It’s not too late for some last-minute holiday shopping, and this buyer’s guide has you and your colleagues covered with gift ideas big and small. Hypo-allergenic climbing tape as stocking stuffers? Check. A lightweight sport climbing harness or new lace-up shoes for yourself or your climbing partner? Check, check. A brand-new training board, freestanding wall, or software and safety upgrades to give your gym a boost heading into 2025? Check, check, check, check. Also inside this edition is support for larger new year’s resolutions, from a first-of-its-kind market analysis toolset for gym developers to consulting for new facilities and even a new franchise model focused on young crushers. Enjoy!
BRANDS INCLUDED BELOW:
8BPLUS – ABC Climbing Academy – Chris Ryan Studio – Climbing Business Journal – Crux Climbing – Eldorado Climbing – Flashed – Head Rush – ICP – KinetiK – Misty Mountain – Nicros – Nomad Walls – Petzl – Rock Gym Pro –
8BPLUS
8BPLUS recently released its Finger Tape, with three different color patterns. Each 100% cotton, hypo-allergenic roll is 38mm x 10m and made with high-performance adhesive designed for high pressure and friction. With a zig-zag edge for easy tearing into any width and length, the tape is plastic and urethane free and uses an adhesive that leaves small pores in the glue to wick your sweat away. $8.90
ABC Climbing Academy
ABC Climbing Academy is a new franchising business with gyms specifically created for kids and junior climbers. Built on the success of ABC Kids Climbing in Boulder, Colorado, their second location in Naperville, Illinois, will open soon. Franchise territories are currently available across the U.S. New facilities must be located where populations of at least 150,000 people are within 15 miles, and buildings can be 3,000 to 25,000 square feet, with a minimum of 21ft clearance height. The initial franchise fee is $60,000, with 6% royalty and an expected total investment between $1M and $2.6M.
Chris Ryan Studio
Chris Ryan Studio has revamped its Project Launch Program, a consulting package for new climbing facilities. The program gives participants end-to-end access to Chris Ryan’s expertise and experience at every step, from ideation to opening. Individualized consulting is paired with tools, templates and guidance meant to fill in the gaps and help organize your building project. Program options range from $597 to $1,497.
Climbing Business Journal
CBJ just launched its Climbing Gym Market Report and Dashboard, the climbing industry’s first publicly available, comprehensive and interactive U.S. climbing gym market analysis toolset. The tools are designed to assist climbing gym developers with evaluating existing and new climbing gym markets in the U.S. for climbing gym development, providing developers with insights into key market variables, climbing gym and wall density, relative new climbing gym opportunity, and much more. The report is $800, with discounts for CBJ members.
Crux Climbing
Crux Climbing is an app for climbers to set and share custom climbs at their gym. By using photo scans in real time, Crux allows climbers to create climbs on any wall in the gym—not just the spray wall—using the holds that are already on the wall. Users can set a climb by taking a photo, tapping on the holds, and posting it for others to try, with no extra work required by gym staff. Additional features include leaderboards, climber statistics, event notifications, and more. Crux is free to try, and the full version can be purchased by gyms for $49/month.
Eldorado Climbing
Eldorado Climbing recently added the new Switchboard to its collection of DIY and homewall products. The compact adjustable wall is 8ft tall and 7.5ft wide, with angle settings at 15, 25 and 35 degrees. The wall can be double-sided, providing both overhang and slab climbing simultaneously, and has finishes designed for both indoor and outdoor uses. The structure is freestanding, with no wall or floor mounts required, and holds and padding are not included. Prices range from $2,499 to $5,299.
Flashed
Flashed has released the new Let’er Buc’ket, a bespoke chalk bucket for retail shops (note: to view the link you must have wholesale login). Customers have full control over the print design of each Let’er Buc’ket, creating an opportunity to brand gyms, events and more. Made from 1000D Ballistic Nylon—with a large pocket, three elastic brush holders, and roll-top closure—it’s sized to accommodate two hands for chalking up. $29.99 CAD / $23.99 USD each with a minimum order of four units.
Head Rush
Head Rush has introduced its new TRU-CLIP Connector, a safety device designed to remove human error from the auto belay clipping process. This new connector can’t be clipped incorrectly or incompletely according to the Head Rush website, and it’s designed to reduce staffing costs and accommodate groups and climbers with little climbing experience. The stainless steel device doesn’t require recertification and comes pre-attached to TRUBLUE webbing. Key Links are required ($170 for four), and Head Rush recommends one per rental harness plus one per auto belay, to streamline operations. TRU-CLIPs are $160 add-ons to new TRUBLUE devices or replacement webbing.
ICP
ICP has launched its Airboard, a new training board frame designed to hang from any structural wall or roof. The size options—8×10, 10×10, 10×12, 12×12—accommodate all the popular board hold systems, with options for a kickboard, mechanical winch, and three different colors. Angle adjustment is manual. Pricing ranges from $5,136 to $11,482, which includes U.S. delivery to your door but excludes taxes. Available worldwide.
Nomad Walls
Nomad Walls recently unveiled its Nomad Rise, a mobile bouldering wall built on a custom 24ft trailer that takes under an hour to set up, according to Nomad (see it in action). The two-sided, weatherproofed structure has two 360-square-foot walls, each adjustable from 5-degree slab to 20-degree overhanging using electric actuators. Fall protection mats are included and integrated. The wall is towable with any standard pickup truck and is designed for climbing events, for creating a mobile gym, and pop-up climbing showcases. Pricing starts around $80,000, with a smaller version in development for around $50,000.
Rock Gym Pro
Rock Gym Pro has introduced the Customer Quick Configure, a new tool designed to simplify customer record management and improve efficiency in day-to-day operations. Facilities can create templates which include a list of multi-step changes that a staff member can apply with a single click, reducing training time and human error. Customer Quick Configure is included at no extra cost with all plans.
KinetiK
KinetiK has launched it’s new Newton Prime crashpad, a simplified version of it’s Newton. It features a pack system with torso adjustment from 15″-21″ and load lifting straps, their “Houdini flap” to cover the carrying straps, three-buckle closure, two drag handles, and the ability to carry multiple pads together. The 48″x36″x4″ pad has three layers of foam to optimize the landing experience. $199
Misty Mountain
Misty Mountain just released the Flashin’ lightweight sport climbing harness. It features a side-entry buckling system, adjustable leg loops, four gear loops, and is available in two flashy color options. An extra belay loop is available for $10 extra. $139.95
Nicros
Nicros has expanded its range of Playground Boulders in five sizes, from 24 to 400 square feet. The boulders are molded from real rock using UV-resistant fiberglass with an anti-graffiti coating. Excluding delivery and installation, pricing starts at $1,400 for the Lil’ Buddy up to $22,137 for the Large Boulder, with discounts for purchases of multiple boulders.
Petzl
Petzl recently launched the SITTA, an ultra-light performance climbing and mountaineering harness. It has a thin and flexible waistbelt and leg loops designed to pack down small, plus five gear loops. $174.95
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