“I want to build a life around climbing.”
That’s not something most people say out loud—especially on a podcast. But Asa Firestone isn’t most people.
In a world where comfort is king and risk is a dirty word, Asa has carved out a path that feels more like a granite face in Yosemite than a corporate ladder. From sleeping under boulders in Camp 4 to building one of Colorado’s most adventurous hospitality brands, Asa’s journey is a masterclass in grit, vision, and trust in the climb—whether literal or entrepreneurial.
On a recent episode of The Radical Hospitality Show, host Zeke Freeman sat down with Asa—climber, explorer, and CEO of A-Lodge—to unpack a life spent chasing both summits and stories.
The Summer Camp That Sparked Everything
Asa grew up in Washington, D.C., but each summer, he was sent to Colorado, where his dad worked. Those summers—filled with rafting trips, fourteeners, and youth group camping—planted the seed. By the time college rolled around, he made the move west official and landed at CU Boulder.
It wasn’t long before Asa found the Alpine Club—a self-led group of climbing junkies who preferred ropes to lectures. “It was like a fraternity of climbers, without the BS,” he laughed.
There, he learned by doing. No formal guides. No certifications. Just friends, a few healthy competitions, and the raw excitement of chasing fear and freedom up vertical rock.
Big Walls & Bigger Lessons
Asa’s appetite grew quickly. While many were clipping bolts on sport routes, he was drawn to the unknown: big walls, multi-day climbs, aid pitches. He spent summers in Yosemite Valley living like a true “monkey” in Camp 4, surviving off peanut butter, sleeping under the stars, and stacking experiences that would later form the foundation of his business mindset.
His hunger for adventure didn’t stop at the California border.
With the help of the American Alpine Club and a National Geographic Young Explorers Grant, Asa and a college friend embarked on a wild expedition deep into the Amazon jungle of Venezuela. Their target: a 2,000-foot granite shark fin known as Cerro Autana.
It took two weeks by dugout canoe to even approach the base. The jungle fought them every inch of the way—mosquitoes, low rivers, tribal guides growing restless, and equipment too heavy to carry.
Eventually, they had to turn back.
“We never even got to the mountain,” Asa admits. “But we learned more in those five days than I could’ve imagined.”
On the way out, they stopped to put up a smaller first ascent—complete with bats crawling in the cracks and a fall caught on film for National Geographic. The failure of the original climb didn’t matter. The lesson did.
“You don’t always end up where you planned. But you end up somewhere. And that somewhere might change your life.”
The Climb Into Hospitality
After returning home, Asa followed another path of curiosity—this time toward business. With a background in engineering and physics, he went on to earn an MBA in entrepreneurship.
“To me, entrepreneurship was the big wall climbing of the business world,” he said. “You get an idea, build a team, go raise funds, and then suffer your way to the summit.”
It was this mindset that led him to his next big adventure—A-Lodge.
It didn’t start as a five-star resort. Far from it. The first A-Lodge property was a rundown motel in Boulder with just enough charm to spark a vision. With the help of a small investment and a whole lot of sweat equity, Asa and his team transformed it into something remarkable: a basecamp for adventurers that blended hostel vibes, private cabins, camping, and curated events like adventure yoga (think 100 yogis on a field with a live DJ and free beer).
The Boulder property eventually grew to include a second location in Lyons, Colorado, and the A-Lodge brand began to take shape—an intentional blend of outdoors, community, and approachable design.
Business, Like Climbing, Requires Commitment
When asked what lessons climbing taught him about business, Asa doesn’t hesitate.
“Commitment,” he says. “There’s a moment in every climb where you want to quit. Where you think, this was a mistake. But if you commit—just do one more pitch—you often find it’s easier to keep going than to bail.”
He recalled a solo climb of Zodiac on El Capitan, a seven-day rope-solo epic that tested every fiber of his being. Poison ivy. Isolation. Fear. Exhaustion. And yet, one pitch at a time, he kept moving up.
“It’s the same with business,” Asa said. “You grit your teeth through the hard parts. And at a certain point, you’ve gone too far to turn back.”
Zeke chimed in with a key observation: adventurers like Asa—those who’ve been tested by nature, risk, and failure—tend to make resilient entrepreneurs. The business world feels less intimidating when you’ve stared down cliffs, navigated jungles, and lived to tell the tale.
Building With Heart (and Strategy)
A-Lodge isn’t just cool because it has a creekside sauna or beer garden. It’s cool because it’s intentional. Asa and his team wrote a 70-page in-room guidebook themselves, highlighting their favorite hikes, climbs, restaurants, and “secret local spots.”
It’s not about amenities—it’s about belonging.
Even during slow winter months, they’ve gotten creative—renting the sauna to locals, testing cold plunges, and experimenting with small-scale food and event concepts to draw guests year-round.
And while many properties chase volume, Asa focuses on vibe. Whether it’s a family from Kansas or a climber ticking off 5.13s, everyone is welcome. Everyone has a story.
What’s Next?
For Asa, the vision is clear: continue improving the existing lodges, open new locations in places he wants to hang out, and spend more time with his young son.
And maybe—just maybe—get back on a few more walls.
“If you’re not growing, you’re dying,” he said. “But growth doesn’t always mean scale. It means staying curious, staying committed, and building something worth climbing for.”
Listen to the Full Conversation Search The Radical Hospitality Show on your favorite podcast platform to hear the full episode with Asa Firestone.
Explore A-Lodge
www.a-lodge.com
Learn More About Zeke Freeman & Root Architecture
www.root-ad.com
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