As gyms around the country continue to reopen, a substantial contingent of people—comprised of fans, athletes, coaches, youth teams, judges, and would-be volunteers—are left to wonder how the ongoing pandemic woes will impact climbing competitions. At the elite level, the IFSC has rescheduled several of its continental championships, all of which have Olympic implications. For example, the IFSC’s European Championships, originally slated to take place in June, will now be held from October 1 to 8; the African Championships that were supposed to happen in March will now be held from December 10-13. At the national level, USA Climbing recently announced the cancellation of several national championships—while leaving open the possibility of the 2020 Open Sport and Speed National Championships still occurring at a later date.
But cancellations and postponements of previously scheduled events featuring top-level climbers do not tell the full competition story. The fact is, as long as the Coronavirus exists and remains a risk factor for gyms around the country, it will affect local competitions—events long considered to be cornerstone activities for building and bolstering a climbing community in a given market. A prime example would be the Boise Olympics, a fun-filled community climbing competition that was scheduled to take place in July at The Commons in Boise, Idaho. The pandemic forced the temporary closure of the gym and the cancellation of the competition altogether. And, The Commons and the entire gym industry now grapples with whether—and how—mitigation strategies such as social distancing and scrupulous cleaning could be applied to the crowded and highly social settings of local competitions down the road.
CBJ caught up with The Commons’ head routesetter, Gary Mattos, and The Commons’ co-owner, Clint Colwell, to talk about it all—and paint a picture of what local competitions might look like at gyms going forward.
Clint Colwell, founder of The Commons (left), and Gary Mattos, head routesetter (right). All images courtesy of The Commons
CBJ: No reason to beat around the bush, so let’s start out with the big question: What is the future of comp climbing in a world with COVID-19?
Mattos: I think it’s anyone’s guess. Right now we don’t know what normal life will look like in the future, let alone something as non-essential as climbing competitions. Given that we are allowed to participate in a competition, I think it will look very different. The crowd cheering, the high fives and the party will have to be put on hold. With some thought and some caution, it’s still possible for athletes to be able to test themselves while social distancing, but it’ll take a lot of work and coordination.
Colwell: This all depends on how our mitigation strategies are working—I’m thinking the local and federal government here—and how well the gym’s policies are working. Can we control the risk for contracting COVID with the policies (or variations) we currently have, or will we need to shut down again? When we built our reopen policies we built them thinking about possibly needing to do this for the foreseeable future, potentially years. Basically, until we have a vaccine or some therapeutic that makes COVID-19 a minor threat, we are going to need to keep the same measures that are working to control COVID in place during a comp. As of right now, that means social distancing, sanitization, and great hand-hygiene to combat the inability to sanitize holds between climbers.
CBJ: So, with social distancing, sanitization, etc., is it safe to say that the logistics of local competitions will change?
Mattos: My guess is local competitions will start looking more like championship-level competitions: onsight format, one judge per zone, with zones separated and a limited number of climbers in isolation. And I don’t see a way to hold a comp with an audience. Live broadcast for parents, coaches, and other spectators
Colwell: I agree with Gary, there’s no way to adhere to social distancing protocol and have a live audience unless they are watching via some streaming service or you have a very large space to sit people. The six-foot group density requirements make for a pretty sparse crowd, and I think the energy would be significantly altered. This basically necessitates an onsight format with the thoughts that Gary mentioned right now. Hopefully things are looking up in a couple months, but right now it seems like a large competition would be a prime place to spread a significant number of new COVID-19 cases.
The two largest logistical issues in my mind are wiggle room for the timing of competitors showing up, and having quality enough video that you can watch people climb and be engaged; in other words, a phone camera is probably not going to cut it.
The Commons was planning to hold an inaugural local competition called the Boise Olympics—but the pandemic changed all that. Local comps will have to be systematically organized very differently going forward.
CBJ: How about for the competitors themselves—what sort of mitigation strategies will they experience?
Mattos: Each participant will be screened. Athletes will need to be free of any symptoms and have their temperatures taken before entering iso. Athletes will need to wear masks, wash their hands upon entering isolation and then hand-sanitize between each climb.
We will have to think about where our athletes are coming from too. How far of a radius do we allow athletes to come from? I don’t think it’s an easy answer, but right now Idaho is encouraging out of state visitors to quarantine for 14 days, so it sounds like out of state athletes might not be an option.
Colwell: Gary nailed this one. Most of these measures we’re already observing so that is not an issue. The big one is the radius of participation. If the authorities are allowing participants to compete from outside the local community that’s great, but we need to have this in mind when advertising.
CBJ: So the days of climbers and volunteers crowding together on the gym floor, mingling and hanging out during and after the competition, are long gone?
Mattos: Unfortunately, I imagine they’re gone for now. It just puts too many people at risk. I know a lot of people climb in comps for the comradery and atmosphere, but for now the driving motivation will have to be competition and testing yourself.
Colwell: Yeah, no crowds. It’s a sad thing to think about, but in a time when we are not supposed to have other people within 6ft. radius bubbles we can’t have a large crowd in a gym.
CBJ: By nature competitors must climb the same routes at competitions. There has been a lot of confusion about the CDC’s information on the virus living on hard surfaces, but it does bring up the question of whether route-sharing by competitors could be problematic—or at least unwise.
Mattos: Climbers will have to wear masks and use hand sanitizer before each climb—and after standing up from the rest chair. We’ll have to remind athletes not to touch their face and be extra aware of their hand hygiene too.
