Just a few thoughts

Valuable data and resources for climbing gym operators this week. Gym climber demographic and behavior data takeaways. A deep dive into membership revenue data. Youth program regulations for every US state. Those industry professionals that want to hear from and share more with peers, the next five weeks have two great opportunities: CWA Canadian Conference and Vertical Pro / Halls & Walls. More below about both.

Community & Culture

• Podcast: A Story of Local Entrepreneurship – Mike Palmer and Mitch Eadens (Scott Rennak, CBJ)
• Electric-assisted climbing is becoming more widespread (Laurence Guyon, La Fabrique Verticale)
• Equip Outdoor Technologies to Sell Lowe Alpine (Tiffany Montgomery, Shop-Eat-Surf-Outdoor)
• LZRvision – A Board Climbing LED Alternative (Kickstarter)

Comp Scene

• Jessica Pilz & Adam Ondra win the 2026 Arco Rock Master KO Boulder (Planet Mountain)
• Jessica Pilz & Filip Schenk win the Rock Master Duel Lead 2026 in Arco (Planet Mountain)
• Arco Rock Master 2026 – climbing legends through the lens of Piotr Drożdż (Planet Mountain)
• “A first-world problem” – World Climbing unveils a record-breaking para-climbing season in 2027 (Matthew Amaré, Vertige Media)

From the Gyms

• Son and Father Duo Open Bouldering Gym in Southern France (Naomi Stevens, CBJ)
• Verlinvest & Family Trust launch The International Bouldering Alliance, the world’s largest bouldering platform (Verlinvest)
• In New York, the city’s cheapest climbing gym is closing down (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)
• September 2026 Gym Round Up (Euro Climbing News)
• Video: A new climbing gym is coming to Brunswick (Side Trip)

For Managers

• Oct 26-30: The CWA Built Something Specifically for the Canadian Climbing Industry: Here’s What It Looks Like (CBJ)
• Nov 13-14: Where Climbing Business Meets: Why VERTICAL PRO 2026 Is Bringing the Industry Closer Together (CBJ)
• Who’s On Our Walls? Keynote Presentation from ABC Conference 2026 (Garnet Moore, ABC Walls)
• The Revenue Code – How to Grow Your Revenue, Part 3 of 5 (Miura Hawkins, BETA Climbing)
• Climbing Gym Data and What Actions to Take – How Membership Shapes Revenue (Gavin Heverly, Rise Above Consulting)
• A Free Local Guide to Youth Program Regulations (Garnet Moore, CWA)

For Routesetters

• Oct 24-25: Level 1 Clinic in Salt Lake City (USAC)
• Due Nov 1: 2027 National Routesetter Application (USAC)
• Intern Routesetter Application (USAC)
• Video: Tasteful Art of Routesetting – BRICKS (Roy Quanstrom, Trango)
• Video: The biggest spraywall in the world? The weirdest gym i’ve ever been to. (Beta Routesetting)
• Video: Manta – anatomy of a shape (ArtLine)

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.