Just a few thoughts

Best wishes to all our industry friends this week as they convene for Vertical Pro in Germany. Enjoy checking out the latest gear and grips, discussing the market and your businesses, seeing old friends and making new ones. It’s not too late to go!

Culture & Industry

• Climbing District – Two days of strike, and then what? (Matthieu Amaré, Vertige Media)
• Climbing Bitches – The Secrets of Inclusion in Climbing (Clemence Delfils, Vertige Media)
• Black Diamond Sales Rise 12% as Clarus Weighs Strategic Alternatives (Tiffany Montgomery, Shop-Eat-Surf-Outdoor)
• UIAA publishes 2025 Carbon Footprint Report (UIAA)

Comp Scene

• Podcast: Danaan Markey, PCL Co-Founder (That’s Not Real Climbing)
• Firsts, lasts and perfect seasons in Fukuoka (World Climbing / IFSC)
• Team Japan’s double delight ends 2026 season (World Climbing / IFSC)
• Climbing Escalade Canada Launches Search for Next Executive Director (Christiane Marceau, CEC)
• Volunteers needed for National Team Selection Event Nov 28-29 (Sport Climbing Australia)

Crag Scene

• Physics For Climbers (Jesse McBurney-Rebol, ASCEND)
• How Useful Is An Alpine Climbing Award, Really? (Anthony Walsh, Climbing-dot-com)
• American Alpine Club Opens Fall Grants Cycle, Nearly Doubling Financial Support for Climbers (AAC)
• AAC’s 2026 Impact Report (AAC)

For Managers

• Dec 1: Coaching & Programming Roundtable (CWA)
• We need to talk about AI and Climbing Gyms (Gavin Heverly, Rise Above Consulting)
• CLIMBMANAGER Launches Birthday Party Booking Module for Climbing Gyms (CBJ)

For Setters

• Video: Lessons in Standards and Education From Germany (ft. Peter Zeidelhack) (Vortex Routesetting, CBJ)
• New Climbing Holds and Volumes: November 2026 (CBJ)
• Video: Route setting at Bangkok Clutch – How we set a comp (Beta Routesetting)

For Coaches

• Video: Master Body Tension for Steep Climbing (Paradigm Climbing)
• Podcast: Break the Grip of Fear – 10 Mental Strategies to Climb Harder, Fall Freely, and Unlock Your Potential (Eric Hörst, Training 4 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.