Just a few thoughts

Over the past year you may have noticed more shares of international news and commentary (just hit “translate” on your browser). In particular I’ll shout out Vertige Media of France, whose editors tackle some of the toughest topics in our industry. A nice variety from them below this week.

Community & Culture

• Podcast: Old School Gyms vs Mega Gyms, Which Is Better for Climbers? (The Struggle)
• Is the climbing gym a dopamine machine? (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)
• Commercial climbing – when profitability erodes passion (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)
• Annual Report 2025 (Global Climbing Initiative)
• Video: How Bad is that for your Rope? (Hard Is Easy)

Comp Scene

• USA Ice Climbing Forms as an Independent Organization (AAC)
• USA Climbing’s National Training Center construction project jumps quarter-million-dollar hurdle (Steven Chua, Gripped)
• USA Climbing faces opposition from private climbing gyms over its future national center (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)
• New Australian Coaching Positions (Sport Climbing Australia)

Industry Scene

• Podcast: Profitability vs. People – REI Cuts Pay & Benefits (Rock Fight)
• Update – REI Cuts Pay and Benefits as Union Negotiations Break Down (Kate Robertson, Shop-Eat-Surf-Outdoor)
• Climb Up – CEO resigns amid unprecedented national strike (Matthew Amaré, Vertige Media)

For Managers

• Return on Investment in Certifying Staff, Part 2 (Heather Reynolds, CWA)
• Free and Inexpensive Marketing for Climbing Gyms (Carter Smith, CWA)
• A Structural Shift: Why Over 250 Climbing Gyms Have Chosen the Redpoint HQ Platform (CBJ)
• Video: AMGA-BLM Webinar on EXPLORE Act Title III Implementation (AMGA)

For Routesetters

• Apr 11-12: Pre-CWA Setting Workshop (Essential Climbing, CBJ)
• Video: New USAC x CWA Certification Integration (ft. Jeremy Ho)  (Vortex Routesetting, CBJ)
• Video: Bangkok Clutch 2025 – Bangkoks Biggest Bouldering competition (Beta Routesetting)
• Video: Inside the First-Ever U.S. Climbing Clinics with Movement Gyms x B-Pump (Movement Gyms)

Training Tips

• Podcast: Overtraining – The Causes and Consequences and How to Stop Doing It (TrainingBeta)
• Peakspan – The New Longevity Metric Every Athlete Should Care About (PhysiVāntage)
• Video: Journaling for Climbing and Training Webinar (Paradigm 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.