Who is Avant Climbing
Founded by Brent Barghahn, a seasoned product designer and professional climber, Avant develops highly specialized gear solutions for trad, multipitch, and rope solo climbers.
Why Avant Exists
Avant was born to fill a gap in gear-intensive styles of climbing that often still rely on improvised or DIY solutions. In disciplines like trad, multipitch, and rope soloing, efficiency, organization, and system reliability matter—but many of these needs are overlooked by mainstream gear companies. Avant exists to address those edge cases: the small but critical problems that slow climbers down, add unnecessary complexity, or introduce avoidable risk. Every product is designed to improve how systems function in real climbing scenarios, not just how they look on a gear wall.
Our Products are Different
Avant designs specialized climbing equipment to solve real challenges encountered in demanding climbing styles. From redpoint trad and efficient multipitch climbing to technical lead rope soloing, our products are built to increase efficiency, reduce fumbling, and improve system clarity. Each design is developed by an active climber, tested in the field, and refined through real-world use—not theoretical lab assumptions. We focus on small, purposeful solutions that integrate cleanly into existing systems and hold up under the realities of serious climbing.
Our Team
Brent Barghahn
Founder & Product Designer — Professional Climber & Engineer
Brent Barghahn is the founder of Avant Climbing Innovations. With over a decade of experience as a Product Designer and Design Engineer, multiple climbing patents, and a career as a professional trad climber, Brent designs highly specialized gear for climbers operating outside the mainstream.
After developing new innovations for Black Diamond in Salt Lake City and climbing extensively across the U.S., Brent now designs and tests every product from Flagstaff, Arizona—focusing on trad, multipitch, and rope solo systems that big brands rarely touch.
Mantas Motekaitis
Story Telling & Content Creation
Mantas plays a crucial role in sharing the success of our customers out on the rock, with a deep passion for storytelling and a keen eye for capturing the essence of the climbing experience.
Our Partners