Colwell: Adding on Gary’s comment, a mask greatly reduces face touches and reduces the viral load on the climbing holds. Obviously we cannot sanitize every hold after every competitor. However, by reducing face touches, cleaning your hands between climbs, and social distancing we should be able to effectively reduce exposure.
Keys to holding local competitions (at The Commons, pictured here, or anywhere) will be largely the same keys to reopening, says Colwell—social distancing, sanitizing and hand-hygiene.
CBJ: Let’s talk more about competitors’ isolation spaces—how might that change?
Mattos: I don’t think there is a gym in the nation that has the space to allow a full category of climbers in an isolation area while maintaining social distancing. We would have to implement some sort of rolling check in for isolation. For example, climbers 1 through 8 would be allowed to check in for iso 30 minutes prior to the start of the round. As soon as climber 1 steps out of iso for the first problem we let climber 9 in and so on.
Colwell: Isolation needs to be large enough to support roughly eight people and still follow social distancing protocols. We think eight because climbers will have roughly four minutes per climb during the onsight round, and that will give people in iso about 30 minutes to warm up before they are called out to climb. Possibly have coaching “boxes” (like basketball) where coaches can be in during iso. You would need a judge in iso to keep folks distanced as well—and coaches could be playing that role too.
CBJ: The moral here is that local competitions will look very different.
Mattos: Competitors who want the competitive aspect would still enjoy this format because they will still get to compete. Competitors who want the social aspect of climbing competitions probably would not enjoy this format. There are a lot of athletes out there that want to be in front of a crowd and enjoy the spotlight. This format might not give them that aspect of competition that they’re used to, but it might get some competitors that don’t like the crowds and the pressure to try out their first climbing competition.
Colwell: For our demographic we don’t think this format we described would be as fun for spectators—and probably not as much fun for competitors. Our community likes the social aspect and excitement of cheering each other on and the spectacle of finals—who doesn’t? But, the conclusion we’ve reached about COVID-19: it is irresponsible to hold a big party-style comp at this time. This is heartbreaking for us, but we think it’s the correct conclusion for now. I am hopeful that some new piece of info will come along that allows us—the collective us—to effectively mitigate risk of COVID-19 transmission in a large group setting so we can get back to throwing big community party-style comps. But until that time, I believe that competition formats will need to change, and we will need to look for other ways to build the community and get non-competitors involved in comps. Hopefully discussions like this lead to some new ideas.
Welcome to the first “monthly wrap” in cooperation with Climbing Hold News Reviews where we will bring you the latest in climbing holds, macros and volumes. We hope you love this as much as we do!
The climbing hold industry is at a very interesting point right now with COVID-19 and some would say it’s been flipped on its head. For example: Who would have ever thought that hangboards would be the hottest and most sought after items on the market? Who would have also thought thousands of new home climbing walls would go up around the world?
May was also a bittersweet month for the industry as we should have been hanging out, touching holds and climbing at the Climbing Wall Assocation Summit 2020. We should have been route setting at Wooden Mountain with Heel Hook Harry, while instead most of us are still on stay at home orders at home. There is a silver lining which is that many of the holds that were supposed to be debuting at this conference are starting to trickle out and they look better than ever. At least we all still got to vote on our favorites as the CBJ Grip List 2020 results which will be published later this month.
// NEW DEVELOPMENTS //
Method Grips
Method Grips announces the latest family of holds shaped by owner Andy Nelson which are called the Moesjin line (pronounced Mo-GIN pictured in lime green) which roughly translates in Korean to “slick.” They have also announced the latest family offering from master shaper Louie Anderson with the Stratum line (pictured in standard green). These are a series of positive holds ranging from incut crimps to double hand roof jugs which aim to combine the feel of climbing outside and the comfort of climbing indoors. methodgrips.com
Menagerie Climbing Holds
Menagerie known for their polyurethane holds, is releasing wooden volumes in partnership with Blocz. These volumes have been designed in 3D and many have been designed to be mirrored in production. menagerieclimb.com
Kilter Climbing Grips / Urban Plastix
Kilter and Urban Plastix have released a slew of new grips recently. They are expanding their Granite Complex line with several more new Incuts, Pinches and Features as well as more Brushed Sandstone. Urban Plastix has added Regs jugs, pinches, and deep pockets and more Ditches slots and pinches. UP is also developing a new line called Stratos. The Kilter Board now has three nested sizes – 7×10, 8×12, and 12×12 – with adjustable frame options for each. The 20k+ problem database grows daily as people add new blocs. A new board specifically for home users is being developed as well so stay tuned. That layout will work on Grasshopper’s adjustable Ninja Board, the Kumiki Everactive Wall and Lemur Wall Design’s upcoming crossfit-cage mounted frame. settercloset.com
Decoy Climbing Holds
Decoy has dropped 13 new sets shaped by Dan Yagmin which are expansions of the existing hold lines including the minimalist family, dual texture limestone, rollie family and schist family. The new releases include many types of holds including deep jugs, crimps, dual texture stumps, huge pinches, screw on edges and more. decoy-holds.comImage courtesy blaineimages.com
So iLL
So iLL has officially released their new LEV3L fiberglass macros shaped by Jason Kehl. These are the largest holds in the Level family (which is the newest family of holds they have released) and are designed to be mirrored to create a 90-degree surface when used together. soillholds.com
Ibex Climbing Holds
