Just a few thoughts

World Cup season is back (although it’s been renamed World Climbing Series). No matter – the world’s top competitors are in China vying for gold. The industry also recently gathered on that side of the globe – check out Asian Climbing Summit pictures linked below.

Gym workers – please take our compensation survey!

Community & Culture

• “Just climbing” – the convenient fiction of a problem-free sport (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)
• How the First-Ever Fantasy Climbing League Platform Aims to Change the Game (Suzie Hodges Irby, Climbing-dot-com)
• In Ukraine, escalation as a remedy for war wounded (Paul Boyer & Pierre Terraz, Vertige Media)
• Podcast: Matt Samet on documenting the state of climbing this year (The Runout Podcast)

Comp Scene

• May 8-10: Where To Watch The World Climbing Series Wujiang 2026 (World Climbing / IFSC)
• Avezou Wins First Boulder Gold (World Climbing / IFSC)
• Anraku The King Of Keqiao (World Climbing / IFSC)
• World Climbing – “Our climbers must combine their lives with elite sport” (Matthew Amaré, Vertige Media)
• The Pro Climbing League Edition (Rory Potter, Inside Climbing)

Industry Scene

• Photos from Asian Climbing Summit 2026 (Asian Climbing Summit)
• REI Narrows 2025 Losses by $102 Million as Union Targets Anniversary Sale for National Boycott (Tiffany Montgomery, Shop-Eat-Surf-Outdoor)
• April 2026 Gym Round Up (Euro Climbing News)

For Managers & Coaches

• May 8: CEC Youth Program Town Hall (Kraig Devlin, CEC)
• May 26: Coaching & Programming Roundtable (CWA)
• 66% of first-time climbing gym goers never return. Here’s how to win them back (Steven Chua, Gripped)
• French climbing faces its managerial shift (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)
• Podcast: Andy McVittie – Youth Climbing PT (That’s Not Real Climbing)

For Routesetters

• Jun 9: Curbing Ego With Curiosity (online discussion ft. Justin Wagner) (Vortex Routesetting, CBJ)
• Grip Showcase Salt Lake City 2026 – Vote by May 10 (CBJ)
• Routesetting Is Art (The Movement Routesetting)

Gear Talk

• Trad climbing and whipping on gear in a gym? These holds make it possible (Steven Chua, Gripped)
• We Tested the New Ultra-Sticky Shoe Rubber Made From F1 Racing Tires (Nathaniel Scharping, Climbing-dot-com)
• High Volume vs Low Volume – Understanding Volume in Climbing Shoes (Erin Ergun, Movement Gyms)
• The Science Behind Climbing Hold Materials (Atomik Climbing Holds)
• Lemur Design Appointed Exclusive North American Distributor for BASS Auto-Belay Safety System (CBJ)
• Tenaya Introduces Aruma (CBJ)

Training Tips

• Podcast: Eric Hörst – How to Build Limitless Endurance (The Struggle)
• Do Sex Hormones Matter When It Comes To Your Performance? (Camp 4 Human Performance)
• Fix Back Pain From Sitting – Why Hanging and Rock Climbing Are The Ultimate Antidote (PhysiVāntage)

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.