• What is Unspoken Beta?


    Unspoken: Referring to inherent knowledge like an unspoken bond or an unspoken rule.

    Beta: Climbing jargon that designates helpful information about a climbing route and/or how to move your body up it.

    Together, Unspoken Beta is the inherent knowledge climbers have in etiquette and technique, passed down through decades of exploration and experimentation, and endorsed by the greater climbing community.

  • A Mission & A Vision


    Unspoken Beta provides a playful way to share knowledge and connect with others in the gym and at the crag simply by wearing a shirt. It fosters approachability among those newer to the sport and brings humor to those more experienced.

    Our vision is to become a symbol of connection and community, while keeping our grassroot aesthetic values. Seeing someone wearing one of our shirts is an invitation to engage, with kindness and curiosity. Seeing our cairn stone marks the path toward your next adventure sending routes and solving problems.

Who are we?

  • We are climbers.

    Seeking to connect, play, challenge and educate each other, and create a safer, more positive experience for everyone.

  • We are community.

    Friends and strangers alike, we come together and trust in one another to do what we love, climb!

How It Began - By Dan (Founder)

In the early summer of 2021, while hiking the wooded trails of Peaked Mtn with my mother, I composed several haiku inspired by recent climbing gym interactions. The one particular response to explaining a 'Dyno' as "swing and spring" sparked a brainstorm of ideas, and the haiku format was still present in my life after writing an impactful haiku for my brother's passing. At some point during our hike, my mother suggested putting the haiku on shirts, and that got me thinking...

Back at the gym, I shared the haiku with fellow climbers, receiving positive feedback and new topic suggestions. From a few haiku, it grew to a couple dozen ideas, and people committed to buying shirts.

With overwhelming support from friends and fellow climbers, Unspoken Beta was born—a journey of curiosity, connection, community, and collaboration.

The Mountain Man

To my brother Ben, who loved climbing, and the community of outdoor enthusiasts he found his way into...

My name is Dan Kessel. I am the Founder of Unspoken Beta. Part of the inspiration and motivation behind this brand is my brother, Ben, who died Sept. 20th, 2020, unexpectedly. In my own creative way, I wanted to continue our love for climbing and support the community he found himself so at home in. Climbing is one of the few things we both deeply loved and were able to enjoy together.

A percentage of Unspoken Beta’s profits will be donated to the scholarship fund in Ben's honor every year to commemorate his life and the struggles he overcame. For more information about Ben, the scholarship fund, or should you choose to donate directly, please visit benkesselmemorial.org.

Additional charities and organizations will receive donations in the future once Unspoken Beta is profitable and sustainable. These donations will be in favor of climbing, nature conservation, and education.

May his memory be a blessing.

Donate Directly Here