Thomas “Potato” Hennekes

Thomas had his first experience climbing at a gym in Ho Chi Minh City on April 27, 2017, at age 29, after a coworker at the university suggested he give it a try. He purchased a membership at a local gym about three days later and has never stopped climbing since.

He spent his first five years climbing in Vietnam and the Philippines, which provided memorable experiences such as deep water soloing on Cat Ba Island and sport climbing on the massive limestone cliffs of northern Vietnam.

After returning to the United States in 2022, Thomas decided to shift his career path and devote himself more fully to climbing instruction. Since May 17, 2022, he has focused on private sessions, coaching, and lead climbing instruction at a gym in St. Louis, and he officially joined the Vertical Voyages team on September 16, 2022.

He is primarily focused on instructing tree climbing at locations around St. Louis during the weekdays, while pursuing recreational rock climbing on the weekends. With over 22,000 completed climbs of all varieties—including sport, multipitch, trad, bouldering, and training boards—and more than 600 recorded outdoor route sends, the numbers alone show how much he loves to climb.

What keeps him motivated? It’s the journey—both where climbing takes him and, more specifically, the new movement each route provides—along with a deep connection to the outdoors. He also expresses this appreciation through nature photography, biking, hiking, and other outdoor pursuits. You might find him at Robinson Bluff working toward his goal of completing every climb the area has to offer, or crouched somewhere in the floodplains of St. Louis’ rivers, trying to photograph a bug he’s never seen before.