Ibex is releasing the Alpha range shaped by Dario Stefanou which consists of a growing range including 35 sets of 209 unique holds. 20 sets of 117 holds are PE (polyester) and 15 sets of 92 holds are PU (polyurethane) though there are plans to continue expanding this family into 2020 and 2021. The expansive family includes jugs, pinches, slopers, crack features, edges, crimps, pocket and foot holds) in all sizes from extra small to giga holds. They will be available soon through Compass Climbing owned by Mark Bradley who is the distributor for Ibex and Thrill Seeker in the United States and Canada. ibexholds.com
Grizzly Holds
Grizzly is based out of Canada and is entering their sophomore year of creating grips. They recently released a series of Dual Texture screw-ons named the Microbes family. These holds started showing up already on social media on home walls less than 1 week after their release. This brand won the People’s Choice category on the CBJ Grip List 2019. grizzlyholds.com
Splitter Climbing
Splitter based out of Salt Lake City, UT is known for their wooden Crack Trainer volumes, but has recently expanded into the area of climbing holds. Their initial offerings are simple shapes – the Pure Cobbles (pictured in yellow) which are made to mimic the cobbles of Maple Canyon climbing, Fractured Edges (green) which are mimicking granite holds ranging from incut to slopers and the Geo Edges (black) which are sleek linear / flat shapes. splitterclimbing.com
Mimic Holds
Mimic is owned and operated by Clayton and Cole Hardacre, using 3D scanning and 3D printing to replicate real outdoor rock climbs. The two brothers founded the company in 2018 and have developed technologies that use the 3D printing approach. A select number of sets are available now at mimicholds.com, with many more available soon. mimicholds.com
Endure Climbing
Endure is a small batch hold company based out of Richmond, VA. They first caught our attention last year when their debut family the Slabbers were featured in a local gym competition at Peak Experiences. Since then they have expanded their hold families to include a stackable Teacup set and Knob shapes. They have also recently released a couple sets targeting home walls named Meddlers and Vanguards. climbendure.com
Wataaah!
Solo Stile which is owned by Enrico Baistrocchi, has been distributing German brand Wataaah! in the US since 2018. They have just released their brand-new systems holds designed for home wall or commercial use, the Dojo Training Sets. This is a series of dual texture holds designed to be used on overhanging walls 20 – 45 degrees featuring crimps / edges / pinches / feet, with fine texture which are attachable via wood screws. wataaah.de/en
Blue Pill
Blue Pill has produced a colorful rainbow version of the Fiber Impressions. These were a special order by their friend and longtime customer Walter Fritz. Is this the future of macros? bluepill-climbing.com
Unleashed Climbing
Unleashed shaper Will Watkins has been very busy in Australia during this Quarantine. He has shaped a set of edges in full texture and dual texture named Boarderline featuring edges of different sizes. Unleashed’s European website is also coming soon which will bring many new holds. unleashedclimbing.com
// NEW BRANDS //
Robin Hood Climbing Holds
Robin Hood’s first lines are by shaper Andy Nelson of Method Grips. Their Homewall pack features 50 holds that includes 10 jugs, 10 edges, 5 slopers, 5 pinches and 10 feet with a teardrop aesthetic. The other lines include the Webs which are positive holds with a thumb catch web design, the Wimples which are super positive ear-like holds and a screw-on line. robinhoodclimbing.com
Zinger Grips
Zinger is a new hold company based out of Memphis, TN. Their inaugural Lunar line is a combination of pinches, edges, crimps, pockets, slopers and several larger features. zingergrips.com
Megalith Climbing
Megalith is a new hold company from Salt Lake City, UT. They are debuting with small shapes in 3 families, the Exo, Flow and Hewn series. Per their website the Flow series utilizes a subtle dual texture to approximate wet, rivulet worn limestone. The Exo series features dual textures with shapes that draw inspiration from living creatures, and the Hewn series features weathered limestone details. megalithclimbing.com
Upah Holds
Upah is a new climbing brand based in Portugal manufacturing polyurethane holds. They have launched with a few families including the Mongo family which includes crimps, slopers and jugs with a smooth left or right-handed thumb catch on the side of each holds. Also coming soon is the Foldz family which features huecos, pockets, half-moon holds and big feet which are designed after fabric folding on itself. They have also released a new capsule-based hangboard recently as well. upaholds.com
When the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis hit, the climbing industry was rightly quick to report on the widespread gym closures. A vast majority of the gyms in the United States and Canada, deemed non-essential businesses, were forced to temporarily cease operations in order to help slow the virus’ spread. After a few months, beginning in early May, those myriad closed gyms began to reopen. But lost amid that shift was another important category: gyms whose grand openings were scheduled to happen right around the time the pandemic was in full-force.
Climberz, a bouldering-only facility in Tea, South Dakota, was one such gym. Now, months after it was originally scheduled to have its public unveiling, Climberz went forward with its opening—making it perhaps the first new climbing gym to open while Coronavirus remains a threat. But any news announcement about the gym’s opening doesn’t tell the full story, so CBJ sat down with Climberz’ owner Travis Klinghagen to get more details about founding a gym amid a global pandemic.
Travis Klinghagen, founder and owner of Climberz in Tea, South Dakota. All images courtesy of Climberz
CBJ: You’re one of the first climbing gyms—if not the first—to open in this new era, whether we want to call it a “pandemic period” or a “post-pandemic period.” Suffice to say, things are different now.
Klinghagen: Yeah, we were planning to open in the beginning of April. But when this all hit, we had to postpone everything and kind of wait it out. Luckily, in South Dakota, we don’t have the greatest numbers of cases, so everything is a little more free and open right now. Everything is kind of going back to—I wouldn’t say “normal,” but we’re trying to get through as best we can.
CBJ: When you say you had to “postpone everything,” what did that entail?
