Just a few thoughts
Some goodies below for gym managers and operators. Data about accidents and climber behaviors. Insights about AI and marketing. Saving money with software and early tickets to ABC Conference. Couple good perspectives on modern gear too.
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Community & Culture
- The City of Driggs in Idaho Votes to Terminate the Lease of Teton Rock Gym (Maya Silver, Climbing-dot-com)
- War and Climbing – A Story from Ukraine – Beyond the Wounds of War (Lacrux)
- “No Friends But the Mountains” – A Climbing Community Rises Up in Iraqi Kurdistan (Carson Langmack, Climbing-dot-com)
- Fontainebleau and the Birth of Bouldering as We Know It (Kris Hampton, Plug Tone Audio)
Comp Scene
- May 28-31: World Climbing Series Madrid 2026 (World Climbing / IFSC)
- Jun 4-7: North American Cup Series Vail 2026 (USAC / CEC)
- 2026 Collegiate National Championships Conclude (USAC)
- Mackenzie Wins First Ever Gold For Australia (World Climbing / IFSC)
- Anraku Makes It Two From Two (World Climbing / IFSC)
- Winning a Boulder semi-final isn’t all it’s cracked up to be (Rory Potter, Inside Climbing)
- Spain – The Israeli flag threatens the World Cup (Armelle Desmaison, Vertige Media)
- LA28 Reveals Comprehensive Paralympic Competition Schedule (World Climbing / IFSC)
- 2027 Canada Winter Games – Major Officials Application (Christiane Marceau, CEC)
Gear Talk
- Maureen Beck on How Climbing Gear Can Be More Universal (Maya Silver, Climbing-dot-com)
- Weight compensators – reinventing belaying (Laurence Guyon, La Fabrique Verticale)
- New Wild Country Friends – A new generation of rock protection (CBJ)
- The training room just got an upgrade (LEMUR Design)
For Managers
- By May 31: CBJ Compensation Survey for Climbing Gym Employees 2026 (CBJ)
- Podcast: Climber Behavior and Attitudes – A Look at the Data with Garnet Moore (AAC)
- 3 Ways Gyms Are Saving Money With the Redpoint HQ Platform (Redpoint HQ, CBJ)
- What Five Years of Claims Data Can Teach Your Gym About Risk (Garnet Moore, CWA)
- Your Climbing Gym’s Sales Results Might Be An AI Red Flag (Pete Ward, Rise Above Consulting)
- The Gyms That Will Win Aren’t Just the Biggest, They’re the Most Connected (Patrick Vincler, Portside)
- Early bird tickets to the ABC Conference are available (ABC Walls)
For Routesetters
- Jun 9: Curbing Ego With Curiosity (online discussion ft. Justin Wagner) (Vortex Routesetting, CBJ)
- Podcast: The Capital “R” Routesetter – Rylan Marshall-Meistrich (Holly Chen)
- What Do Climbing Gym Setters Think About Boards? (Aaron Pardy, Gripped)
- Lets talk about routesetting rates… (The Movement Routesetting)
- Circle introduces virtual routes (Circle Climbing)
Training Tips
- Video: Why Most Climbers Never Break Their Plateau (Paradigm Climbing)
- Podcast: Research on Burnout, Performance, and Mental Health in Climbers with Dr. Maria Stefania Ionel (Neely Quinn, TrainingBeta)
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.
