Just a few thoughts
Over in France, industry history was made this week when Arkose acquired Block’Out and became the world’s largest climbing gym chain with 47 locations. This follows a spate of other M&A activity in Europe this year. Are mega-chains the future of our industry? Have we even hit “mega-chain” status yet?
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Community & Culture
- Arkose acquires Block’Out – the great Monopoly of climbing gyms (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)
- Bowling, tennis, climbing – the disillusionment that follows (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)
- After an Accident Left Her Paralyzed, Brittany Chadbourne Found a Way to Keep Climbing (Maya Silver, Climbing-dot-com)
- Review – 2026 UIAA General Assembly (UIAA)
Comp Scene
- Nov 20-22: ACG National Training Camp and Para Climbing Competition (Adaptive Climbing Group)
- Gunsan gold rush closes fourth Para series competition (World Climbing / IFSC)
- Team USA Earns Multiple Podiums at World Climbing Para Series Gunsan 2026 (USAC)
- Your First Look at the 2027 USAC National Championships Schedule (CBJ)
Crag Scene
- By Nov 30: Climbing Safety Fundraiser (Global Climbing Initiative)
- By Dec 10: Take the Climbing Safety Survey (Global Climbing Initiative)
- What the Midterm Elections Mean for Public Lands and Outdoor Recreation (Outdoor Alliance)
For Setters
- Podcast: By Us, For Us: The Woman Up Setting Team (Holly Chen, CBJ)
- Video: Mega Episode #2 setting & testing the Megaboard (Beta Routesetting)
For Managers
- Redpoint HQ: A Talk From the 2026 CWA Summit (Redpoint HQ, CBJ)
- 2025 CWA Industry Report Survey Launched (CWA)
- Free Climbing at Your Gym? (CWA)
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.
