Just a few thoughts
It’s one of the worst aspects of climbing – accidents. They can cause terrible injuries to the climber, traumatize bystanders, and have the potential to devastate your business. One article this week says “it’s not if, it’s when”. Gym operators need to be ready – that begins before any climbing happens, through to that first minute after the accident. A variety of fresh resources on that topic below.
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Community & Culture
- Podcast: The Future of Board Climbing Comps (Testpiece Climbing)
- Janja Garnbret vs. Men – The Bad Genre Film (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)
- World’s Largest “Natural” Climbing Wall Faces Demolition for Bigger Highway (Samantha Macilwaine, Outside)
- Alex Honnold Will Climb a Skyscraper Live on Netflix in 2026 (Mary Andino, GearJunkie)
Comp Scene
- Kyra Condie and Campbell Harrison Nominated to Lead IFSC Athletes’ Commission (IFSC)
- 2025 Athletes’ Commission – Call for Nominations (Christiane Marceau, CEC)
- Video: Final Frontier With Simon Hibbeler (BetaBreakerz)
Crag Scene
- Podcast: The Future of Guide Books, a Kaya Interview (Sickos Social Club)
- Can Climbing Guidebooks Survive the Digital Age—and Do They Need To? (Gavin Feek, Outside)
- Booty or Bad Form? (Claire Williams, Vertical Life)
Industry Scene
- How Google is Helping Marketers Adapt to the First AI-Powered Holiday Season (Nicole Silberstein, Shop-Eat-Surf-Outdoor)
- REI Co-op to Close Three Stores Including NYC SoHo Flagship (Kate Kelleghan, Shop-Eat-Surf-Outdoor)
- Outdoor Retailer Moving to Minnesota, Announces New Leadership Direction (Kate Robertson, Shop-Eat-Surf-Outdoor)
For Managers
- Oct 27: Gym Operations & Customer Experience Roundtable (CWA)
- Oct 30: Less Risk, More Reward – Using Belay Orientation Videos in Your Facility (CWA)
- Oct 30: Aim 2 Change in London (ABC Walls)
- Someone Just Hit The Ground – What Happens Next? (Robert C. Angell, CWA)
- How to do Incident Response in a Climbing Gym (Gavin Heverly, Rise Above Consulting)
- Standardizing Entry to Your Climbing Gym Could Prevent Hassle (Or Worse) (Jake Byk, CWA)
For Routesetters
- Oct 14: What is the Future of Routesetting Education? (online discussion ft. Jackie Hueftle) (Vortex Routesetting, CBJ)
- Oct 21-25: Competition Routesetting Clinic in S Carolina (BlocHaven)
- Oct 27-30: Certification Summit in Colorado (CWA)
- Nov 11: Ready To Go Freelance? (online discussion ft. Nic Oklobzija) (Vortex Routesetting, CBJ)
- Dec 10-11: B-Pump x Movement Routesetting Clinic in Colorado (CBJ)
- Podcast: So You Want to Host a Comp? Nickolas Gagliardi (Holly Yu Tung Chen, CBJ)
Training Tips
- Podcast: Conquer the Pump (Eric Hörst, Training 4 Climbing)
- Podcast: Mindset Shifts That Led Us to V10 Bouldering (Kris Hampton, The Power Company)
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.
