REDMOND, OREGON — May 30, 2025 — ZIGZAG Climbing, the outdoor industry’s startup champion of seamless sustainability, is proud to unveil the official launch of its Impact Route activation at the 4th Annual Rally in the Valley competition, hosted by Valley Rock Gym in Corvallis, Oregon. The first-of-its-kind program embedded real environmental action directly into the fabric of climbing competition, and the results speak volumes: 234 pounds of ocean-bound plastic removed, one route at a time.
Born from the same ethos behind ZIGZAG’s Impact Chalk—a high-performance chalk that funds the removal of 1 lb. of ocean-bound plastic with every bag sold—Impact Routes are a natural extension of the brand’s mission: to create the highest-performance climbing gear with the most significant environmental impact of any on the market making real-world change seamless, scalable, and measurable.
“We believe Climbers care about the environment,” said Matt Hidalgo, Founder of ZIGZAG Climbing, “but the gear they use, and the industry as a whole, haven’t kept up. Much like our products, Impact Routes are a seamless integration of new-to-industry sustainability efforts and innovation.”
How It Works
Impact Routes are custom-designated climbs, integrated directly into the competition format. Every successful Top on an Impact Route removes 1 lb. of ocean-bound plastic. In finals, where pressure and performance peak, each Top removes 5 lbs., and each Zone adds another pound of impact. No gimmicks. No pledges. Just climbing—for the planet.
“Incorporating the Impact Routes was as easy as throwing up tags and giving 30 extra seconds to explain it to the climbers. ZIGZAG made it so easy, which added a ton of value on top of the excitement it drove at the competition for our members and team. Simple to integrate, and had a large payoff,” said Mark Frost, Floor Manager and Retail Buyer at Valley Rock Gym. “Having the Impact Route activation at our competition added a ton of value. Firstly, the simplicity of adding it to the competition and having it run itself is a key advantage. It drove a ton of excitement for the climbers and community by enabling them to change the world by doing what they’re already doing, like ZIGZAG’s whole goal with Impact Chalk. We had multiple climbers come up and tell the staff how awesome it was that we were doing this. One even said, ‘Just point me to the route that saves the earth and I’ll top it.’”
Competition Results & Community Response
The May 17 event welcomed 141 competitors and over 400 attendees, spanning divisions from Youth to Masters, across all gender identities. From that one-day activation alone, climbers collectively removed 234 lbs. of plastic waste bound for the ocean.
“Impact Routes added real value,” added Morgan Foster, owner of Valley Rock Gym. “Climbers are pretty environmentally conscious people, and having that extra element and ability to help save the environment and work towards a better future through your climbing definitely motivates people.”
ZIGZAG’s approach is more than a marketing hook—it’s a mission-driven partnership model. The activation requires zero heavy lifting from gyms, yet delivers high visibility, meaningful engagement, and measurable environmental benefit.
“ZIGZAG has put in more effort than any company ever has to truly make an impact in our community, and they’re just a startup,” Frost emphasized. “Do things right, treat people well, build a quality product, and the money will come.”
Seamless Sustainability, Nationwide
Following the success at Valley Rock Gym, ZIGZAG will continue scaling the Impact Route activation with partner gyms across the country. The vision? A national movement where climbers everywhere help clean the planet—without changing their routine.
“Sustainability doesn’t thrive in today’s world unless it is integrated seamlessly,” Hidalgo said. “It’s our mission to develop elevated products and partnerships that seamlessly incorporate new meaningful innovation alongside new-to-industry sustainability.”
Want to see more? Check out ZIGZAG’s article and video recapping their experience at the event.
About ZIGZAG Climbing
ZIGZAG Climbing is a sustainability-first climbing brand redefining the relationship between performance gear and environmental impact. With the launch of Impact Chalk and Impact Routes, ZIGZAG is setting a new bar for what climbers—and the gear they choose—can do for the world.
Media Contact:
Matt Hidalgo
Founder, ZIGZAG Climbing
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.zigzagclimbing.com
CBJ press releases are written by the sponsor and do not represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.
