Aaron Hjelt Was a Coach, Mentor, and DJ Who Helped Kids Escape Their Comfort Zones

Every January, we share a tribute to members of our community who we lost last year. Some were legends, others were pillars of their community, all were climbers. Read the full tribute to Climbers We Lost in 2025 here.

Aaron Hjelt, 46, June 26

Aaron Hjelt was a self-made man. He started his own company, Alpha Climbing, offering summer trips and gap-year experiences for young climbers, and also earned a living as a DJ, photographer, climbing coach, and AirBnb host, among many other endeavours.