Andrew King excels at a number of outdoor pursuits, from surfing big waves to climbing exposed peaks. But it wasn’t until after meeting Dominique Barry—a fellow surfer, accomplished rock climber, and runner-up in Max’s inaugural season of the reality competition The Climb—that his skill and love for sport climbing grew to new heights.

　　“We’ve come so far working together,” says King, who’s originally from Detroit. “And now I sport-climb in all parts of the world. I’ve done things I didn’t think I could have done.”

　　Both King and Barry are drawn to aesthetically beautiful climbs, which they find on the Shark’s Fin Arete in California’s Alabama Hills wilderness. They’re reminded that being a solid climbing partner goes beyond the obvious belayer-climber dynamic that’s inherent to climbing. It’s knowing exactly what to say and when to say it—or saying nothing at all—and ultimately bringing each other home safely.

　　“It’s nice to be able to see these things on your own, but when you get to bring people you care about into these spaces and see how it affects them, it just makes it that much better and that much more profound,” Barry adds, noting a shared desire with King to inspire the next generation of climbers.