This is where your story starts—and where ours started 10+ years ago.
Who you become in the pursuit is.
The mountain isn’t the goal.
Meet Your Mountaineering Coach
Because if you didn’t want change—real, powerful, deeply meaningful change— you would’ve booked a beach holiday instead.
That’s why mountains call to us—because some part of us wants to see who we can become and how far we can go.
Since then, I’ve coached 450+ mountaineers and trekkers to say yes to that very same change.
I didn’t grow up in the mountains.
I found them by accidentally saying yes to Kilimanjaro in 2014—and that changed everything.
The memory that stays with you isn’t the summit photo.
It’s the moment you realise:
“That was me at my best.”
“I was right to try.”
“I was always capable of this.”
On the surface, what we do here is mountain-specific training.
But underneath, it’s building towards quiet, life-affirming moments like that.
If that’s your north star—then you’re in the right place. This is where your story begins.
Not to scrape through, not to “just make it", but to become the strongest, most powerful version of ourselves in the pursuit of that mountain.
Here at Vertical Performance, that’s what we train for.
Gave birth to our twin daughters:
Emma and Sophie
Published my first book:
2019
The highest mountain outside of the Himalayas
Moved to Germany
SUMMITED ACONCAGUA
2018
Marrying my husband, Christopher
THE BEST DECISION I EVER MADE:
2017
SUMMITED ELBRUS IN RUSSIA
Dug in and did the research and training—and a lot of it
2016
Summited Kilimanjaro, but had THE WORST experience. If I hadn't suffered and struggled so much, I likely wouldn’t have started studying mountain-specific training
2015
The exact words my client asked me that changed my whole life
“Kate, would you train me for Kilimanjaro? And come do it with me?”
2014
Opened a private training studio in Kensington
Featured in The Daily Mail and Cosmopolitan (UK)
Moved to London
Completed my Bachelor of Sport Science
2011
Published my first book:
Started my Masters in Performance Psychology
Climbed my first North face route in the Alps and my first Grade 4 winter route in Scotland
Climbed my first North face in the Alps
2024
Ticked off a dream route: The Jubiläumsgrat
Summited Matterhorn in 3hrs 19 minutes from the Swiss side
The year my book officially sold out
2023
Attempted The Cuillin Ridge Traverse in one day—hello Scottish weather
Fell in a crevasse in the Alps—a moment that still makes my palms sweat
Joined forces with Kandoo Adventures as their go-to Coach
2022
Climbed my first WI 4 ice climbing route
Built my climbing wall (and the girls climbing wall)
Spent another week climbing in the Alps
2021
Being in a foreign country with two new little babes absolutely rocked my world
At the time, it felt as though there was no space for being a Mum AND a mountaineer, coach, and author
But then, Christopher surprised me with a five-day mountaineering trip in the Alps… And guess what? I’ve never hung up my boots again
The year I hung up my B2 and b3 boots
2020
Hit 100k on Instagram, with 51M+ views on our posts
Put forward an application to publish my first research paper. Read it here!
Published my second book worldwide
Won my first ultra marathon (126km) in 28h 36m. Watch the video here!
2025
Not because you trained like Rocky, but because you trained in a mountain-specific way.
So, can we skip the small talk and go straight to the part where we talk about how you’re going to train so that you can truly experience *THAT* moment?
That moment all starts with your training.
THAT epic, life affirming moment you’re envisioning for your next mountain - the one where you feel like Rocky, unstoppable, powerful, and undefined by physical capabilities?
Take it from me and my ten plus year timeline…
Hey, can I tell you something else?
Meet The Team
Managing Director:
Denise Grumbt
Denise is the Managing Director of Vertical Performance, leading the strategic and operational direction of the company. She takes the vision and applies the structure, systems, and strategy to make it real.
You may not always see her work directly, but you will feel it—in the organisation, the communication, the smoothness, and the sense of being held and supported every step of the way.
She is the quiet backbone of Vertical Performance—ensuring that every woman who trains with us has everything she needs to move from start to summit.
Because the real goal isn’t the summit.
It’s who you become in the pursuit of it.
Because the real goal isn’t the summit.
It’s who you become in the pursuit of it.
