Dana Taylor (she/her), Coach

While Dana loves all forms of climbing - she has a specific love for trad climbing and helping trad climbers with strength training and movement coaching.

“I believe most people don't know what they're truly capable of. I help climbers come face-to-face with their perceived limitations while giving them physical and mental tools to go further. I am passionate about helping climbers meaningfully engage with the complexities of climbing as a way to learn more about themselves.”

Email: dana@projectdirectcoaching.com

Proud sends

Separate Reality - 5.12a Trad - California (pictured)

More Monkey than Funky - 5.11c Trad - California

Cookie Mix - 5.12a Sport - California

Echando Raises - 5.12b Sport - Mexico

Cara Cortada - 5.12a Sport - Mexico

Trucutrulove - 5.12a Sport - Mexico

  • Training for trad climbing isn't something most climbers think about-but Project Direct coach Dana Taylor is here to change that.


    Originally from Chicago, Dana spent years sport climbing at the Red River Gorge before catching the trad bug on a trip to Wadi Rum. In this episode, she takes us through her journey into the world of limit trad climbing, what inspired her to pursue coaching, and how she's helping clients take their trad climbing to the next level.


    We also dive into some epic multi-pitch adventures at Mazama, wild mountain bike descents, and a few pivotal moments that shaped Dana's climbing career.

    Ground Up Podcast with Dana Taylor

  • “I went from second-guessing every single piece of gear to firing cams and moving above them with confidence. I am no longer that sport-climber friend whose gym strength is useless on granite. My year of trad boot camp has led me to challenging climbs that require both sporty gymnastic strength and level-headed trad assuredness.

    Trad climbing trains me to trust my own judgment and ability in tenuous situations. 

    Trad climbing is practice for the type of life I want to live: a life of my own design; a life where the path is not neatly laid out before me.“

    Blog by Dana Taylor: From Bolts to Cams

  • “Dana has been such a gift to me. When I started, my goal was to really work through my mental game related to fear of failure and my own sense of self-worth. I was worried that those feelings would burn me out as a climber. Through her, I’ve started to appreciate how big climbing is - that it’s not just about grades but these large unquantifiable things like community and heart.

    She breaks me out of a too shallow achievement-oriented mindset and provides very simple reflective exercises on and off the wall - it’s both a philosophy and a practice. I feel changes in my climbing - when I go on a route, it’s a more immersive, beautiful experience and something that I can imagine carrying with me the rest of my life.”

    -1 on 1 Athlete, Emily Liu

    Get on Dana's Waitlist!

  • "Dana has absolutely knocked of out of the park creating the space for me to actually follow through on climbing training for the first time in my life.

    I met Dana on the road in J tree right after she finished teaching an architecture class from a starlink from the top of a boulder. Turns out I needed a woman that would make me feel seen, validate me, totally nerd out on the science with me, and be the ultimate stoker."

    -1 on 1 Athlete, Alana Kamahele

    Learn more about Custom Training!

  • “Working with Dana was such a wonderful experience. Her keen attention to detail in both my lifting form and climbing movement was invaluable.

    I also appreciated her understanding of my life and how to help me get the most out of my training. Her feedback was so thoughtful and intentional. She made me feel motivated to work harder but also always made me feel proud of whatever I had accomplished that week, big or small.”

    -Deann Synder

    Custom Training & Movement Coaching

coaching experience + education

Certifications + Education

NASM - Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)

B.S. Architectural Studies - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

M. Arch - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Trad CLimbing with Dana

Dana's dedication to trad climbing is infectious – she once cleaned bathrooms in Yosemite for months just to master its legendary granite cracks. She channels that hard-won experience and passion into her coaching, specializing in helping climbers to:

  • Understand Crux Movement on Trad Routes: Often, harder trad lines still have a sporty crux. Dana helps trad/crack climbers understand more bouldery movement to unlock cruxes.

  • Transition Confidently to Trad (Especially for Women): Dana focuses on helping women make a transition from sport climbing to trad climbing skills in a safe and supportive environment.

  • Manage Fear of Falling: Master your head game for fear of falling for both sport and trad climbing through proven mental strategies and practice.

  • Perform Under Pressure: Develop crucial mental skills for managing performance anxiety on redpoints or onsights so you can climb your best when it counts.

  • Strength train for climbing: Building targeted strength and resilience to enhance your performance and prevent injuries. Applying force is at the foundation of everything we do as climbers.

All in all, Dana wants to make trad climbing feel more accessible to everyone. Through dedicated coaching, she is working towards achieving this vision, sharing her love for the sport and empowering climbers to push their boundaries.

It's really important that the coach you work with is the best one for you. You can sign up to meet with a coach using the link below – we will reach out and schedule a time to have a conversation.

Want to meet & work with dana?

“I joined Project Direct because I wanted to be part of a coaching team that genuinely helps athletes maintain a positive relationship with our sport through personalized training.

Nothing at PD is cookie-cutter, we invest the time to get to know our athletes, and we build programming that's custom, specific, and effective. Also, as a former dirtbag, I feel right at home working alongside a team that prioritizes outdoor climbing.“