Klinghagen: We had already signed our lease, and we had already started construction. All that was underway. So we had to talk with our landlord. Fortunately, he worked with us and basically allowed us to continue construction and defer our payments until a later time. So that really helped us out.
The delay gave us enough time to do things that we wanted to do but maybe wouldn’t have been able to do because we were on a short timeline for construction. So, the postponement actually gave us a little more breathing room to finish some things that we really wanted to do. We added some square footage to our facility and actually made it a better gym. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t open exactly when we wanted to, but I think it worked out. There’s kind of a silver lining there. The way that our gym is, we don’t have a huge staff, and we don’t have a huge management team. It’s basically just me and my father. We were doing all of the construction.
Klinghagen and his father designed and built Climberz’ bouldering walls.
CBJ: Was there ever a time during the pandemic crisis and the spread when you were thinking that you’d be forced to scrap the idea of opening a gym altogether?
Klinghagen: At the beginning, it was very confusing. It still is confusing. It’s a hard time to figure out what to do—and what the right thing to do is. When the pandemic first hit, we didn’t know how long it was going to be, and I couldn’t just hold off on opening indefinitely. It was definitely stressful, but I never really thought that we wouldn’t get through it. I always thought we would find a way to get this to work in some form or fashion. I talked with people and other gym owners—and the people who I am working with, my landlord. We kept the lines of communication open. As long as I did that, it felt like we were all in it together instead of just me freaking out by myself.
CBJ: When did you first start working on the gym?
Klinghagen: If we’re talking about our opening in June 2020, that would be a three-year-long endeavor. And it morphed into a bunch of different versions over that time. When I first got the idea to open a climbing gym, it was going on a bigger-scale version where we would need bank financing. Over time, we just kind of picked away at that initial idea. We actually did get bank financing eventually, but we chose to do a different route. We chose to not go with any financing and just open a smaller version [4,100-square-feet] of a bouldering facility. That’s what we will start off with, and we can then build that into bigger spaces and some different types of climbing.
CBJ: I can’t help but wonder how things might have been different if this pandemic had hit and you had stayed with your bigger plan—with significant bank financing and whatnot.
Klinghagen: If things had transpired the same way but we had started the process at a bigger version—where we needed financing—I don’t know, it’s kind of hard to speculate how things would have turned out. But I’m sure construction would have completely halted. As it turned out, we were still able to come in here every day—because it was just me and my dad—and work on it. Since I couldn’t really work at my other job [as a sports performance trainer] during this time, the gym construction was a nice outlet for staying busy and moving forward during the uncertain time.
CBJ: It’s interesting to think about how this pandemic might influence other new climbing gym owners in the future, especially regarding factors such as facility size.
Klinghagen: Yeah, it is interesting. I think people—especially now—are going to want to get out and experience new activities. This is an activity in our area that very few people have been exposed to. So, our square footage isn’t huge, but getting people exposed to climbing here might lead them to something new. We had to look at why we were opening a gym. And the reason was to build a climbing community and help the community, instead of thinking about bringing a huge, flashy facility into the area. If we do grow into a bigger facility someday so that we can build a bigger community, that would be great. But we had to start somewhere and we thought this was the most sensible way to do that.
A view of some of the gym’s training and climbing areas from above.
CBJ: Have you instituted any mitigation protocols or guidelines, similar to what a lot of the reopened gyms have rolled out?
Klinghagen: I think for us to battle this properly is just to use our heads and be as sensible as possible. All of our routes have been spaced apart more than they normally would be. They’re like zones. We’re going to recommend that everyone who comes in washes their hands. And another line of defense that I’ve been talking to other people about is liquid chalk. We’re only going to be using liquid chalk, and our chalk supplier for that is 8b+. Also, our capacity is going to be at 50 percent instead of all-out. We don’t have any plans to do any reservations or anything like that, but as long as we feel like the spacing between people is adequate, we’ll roll with the punches.
I also have a cleaner—my maintenance guy has this product that is able to mist over the whole facility. We use a cordless paint sprayer to mist it on the whole wall. We do that every night.
CBJ: Is that a proprietary cleaner that your maintenance person made?
Klinghagen: He found it through one of his suppliers in California. It ended up here and he thought it’d be a great fit for us. It’s called Bioesque. It’s an all-natural formula and it doesn’t need to be wiped off at all; you can just spray it and leave it. It doesn’t build up any residue. Since it’s plant-based, it’s friendly for everyone who is in the gym. It’s a pretty solid option for us.
CBJ: How did you land on June 1st as the new opening date?
Klinghagen: By the beginning of May, businesses in our area were being allowed to open up. But we decided to wait a little longer just to see where things were headed. From my knowledge, things are kind of in a controlled situation here in the Sioux Falls area—the health system is able to handle what is going on. We are not out of control. June seemed like a time where…if people decided they wanted to come climb and partake in it, we could be open for them. As long as we are being smart with it, we thought it would be an OK option for an opening date.
CBJ: The concept of businesses reopening has been polarizing around the country. How have the people in your community responded to news that you’re opening?
Klinghagen: So far, the response has been positive. I haven’t had anyone here have any problems with it. I’m sure there are people—it’s a confusing time. I can’t speculate on the future or how things will unfold. As long as we’re being respectful of people, I think we’re making the right decision in opening. I’m not asking people to go out of their way to come and climb; we have a facility that is ready, and we’re going to keep it as clean as possible—so if people feel comfortable about that, we’ll be here for them.
