Just a few thoughts

A bunch of hot button pieces this week. Industry growth is slipping? USAC National Training Center? Human waste, and crag advocacy? “Neutral” Russian athletes back in the comp circuit? Is climbing political? Hard to argue otherwise, but it’s nice when you can leave that behind and just go climbing.

Community & Culture

• The escalation is political. (Ariel-Britany Ward, Vertige Media)
• 20 Remarkable Moments in Black Climbing History, From 1889 Until Now (Samantha Macilwaine, Climbing-dot-com)
• Is GP1 the world’s stickiest climbing shoe rubber? We put it to the test (Steven Chua, Gripped)
• A history of the evolution of private climbing gyms (Rémi Lemettre and Augustin Rogeaux, Grimper)
• Survey: 50+ Climbing Gym Demographics & Utilization Survey (JoAnne Carilli Stevenson)

Comp Scene

• Feb 27-28: How to watch the Pro Climbing League (Red Bull)
• Feb 28-Mar 1: How to watch the 2026 USAC Para Climbing National Championships (USAC)
• British Lead Championships – Butterworth and McNeice Crowned 2026 Champions (BMC)
• USA Climbing project gets a pass and a pause at City Hall (Luke Garrott, Building Salt Lake)
• World Climbing Confirms Athletes’ Neutrality Rules While Reviewing Suspension of Russian and Belarus Federations (World Climbing / IFSC)
• World Climbing in Riyadh – Neutrality with Variable Geometry (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)

Crag Scene

• Top 10 Climbing Advocacy Victories of 2025 (Access Fund)
• The Problem of Human Waste Management in the Wilderness (Hannah Provost, AAC)
• Black Diamond Brings Golden Carabiner Back to Colorado’s Front Range (OIA)

Industry Talk

• Video: You’re Building Your Climbing Walls All Wrong – A conversation with Jason Thomas, Founder of Redpoint Studio (Rise Above Consulting)
• Climbing gyms – a sector losing its balance? (Emma Delaunay, Grimper)
• Climb, sign, or give up? American industry faces liability waivers (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)

For Routesetters

• Mar 10: New USAC x CWA Certification Integration (ft. Jeremy Ho) (Vortex Routesetting, CBJ)
• Podcast: Inside USA Climbing’s Routesetting Program – Jeremy Ho (Holly Chen, CBJ)
• A Long-Term Approach to Holds: The Details at Essential That Make a Great Hold Inventory (Essential Climbing, CBJ)

Training Tips

• Podcast: Board Climbing Pros, Cons, and Best Practices with Matt Pincus (Neely Quinn, TrainingBeta)
• Video: Shoulder Hypermobility – Stephen Kiraly (The Climbing Doctor)
• Video: Skin Webinar (Paradigm Climbing)

Many of the links above are from third-party sources, and the views expressed at those links do not necessarily represent the views of the CBJ editorial team. We share this content to help readers stay informed about what is happening in the industry and the community of climbing.