Just a few thoughts
After taking a break last week, plenty of good stuff to share this week, much of it from Europe. Videos and recaps from Vertical Pro. Perspectives on gyms, comps, grades, safety, and what climbing can mean for you. News and tips from the crags. Clinics, webinars, a shaping contest. And a few explorations about staff retention.
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Community & Culture
- From schools to private gyms – the great myth of climbing for all (Jean-Jacques Naëls, Vertige Media)
- Soft Grades, Hard Realities – How Europe’s Climbing Gyms Are Rewriting Difficulty (Euro Climbing News)
- Topless climbing – a symbol of the lack of inclusivity in French climbing gyms (Matthew Amaré, Vertige Media)
- Climbing accidents – the problem is no longer the equipment, it’s us (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)
- What if climbing could save us from the contemporary social void? (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)
Crag Scene
- Podcast: I’m Just A Climber (Alex Honnold, Climbing Gold)
- Podcast: Stay Frosty – The Rescue Matrix, with Pete Takeda and Jason Antin (AAC)
- 15 Tips for Better (Safer) Rock Climbing (Tom Ripley, UK Climbing)
- Tip of the Spear (Andrew Kornylak, Access Fund)
Comp Scene
- USA Climbing Unveils 2024 Impact Report (USAC)
- USA Climbing & Climbing Escalade Canada Announce the 2026 North American Cup Series Calendar (USAC)
- The IFSC Must Ban Israel From Climbing Competitions (Andrew Bisharat, Evening Sends)
- Para Climbing Set For Historica Four-Day Paralympic Debut at LA28 (IFSC)
- IFSC Visits Los Angeles as Climbing at LA28 Starts to Take Shape (IFSC)
From Vertical Pro
- Video: VerticalPro 2025 Part 1 – Part 2 (Beta Routesetting)
- Vertical Pro 2025 – Notes From a More Upbeat, but Subtly Changing, Trade Show (Euro Climbing News)
- Innovations Up High – Vertical Pro 2025 Showcases The Industry’s Future (Vertical Pro)
- Vertical Pro 2025 Reaffirms its Role as an Interdisciplinary Platform (Vertical Pro)
For Managers
- Dec 10: Planning Your Bouldering Padding (webinar ft. Jamey Sproull) (CBJ)
- Jan 26-30: Certification Summit in Florida (CWA)
- Organizer Tips for Bouldering Competitions – The Setter’s Archive (Scott Rennak, CBJ)
- Reducing the Opportunity Cost of Working in a Climbing Gym (Carter Smith, CWA)
- Retaining Your Climbing Gym Staff – An Exercise (Ashley Routson, CWA)
For Routesetters
- Dec 9: Routesetting for Paraclimbers (online discussion ft. Nohl Haeckel) (Vortex Routesetting, CBJ)
- 5 Tips for Getting Started as a Routesetter (feat. Steve Neff) (John Burgman, CBJ)
- International Hold Shapers Contest (Walltopia)
- Video: Jakes top 5 quali blocs from Bangkok Clutch (Beta Routesetting)
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.