Although far from ideal, the pandemic allowed owner Travis Klinghagen more time to put finishing touches on the gym’s interior. All images courtesy of Climberz
ClimberzTea, South Dakota
Specs: 4,100-square-foot bouldering facility opened on June 1st, a date that was pushed back a few months as a result of the pandemic. The facility will include amenities such as a pro shop with gear and snacks, a “Climbers’ Lounge” with ample casual seating, a Tension Board and adjustable spray wall, as well as an all-purpose fitness area with hangboards, elastic bands, and kettlebells. The gym will also include a party space, although the area will be closed at first due to COVID-19 mitigation efforts.
The gym offers space for climbing and also parties, the latter of which will be on hold at first.Walls & Flooring: The bouldering walls were homemade by the owner and his father, and the padded flooring was provided by Minnesota-based Perfect Landing.
CRM Software: Rock Gym ProWebsite: SDClimberz.comIn Their Words: “My family and my friends and the outdoors have always brought life into my life. That’s the great thing about climbing—first, the whole family can do it, and second, I haven’t made more friends in any other activity as quickly and easily as I have with climbing. That all transfers into this gym. In South Dakota, especially on the east side, it’s very flat and there aren’t a lot of options for climbing. So, an indoor setup really works out pretty well. But it also goes into the lifestyle that I want to create and the journey that I want to go down in building a community—making it so that I can feed that outdoorsiness to be happy in my life.”
—Travis Klinghagen, Owner
[To read a full interview with Klinghagen on what it’s like to open a new gym during a pandemic, click here.]
This week’s CBJ Homewall of the Week is an all-wood coronavirus build from across the pond. Owner Duncan McCallum put his wood-working skills to good use for this system wall in his garage in Inverness, Scotland. See past homewalls here.
How long did it take you to build?
Two long days including research (hardly any) driving to Inverness Scotland from home to the local Home Depot (B&Q here) before the entire country went into lock down. I took a total flyer on the design and the materials and winged it – the chains, fixings and design. I have built two other home walls before and I knew that 40 degrees was only good for me once I had warmed up properly so it needed to tilt. Fire door hinges make it tiltable and they are rated to 150kg a pair (it uses two pairs). First day I started to build at 4pm after the rushed shop. Finished that night at 11pm. Second day I had to go early to a big industrial supplier (1st day of lockdown) as they were continuing to service builders for a few more hours before they completely closed, there got the hinges and some sika glue for the bolt/wall fixing. That day I worked until 6pm. So, 20 hours of woodwork and fixing not including holds. 2 hours driving and thinking.
Not including holds and padding, how much did it cost you to build?
The cost was £230 including all the fixing screws for the holds. I overspent on some masonry bolts bit there was little or no waste.
Did anything in particular inspire your wall design?
The inspiration was partly Malcolm Smith’s legendary bedroom wall from the 80’s. You don’t get strong, he said, if you hang on resin holds on a small wall. Wood makes you concentrate on gripping and it means you can repeat moves often and save your skin. I wanted to build a proper system board as I felt that with such a small space a system board would give me the best training effects. I know I can move on rock, so a pure bouldering wall would almost be a waste of space. So a system board it is.
What was the most difficult aspect of the design and build?
Lifting the complete board off the garage floor with the kick board attached. It is too heavy for one person to lift safely. This build was a total one person build. So I used my crevasse self-rescue knowledge and built a 3-1 pulley system on a Petzl Traction hauling pulley to lift it up to the point where I could push the kick board into position. I had no idea it would work but very satisfying when it did. “Jammy” (which in Scots means I was lucky it worked out with no plan).
What would you do differently?
I would have bought some more uncut softwood 2x4s before the shut down, so I could shape some more holds, the ultimate distraction. This would have given me multiple excuses to avoid the other lockdown household jobs such as the weeding, and window cleaning, which are now beginning to press in as things to do. After all you can only do so much coffee drinking, yoga and training before the horror of the turbo trainer becomes something I can not put off any more. So more wood to spend hours hand sanding so I have a legit excuse to avoid doing all the other jobs and the bits of the training program such as the turbo trainer, which is butt hell boredom.
What is your favorite aspect?
So satisfying to do this so fast with little planning and not all the correct tools, I had to improvise a bit to make it work, I really enjoyed it!
Any words of wisdom to aspiring homewallers?
I feel bolt-ons for a small indoor wall are not going to give to the best training effects, wood is harder to climb on, and kinder on the skin. Also you can shave off bits if you find it all gets too easy in time. It is a lovely medium to work with. I have built both styles at home in the past and wood is my preference. Also if you can, make it tilt, so you can warm into really at-limit moves and then train endurance systems at the easier angles. Have fun building it and do not rush to place all the holds straight away. Play on it and most importantly build it so it tests and works your weaknesses, not flatters your ego. Good music and pull hard. Fun seeing my partner getting into this as well as it requires a training attitude.
Want us to consider your woodie for a future Homewall of the Week? Submit your homewall here to be considered. If yours is chosen you’ll win a prize pack like this (varied prizes each week):
Image by Black Lives Matter
A number of climbing gyms have taken to social media to express support and solidarity for the most recent nationwide protests against systemic racism and police brutality.
On February 23rd, Ahmaud Arbery was killed by a former police officer while jogging in his neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia. Breonna Taylor, an EMT, was killed on March 13th after officers forced their way inside her home in Louisville, Kentucky. Most recently, George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25th.
These events―and many others―have sparked ongoing unrest in major cities and metropolitan areas around the United States. Protests have also been taking place in Toronto, Berlin, Copenhagen, London and other places around the world.
