at Cornell University’s rock gym and escaped to the Shawangunks and Adirondack Mountains nearly every weekend. During this time, Andy began teaching Cornell Outdoor Education’s most advanced rock climbing courses, instructing students on trad climbing at the Gunks and Nevada’s Red Rock Canyon.
In 2016 he moved near Rumney, N.H. to complete an MBA at Plymouth State University, where he graduated with honors. Andy climbed at Rumney Rocks and Cathedral Ledge every chance that he got, even establishing half-a-dozen first ascents in the White Mountains, and traveling to Yosemite for his second ascent of El Capitan (via the Salathé Wall, having climbed The Nose in 2015). When he wasn’t climbing or studying, Andy volunteered for the Rumney Climbers’ Association as treasurer and a board of directors member. Andy pushed into the grade 5.13 during this time in New Hampshire, completing routes such as Predator and Liquid Sky …and eventually making excuses for all the routes he couldn’t do. Some of his favorite excuses are, “I overfilled my chalkbag!” and “That route was too weird,” or “That route wasn’t weird enough!”
Andy moved from New Hampshire in early 2019 to pursue a career with Central Rock Gym. He is ecstatic to work as a general manager for CRG, to be a part of the gym’s vibrant climbing community, and to continue making illegitimate excuses for all routes that he just can’t seem to put away.
Allison Cheng – Assistant Youth Program Director & Rec. Team Co-Head Coach
Allison’s first experience with rock climbing was in the summer of 2016 at an outdoor cliff in Connecticut. With a background in gymnastics, moving up the rock face felt natural, and climbing high above the ground was exhilarating. When she lowered back to the ground after that first climb, Allison found herself surrounded by friends and enjoying a beautiful day. She was hooked!
The first time she stepped foot onto the floors of CRG Glastonbury, she found herself immediately drawn to the steep lead cave. She walked to the center of the blue mats, tilted her head back, and then let herself fall to the floor and gaze up at the routes in amazement. Now years later, when you see her climbing in the gym, chances are she’s in the lead cave!
When she’s not climbing or working at CRG, Allison is still very much a part of the gymnastics world. She trained as a Junior Olympic competitor in gymnastics for more than 10 years, she has 15 years of Junior Olympic experience, and four years experience as a gymnastics coach — which included time working with some of the most elite gymnastics coaches in the U.S. She also loves to cook – a lot! She loves gathering recipe items for a home-cooked meal, and you can always find her in front of her cutting board, behind the stove, or with her head stuck in the refrigerator!
Allison has a lot of passion for her athletes, and she focuses not only on physical strength and endurance, but mental strength as well. She believes that with a clear mind, positive outlook, and self-confidence — anything is possible!
Jae Cho – Assistant Route Setter, Comp. Team Assistant Head Coach & Rec. Team Co-Head Coach
On a whim one afternoon, Jae decided to visit the climbing wall at his university’s rec center. And ever since that moment, climbing has consumed his life.
As Jae grew more and more impassioned with the sport, he became more involved with the local climbing community. He joined the rock-wall staff at his university to introduce others to the sport and volunteered his time to set new routes.
After graduating, Jae moved to Amherst, MA. When he wasn’t stuck in a greenhouse working as a research assistant at Amherst College, he spent the majority of his waking hours climbing at CRG Hadley.
More recently, he joined the CRG team in Glastonbury, CT. When he’s not working at the gym, you can find him climbing there and talking beta with all the other climbers!
Adam Constantilos – Comp. Team Head Coach
Adam is the Head Coach of our Competitive Youth Climbing Team and is also an Elementary Physical Education Teacher at Keeney Street Elementary in Manchester, CT.
Adam has been an avid climber for over 20 years. His favorite type of climbing is sport, but he also spends a large amount of time bouldering, and trad climbing outside.
He travels annually in the summer to climb with his wife Laurie, son Parker, and their two dogs Bella and Fenway. Adam and his wife have climbed all over North America in over 10 different states as well as in Canada. Coach Adam has grown the climbing team programs here at Central Rock Glastonbury significantly since he came on as head coach in 2014, and he is passionate about helping children of all ages achieve their goals by becoming strong, disciplined, and focused climbers.
Indiana Jones – Facilities Manager
Indy’s step dad introduced him to rock climbing at age 13. His first experience was at Pinnacle Mountain in Plainville, CT. This climbing area is still one of his favorite outdoor spots to climb, as well as the Diamond Ledges in Granby, CT.
From 2014 to 2019, Indy worked as the Production Floor Manager at SP Performance Brakes, operating CNC machines and creating digital media for marketing. When Indy was off the clock, he spent all of his free time at Diamond Ledges.
Climbing has been Indy’s passion for a long time, and eventually it became what he wanted to do for a living, which led him to start working at CRG Glastonbury as event staff. Since starting at the gym, Indy climbed his way to the top and earned a position as the gym’s facilities manager! More than anything, Indy loves to share his passion of climbing with others, and to be part of the rock climbing community.
Indy’s hobbies include playing the guitar, spending time with family, and climbing with friends at CRG and outdoor crags.
Brent Quesenberry – Head Route Setter
Brent started route setting in the early 90s and as been route setting full-time since 2002. Formerly the Head Route Setter for Peak Experiences in Richmond, VA, Brent moved to Connecticut to join the CRG organization’s growing team in the Glastonbury location in August of 2013.
Brent’s experience is not limited to route setting, he was formerly the Head Coach, for Peak Experiences and the Head Coach for CRG Glastonbury until passing the reigns to current Head Coach Adam Constantilos. Currently, Brent is involved with a multitude of special projects for CRG. These projects range from designing and producing the volumes used in all of the CRG facilities and custom-building campus boards to wall additions. Setting has been Brent’s primary focus and passion for years and years, and he loves to use in construction background to help create interesting and fun things for the gyms.
When he isn’t doing those things, he tries to find time to share his vast experience with both youth and adult climbers, in private lessons — or he’s off riding is mountain bike!
Alex Taylor – Retail Manager
Alex has been climbing since 2004. He grew up in Northwest Connecticut, where he discovered the sport at a now defunct gym in Torrington.
Hungry for more, he built his own home wall, and began connecting with the local community of climbers.
Over the years he focused on finding and developing boulders throughout the northwest corner of the state, and traveling whenever possible. Some of his favorite spots include Rumney, Virgin Gorda, Red River Gorge, and Joe’s Valley.
Alex met his wife, Kat, at Central Rock. Together, they are raising their son Augusto. They are so excited for him to grow up within the wonderful CRG community!
Kat Taylor – Youth Program Director
When Kat first stepped foot in Central Rock Glastonbury in 2015, she never could have anticipated how much climbing would change her life.
Not only did she fall in love with the sport–she also met her future husband and favorite climbing partner, Alex Taylor, at the gym. Now she is with CRG Glastonbury as the gym’s Youth Program Director. She hopes to make the sport as fun and accessible as possible for the next generation of young guns, especially now that she has a little son of her own.
When Kat’s not pulling plastic or real rock, you’ll likely find her gardening, cooking, crafting, or reading. She likes to keep busy, and prides herself on being a Jill-of-all-trades!
