Spring is in the air for many of us, which means trade show season is upon us as well in the climbing industry. The Indoor Climbing Expo wrapped up last week, next month the CWA Summit gets underway, and in May the Asian Climbing Summit will make its debut. This season’s Buyer’s Guide highlights 24 new climbing products and services you might spot from the show floors or at a gym near you. Enjoy!
BRANDS INCLUDED BELOW:
– Adapt Book – Asana – Belay Safe – Boulder Monk – CAMP – ChupaClimb – Crux Climbing – Flashed – Escape – Grifter – Head to Toe – Madrock – Movement Hub – Myléore – Petzl – Slapchalks – Theoretical Climbing – Trango – Walltopia – Warrior’s Way –
ASANA
Asana recently released the Groove Mat, a non-padded surface designed to help keep you organized, comfortable and clean. The 72″ x 42″ mat weighs 3lbs, has handles, and is made using a waterproof vinyl base and polyester deck. $99
CHUPACLIMB
ChupaClimb has begun selling its new Finger Tape. Available in 6 colors, the non-elastic tape is latex-free and made with 100% cotton fabric. Rolls of 3.8cm x 9.14m are packed in a re-usable aluminum jar. €6.00
CRUX CLIMBING APP
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 plans range from $8/mo to $50/mo.
FLASHED
Flashed is now selling 13mm Finger Tape. This narrower option complements the 38mm-wide version they have had for years, and it’s available in 4 colors. $3.64 USD
GRIFTER
Grifter recently launched with its Electric Skin File. Designed for portability, the USB-C rechargeable file has three speeds, is available in two colors, and comes with 10 replaceable 120-grit sanding heads. $48.95
MADROCK
Madrock has recently released its new D2.ONE HV shoe. It’s a hybrid version of the Drone 2 and Drone CS, with a downturned toe, moderate stiffness, synthetic uppers, hook-and-loop closure, and Madrock’s proprietary Science Friction 3 rubber. Vegan-friendly. $149
TRANGO
Trango has just launched its new REAL Chalk collection of products. All of the products feature 100% pharmaceutical-grade, non-mined, magnesium carbonate sourced directly from seawater, and most of the packaging uses various biodegradable, recycled and recyclable materials. REAL Powder Chalk consists of ultra-fine particles and comes in 50g ($6.50), 250g ($13.95) and 500g ($24.95) sizes. REAL Chunky Chalk ($25.95) includes 10 chalk pucks to break down to your ideal texture. REAL Liquid Chalk ($6.95) is 100ml and uses pharmaceutical-grade alcohol.
WALLTOPIA
Walltopia has just released two new products: the Quantum Board and SmartGate. The Quantum Board holds are made with CompX’s softer SKUISH material and feature full-perimeter lights. The board has holds on the outside corners, the app accommodates multiple climbers at the same time, and there are two available sizes. Including frame, panels, holds and LEDs, the 12 x 12 version is €32,997 and the XL version is €44,997. The SmartGate is a belay attachment monitoring system designed to reduce auto belay accidents. Two parts work together—a sensor in the vinyl gate and sensors embedded in the wall about 2.5m high—to enable the system to detect when a climber is on the wall and forgot to clip in, which triggers a visual and audible alarm. The 1.2m-wide version is €795, and the 1.5m-wide version is €865.
ADAPT BOOK
Longtime coach Kris Hampton recently published Adapt, which follows his journey to climbing one hundred 5.13s. In the book Kris digs deep into the decisions made, hurdles confronted, and lessons learned along the way. The book tells the story and shares those lessons with readers—what it takes to persist, adapt and succeed.
BELAY SAFE
BelaySafe is a patented top rope belay assist device with adjustable friction, using a series of one-way pulleys and pivoting cams. It’s designed to mount to traditional climbing gym anchors, made from 6061 hardened aluminum, and can accommodate ropes with 9.5mm to 11mm diameters. $749
BOULDER MONK
Boulder Monk recently released its new The Temple Chalkbag. The roll-top design has two pockets—zippered and mesh with elastic—four brush holds, and a magnetic and clip closure. CHF 39.90
CAMP
CAMP has announced a partnership with Janja Garnbret featuring a collection of products. The Photon Lock Janja ($12.95) is a locking screwgate carabiner weighing 43 grams, and the Photon Express KS Janja ($145.95 or $151.95 for 6) is a 546-gram or 582-gram quickdraw with both a straight and bent gate carabiner available in 12cm and 18cm lengths.
ESCAPE
Escape just launched its redesigned 55L Sport Pack. The pack features durable TPU coated fabric, double zipper access, an included rope tarp, and adjustable hip and chest straps. $99.95
HEAD TO TOE
Head to Toe recently began selling its updated MetacarpEdge V2, a portable finger trainer and warm-up device. The device’s unique, unlevel edge is designed to train each finger in a biomechanically advantageous position. The edge depth is 30mm, and it comes with an insert to convert to a 20mm depth. It’s available in four textures and two sizes, with an option for custom sizing for an additional $10. $35-$45
MOVEMENT HUB
The Movement Hub was just launched—an online education platform for routesetters, founded by routesetters Gracie Martin and Alexander Lemel. They feature weekly video updates with fresh content from world-renowned experts, a global community, and live sessions with monthly Q&As. $39.50/mo
MYLÉORE
Myléore now has liquid chalk available in four sizes, with bottles for the two smaller sizes made from plant-based plastic. They use 99.7% pure magnesium carbonate and 99.8% pure isopropyl alcohol. Reseller prices are available with purchases of 24 units or more. €10.90 for 150ml, €15.90 for 250ml, €25.00 for 500ml, and €50.00 for 1L.
PETZL
Petzl recently updated its Luna women’s harness. The new version is 20% lighter through reduced seams, a 20mm waistband and buckle (down from 28mm), a 15mm belay loop (down from 18mm) and now features recycled main fabric in the waistband and recycled packaging. $94.95
SLAPCHALKS
Slapchalks has released its third generation Obsidian Pro Rock Climbing & Ninja Shorts (and also a women’s version). The shorts feature mesh zip pockets on both legs designed to hold chalk balls, for quick chalk-ups during climbing or ninja. The updated version uses a new fabric that is 88% recycled polyester (14 bottles per m2) and 12% Spandex. $115
THEORETICAL CLIMBING
Theoretical Climbing’s Maestro is a new device designed to help users control their pacing while climbing. It’s a wearable metronome that vibrates every second, helping climbers have a better perception of time. Weighing 10g and measuring 1.9″ x 1″ x 0.42″, it’s intended to be worn against the skin to help with pacing, timing rests, and preventing timeouts during comps. $45
WARRIOR’S WAY
The Warrior’s Way recently launched its Mental Training for Competitive Youth Teams. This immersive clinic is designed to help youth climbers navigate their fears, actualize their performance, and empower them—especially climbers shifting from top rope to lead. The clinics are 5 hours long with a maximum of 6 students. Youth team coaches are required to attend, so they can continue the training afterward. Host facilities pay a $800 fee, plus travel expenses.
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