On Sunday, May 31st, Planet Granite posted a message that read in part, “What happened to George Floyd (and countless others) is wrong. Many of us may not fully understand or have experienced something like this and maybe even feel a bit helpless. Don’t. We need to support the differences that make us stronger as a community.”
The post was soon shared by regional Planet Granite Instagram accounts, including Planet Granite Santa Clara, Planet Granite San Francisco and Planet Granite Portland.
The same message was also shared on the Instagram accounts of Earth Treks and Movement Climbing + Fitness. Earth Treks, Movement and Planet Granite all share the same parent company.
On the same day, Edgeworks Climbing in Tacoma, Washington, posted a message that stated, “We stand in solidarity with those speaking out against systematic racism in our country, demanding justice and change.”
A wave of climbing gyms showing their support has poured in this week. The Cliffs at LIC, a gym based in the New York City metro area, reposted a message from the nonprofit organization known as the Outdoor Alliance. The message stated: “Recent events, including Ahmaud Arbery being murdered while he was out for a jog, and Christian Cooper being threatened while birdwatching in Central Park, are the latest in a long and shameful string of injustices toward Indigenous, black, and brown individuals outdoors.”
In Colorado, The Spot shared a quote from Barack Obama on Facebook alongside a picture of the memorial site for George Floyd. In Indiana, Hoosier Heights called out racism and hatred in general: “We at Hoosier Heights stand in solidarity with the Black community as we work together to create a more just and equitable society. Racism and hatred have no place in climbing or in our community.”
In New Orleans, the New Orleans Boulder Lounge cancelled all 6pm and 8pm climbing sessions this week and urged climbers to attend the demonstrations instead: “We realize that these changes may cause you inconvenience or annoyance. We hope you understand that these things pale in comparison to the harms of white supremacy and police brutality.”
Multiple climbing gyms have been encouraging donations to social justice organizations. Summit Climbing, which operates seven gyms in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma City areas, announced that all locations will be holding fundraisers for Color of Change, “a progressive nonprofit civil rights advocacy organization.” Summit posted on its Instagram account: “Our country is hurting right now. Our cities, our communities, are hurting right now. We want you to know that we see you, and we stand in solidarity with you. We will not be silent. We will fight racism and injustice with you. We want to hear you, to learn with you, to champion you.”
Oso Climbing Gym, also in Dallas, posted a message that read, “Fear, injustice and violence are facts of life for black Americans. Things must change, and we stand in solidarity with you.” Oso announced that it will exchange day passes for donation receipts this week; customers who show donation receipts on June 5th will be allowed to climb at the gym for free that day. A message on Oso’s Instagram account announcing the initiative specifically recommended a number of organizations for donations, including Color of Change, Black Youth Project 100 and The Sentencing Project.
Also in Texas, Austin-based Crux Climbing Center announced they are matching donations to several groups through June 3rd. “As a business built on community, we cannot be silent when a part of our community suffers. We have a responsibility to not only speak up, but to take action,” reads their post, which includes links to Black Lives Matter, Campaign Zero, NAACP and Austin Justice Coalition for donations.
Boulder Rock Club shared a donation link to Black Lives Matter, which was “founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer,” according to the organization’s website. Boulder Rock Club’s post on Instagram stated: “Black Lives Matter. The Boulder Rock Club supports our Black members, guests, community members and climbers. We condemn all forms and acts of racism and discrimination.”
In Portland, Oregon, The Circuit also encouraged donations to Black Lives Matter, as well as Black Visions Collective, Reclaim the Block, and the Portland branch and Legal Defense Fund of the NAACP. An Instagram post read: “We are heartbroken + angered by the continued injustices against black lives in our city, in our state, and in our country.”
Nosotros, a nonprofit climbing gym in Cleveland, began selling t-shirts in order to raise proceeds for the George Floyd Memorial Fund: “Was Floyd’s asphyxiation wrong? Absolutely. Does racial injustice need to suffocate? Undeniably. Will broken windows result in change? Hopefully. Should Nosotros try to help? Immediately.”
Several climbing brands have also been posting messages on social media. A message from Organic Climbing read in part, “As Minnesota natives, we watched our old stomping grounds burn and witnessed our country’s raw pain laid bare…The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and an outrageous number of others, including last year, Osaze Osagie in our Pennsylvania town, expose the deeply broken systems and institutions in our country.”
Tension Climbing emphasized in an Instagram post the long history of racism in America preceding the protests: “It’s important to understand that this is coming 400yrs too late. Our country is and has been denying basic human rights to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and we must stand in solidarity against White Supremacy, Systemic Racism, and Police Brutality.”
An Instagram post from The North Face stated, “We know and acknowledge that for too long, racism has made the world unequal and unsafe. We recognize the pain and suffering racism has caused and are making a commitment to be part of the solution. We are standing up, because we owe it to everyone affected, ourselves and you.”
Professional Athletes Speak Out
A number of elite American climbers have been using their personal social media accounts as platforms for public messaging on the topics of Floyd’s death, racism and social justice. Those who released messages on Instagram, either as posts or stories, included Sean Bailey, Nathaniel Coleman, Kyra Condie, Margo Hayes, Alex Johnson, Kai Lightner, Daniel Woods and Ashima Shiraishi. Shiraishi, using the hashtags #blacklivesmatter and #nojusticenopeace, listed several organizations for donations, including Black Lives Matter, Reclaim the Block, Brooklyn Community Bail Fund and Black Visions Collective.
Behind the Desk…is a series that interviews people who are part of the climbing industry—those who run companies, manage staff, create innovative new products, and own gyms. While some gyms have reopened, other gyms, including Reach Climbing in Philadelphia, remain temporarily closed during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. So, CBJ reached out to the owner of Reach Climbing, Michael Feinberg, to talk about the ongoing pandemic and get some details about creative ways Reach is keeping members engaged.
