Climb Insider: comp season is never over

Just a few thoughts

While the IFSC has wrapped up their season, many gyms are into the local comp flow. In the US, both USAC qualifying events and ASCL are underway. Across the globe, routesetters and coaches are getting ready for a busy winter of comps and leagues.

See The Freshest Job Posts Here

Community & Culture

Have you seen CBJ lately? (Scott Rennak, CBJ)
Instead of Complaining About Gym Kids, These Old-School Boulderers Offer Them First Ascents (Daniel Bolding, Outside)
Para-climbing – extending the domain of the struggle between the huts (Hugues Lhopital, Vertige Media)
Indoor safety – what about falls while bouldering? (Laurence Guyon, La Fabrique Verticale)
Podcast: Tyler Willcutt – Agent For The Best Of The Best (Testpiece Climbing)

Comp Scene

For Routesetters

Nov 21: USAC Applications Due: 2026 Level 2 Clinics – 2026 Intern Positions – 2026 National Routesetter Position
Dec 9: Routesetting for Paraclimbers (online discussion ft. Nohl Haeckel) (Vortex Routesetting, CBJ)
New Climbing Holds and Volumes: November 2025 (CBJ)
How to set your day rate as a freelance routesetter? (The Movement Routesetting)

Industry Scene

Countdown Is on for Vertical Pro 2025 (Laurence Guyon, La Fabrique Verticale)
2025 indoor climbing market research published (ABC Walls)
Connected boards – the Kilter-Aurora case, autopsy of an addiction (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)
KAYA, or the battle of the guidebook in the digital age (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)

Training Tips

Dec 6: Everyone’s Better Than Me” – Helping Kids Through Comparison (Climbing Psychology)
Podcast: Connective Tissue Training for Strength, Resilience, and Performance (Eric Hörst, Training 4 Climbing)
Podcast: How to Optimize Your Skin for Peak Climbing Performance (The Struggle)
Video: Janja Garnbret – what can we learn from her in 2025? (Udo Neumann)

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.