DOMA-sponsored climber Mason Keough takes gold at worldwide paraclimbing comp.
In October of 2023, a office accident involving a steel pipe turned rock climber Mason Keough’s fingers “to spaghetti.” Mason, who had been climbing outdoor recreationally together with his brother since 2020, was devastated.
“It was tremendous traumatic. My brother walked within the door [of the hospital room] and I simply mentioned, ‘I’m by no means gonna climb 5.13a,’ which is a tough climbing grade. ‘I’m by no means gonna climb once more.’,” Mason says.
In actuality, Mason took two or three weeks off climbing, wrapped his arm, and commenced climbing with one hand. (He was 19.) In a coincidence, the identical yr of his accident the Worldwide Federation of Sport Climbing opened up the AU3 class, a class for climbers with amputations of the higher extremity with no less than 6 knuckle joints affected. With 8 affected knuckles, Mason certified. He flew to California for his first climbing competitors ever, uncertain if he’d be any good, and took first place.
“It’s fairly candy to see not solely have I been capable of climb, however I’m really stronger and higher at climbing than I used to be after I had fingers,” says Mason.
His win in California entered him into the worldwide paraclimbing competitors in 2025, the place Mason would climb towards different AU3 athletes on programs set for his or her explicit potential. For Mason, meaning they don’t set any pockets (deep grooves for handholds), as a result of he and the opposite upper-amputees can’t get fingers far sufficient right into a gap like a conventional rock climber may. Different paraclimbing classes embrace athletes with decrease amputations; vary and energy deficiencies, from issues like MS or spinal twine accidents; and blindness.
“Being round different individuals who have comparable disabilities, or different disabilities, is de facto inspiring,” says Mason. “These individuals have no matter affliction they’ve and but they nonetheless attempt arduous on the wall. There was numerous occasions the place it’s like, oh, my hand’s hurting right now, I don’t actually really feel like climbing, and also you’re like, effectively they’re nonetheless attempting, so I’ve acquired to as effectively.”
Final fall’s worldwide competitors took Mason to Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah; Innsbruck, Austria; Seoul, South Korea; and Le Val, France. He positioned within the prime 3 or 4 at every occasion, and snagged gold in France to cap off his first yr of competing.
“It’s been actually candy simply seeing different cultures, of having the ability to journey all over the world, attempting all their meals, assembly all of the individuals,” says Mason. “I’ve all the time heard French individuals are actually imply. However really assembly everybody, it’s like, everyone seems to be so good, everyone seems to be so sort.”
With an eye fixed on the 2026 competitors circuit, Mason has been spending the winter months climbing 2-3 hours a day at Coeur Climbing Health club in his hometown of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Whereas his climbing accomplice — his brother, who launched him to mountaineering as a passion—is down in Utah for the season, Mason has been coaching so much indoors as a substitute of climbing arduous exterior, but to deal with a 5.13a. However he has been capable of full a V9 bouldering grade, which is relatively tough.
When he’s not on the wall, Mason drops off beans at espresso outlets and grocery shops as a supply driver for DOMA Espresso Roasting Firm, who sponsored a few of his comp entries final yr. A self-described espresso simpleton earlier than coming to DOMA, Mason says he’s all the time liked DOMA’s presence locally.
“I’ve all the time liked DOMA, particularly due to how severely they take the flavour profiles and the way nerdy they’re about their espresso, how particular they get. I actually applaud making use of the craft to the espresso,” he says.
As Mason pre-qualified for this yr’s worldwide competitors, we will’t wait to see how he sends it within the coming yr. And tackling that 5.13a? We wouldn’t depend him out.