Michael Feinberg, owner of Reach Climbing. All photos courtesy of Reach ClimbingName: Michael Feinberg
Title: Owner, Reach ClimbingLocation: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
CBJ: Can you frame this pandemic a bit by explaining specifically how it has affected Reach Climbing?
FEINBERG: As a young gym, the pandemic has put us in a difficult position to say the least. We have been closed since March 15, and next week will be Reach’s first anniversary. We had so much momentum with building a growing community and staff. It’s tough to see something like this stop our progress. We have been able to retain all full-time employees through the lockdown, but unfortunately we had to let the part-time staff go. The decision was really difficult, but there was no way to keep everyone on. At this point we are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel.
Our area of Pennsylvania continues to be under a stay-at-home order through early June. It is unlikely gyms will be allowed to open when that is lifted. The most difficult thing is not knowing when it will end. The feeling is really frustration over the uncertainty of state regulations and their impact on our future. All that being said, the community has been amazing: laid-off staff asking how they can help, members contributing any way they can, etc. That part has been really uplifting.
CBJ: Speaking of staff, how does a gym owner deal with the team in a time like this?
FEINBERG: There was the initial shock of the closure and getting past the layoffs. Nothing is harder than having to let people go—even if the intention is to eventually hire them back. Those that remained bonded in a way I hadn’t seen in almost a year of them working together. We also had to pivot dramatically to the needs of the community. Job descriptions went out the window as the staff was pushed into creating online content and researching safety protocols.
Our goal during the closure is simple: Keep the community engaged and try to provide value. We did this by continuing our fitness class schedule online, providing physical therapy/recovery videos, training routines for members, interviews with local climbing leaders, humorous parody videos. Here is a great example. The staff had to turn into interviewers, editors, and online gurus. It’s a new world, but I am proud of the work they have done.
Drive-In Movie Night, one of the creative ways that Reach is keeping members stoked.
CBJ: Your Gym is doing a Drive-In Movie Night to engage the community but still adhere to social distancing. I’ve never heard of a gym doing a drive-in before. Where did that idea come from?
FEINBERG: We wanted to do something special for our anniversary. Our staff was brainstorming and our Director of Routesetting brought the idea. We really wanted to engage the community and safely bring people together. We are hanging a 20-foot screen in our parking lot and allowing up to 40 cars to attend. The response has been amazing. All attendees will be given a Reach-branded mask, drink Koozie, and have the option to purchase new shirts designed from a recent online contest.
CBJ: What’s your gut feeling about the future of the indoor scene…all these gyms reopening with limited capacity and spread out routes? Is this what indoor climbing will now look like in perpetuity?
FEINBERG: I hope not, but that’s the way it looks for the foreseeable future. We are all looking toward those gyms that are fortunate enough to reopen to see what works and what doesn’t work. Reach is positioned well, at least in the sense that we are a modern, open gym; excess space was built into the design for comfort. We have much more room than some of the older or more cramped bouldering gyms. This gives us some comfort, but at the end of the day climbing is a social sport. Gyms are social—interaction and community are encouraged. There will always be demand from existing climbers, but the sport can’t grow under these conditions.
Reach Climbing is temporarily closed, but ready to reopen when the time comes.
CBJ: Something that is not getting talked about a lot with these reopening protocols is how youth teams will be impacted. I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts on this as it relates to your gym.
FEINBERG: We have spent a lot of time thinking about this. We were scheduled to host the USA Climbing Youth Sport and Speed National Championships for a second time this July, which unfortunately was called off last week. I am a product of the youth climbing system and kids programming has always been a priority for us. From the beginning of the closure we’ve maintained our team practice schedule. All practices are done through Zoom with the head coach three times a week. We feel this is worthwhile for a number of reasons. The kids keep up a level of fitness during quarantine, the camaraderie of the team is maintained, and the parents are relieved of duty during this time (as a parent with daycare closed, for me this would be huge). In this way we hope to be keeping the team together.
The challenge will be how the initial in-person practices will be structured. Groups will likely need to be limited. We are also fortunate in that one of our expansion projects is a youth-specific training facility located next to our main gym. This will allow further spread of our user base and relieve pressure in the principal facility.
Share your story
Are you leading a climbing gym or brand through this unprecedented period? Or, do you work in the industry and have a story that others could benefit from hearing? If so, please contact us and tell us about it.
Ask A Lawyer is a recurring column where attorney Jason Pill answers questions submitted by people who work in the climbing industry. Got a legal question that you’d like him to tackle about your gym, your employees, or anything else in the wide world of climbing? Submit your legal question here.
QUESTION: “As a gym owner, do I have to worry about an employee suing me (or filing for workers’ comp) for allegedly catching COVID-19 at the gym?”
PILL: Absolutely—there is no way around these risks.
In addition to the risk of lawsuits brought by your customers (see the cruise lines, for example), your gym also must worry about claims by your employees as they return to work after weeks of government-mandated lockdowns. Lawsuits already are being filed against employers related to COVID-19 and the number of claims is expected to rise significantly in the coming months. Unfortunately, climbing gyms will not be immune from these legal risks.
Public health officials have warned that employees returning to work will likely increase their risk of exposure to COVID-19, and it’s anticipated that some employees who become infected with COVID-19 after returning to work will ultimately blame their employer (including gyms) for contracting the virus. At that point, regardless of the merits, an employee can file a workers’ comp claim or lawsuit against the employer seeking redress, the merits of which will then be litigated (at further expense to the employer). Although these claims seem imminent, employees will find it difficult to hold an employer accountable for COVID-19-related illness or death.
Proving It
One of the big questions related to all this is: “How do you even prove when or where someone contracted COVID-19?”
It is a good question without a good answer. Sick employees will struggle to prove that they contracted COVID-19 at the climbing gym because COVID-19 is a highly contagious virus and common in society, making it hard for an employee to prove that exposure to the disease was an inherent aspect of the employee’s job or that the disease was contracted while at the gym. Even with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and anecdotal evidence of fellow employees contracting the disease, employees will face significant challenges to establishing causation because many details about COVID-19 remain unknown, especially its incubation period. Similarly, because COVID-19 is highly contagious, it may be challenging to prove that the disease was contracted during employment at the gym, as opposed to any other interaction outside the gym (or even while recreationally climbing at the gym when not working). Whether the issue is being litigated through the workers’ compensation system or court system, causation likely will be the biggest hurdle for employees. In many instances, it will be an insurmountable hurdle.
Even if causation is an issue for an employee, it may not stop him or her from bringing a lawsuit or workers’ comp claim against the gym.
Differences Between Lawsuits and Workers’ Comp Claims
Claims against gyms alleging that an employee contracted COVID-19 at the gym will most likely go through the workers’ compensation system. In most states, workers’ compensation serves as the exclusive remedy for any work-related injuries and illnesses, which often is beneficial for the gym in terms of limiting exposure and litigation costs. In Florida, for instance, workers’ compensation is the sole remedy for occupational diseases—meaning that an employee is barred from filing a lawsuit—and an employee may only receive worker’s compensation if he or she shows that the risk of contracting the disease is inherent in his or her employment and that he or she contracted the disease at work. Each state also has damages caps that apply to workers’ compensation claims, which are much more limiting than the damages available to a plaintiff who files a negligence claim.
Given the proliferation of workers’ compensation claims already being seen around the country, several state workers’ compensation boards have already considered and denied workers’ compensation claims based on contracting COVID-19 because of a lack of conclusive proof connecting the illness to the employment. Some states, like New York, however, have considered amending workers’ compensation statutes and regulations to make it easier for employees to prove that they contracted COVID-19 while at work. And in other states, like California, governors have issued executive orders easing the employees’ burden of proving that they contracted COVID-19 while at work and in the course of their employment. Notably, workers’ compensation is handled on a state level, and each state will have its own regulations and nuances.
An Exception to the Rule
Although workers’ compensation provides employees with the sole remedy for work-related injuries and illnesses, most states have an exception to this rule when the employer has deliberately harmed the employee or, in some states, acted grossly negligent. Because workers’ compensation claims usually cap damages based on an employee’s wages, many employees will attempt to avoid the workers’ compensation system under this exception and file a civil suit in court to request greater damages and hope to obtain a trial in front of a jury, which could be sympathetic toward a sick employee having to sue his or her former employer.
For example, Walmart recently was named as a defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a former employee who died of complications related to COVID-19. The lawsuit is attempting to get around the limitations of the workers’ compensation system—and damages caps—by alleging that Walmart engaged in intentional conduct by not protecting its employees. Walmart is expected to seek dismissal of the lawsuit by arguing that the issue should be resolved through the workers’ compensation system. Similar to Walmart, most gyms likely would prefer that workers’ COVID-19 claims proceed through the workers’ compensation system.
The Importance of Intent
Generally speaking, an employee can file a COVID-19 claim in court and circumvent the workers’ compensation system only if he or she proves that:
The gym deliberately intended to injure the employee, or
The gym engaged in conduct that the gym knew was virtually certain to result in injury or death to the employee, the employee was not aware of the risk because the danger was not apparent, and the gym deliberately concealed or misrepresented the danger so as to prevent the employee from exercising informed judgment about whether to perform the work.
Under this standard, employees most likely cannot file a suit for contracting COVID-19 when returning to the gym because the employee will probably lack proof that the gym desired that the employee would contract COVID-19.
Likewise, because many who contract COVID-19 exhibit no symptoms or recover without any significant medical complications, employees will face an uphill battle in proving that the gym was “virtually certain” that the employee would get injured or die from contracting the virus.
Finally, the ubiquitous media coverage on COVID-19 will make it difficult to prove that the employee was unaware of the health risks associated with COVID-19.
Steps a Gym Can Take
Despite the challenges in holding gyms legally accountable for COVID-19 illnesses, many employee lawsuits have already been filed, and more are anticipated as employers reopen their businesses. Amid these uncertainties and anticipated lawsuits, gyms should stay informed on the constantly updated CDC and OSHA guidelines that apply to them, including, where applicable, guidelines for fitness centers.
As of now, OSHA has issued many industry-specific reopening guidelines, but nothing yet for fitness centers or gyms (for reference, the guidelines for reopening retail establishments, found here, likely are the most applicable to gyms). Many states, however, have issued gym-specific guidelines for reopening within that state, and these guidelines cannot be ignored. Additionally, the Climbing Wall Association recently released a guide for climbing gyms’ reopenings.
Following relevant guidelines will help gyms demonstrate that they took necessary steps to protect employees from the virus. Gyms also should document all of these practices, including the dates on which they were implemented, to help limit their potential liability from employees (and customers). Even in states that require an employee to prove gross negligence to bypass the workers’ compensation system (a lower standard), employees and their family will find it difficult to prove that gyms were negligent if they followed the applicable guidelines and implement reasonable safety measures.
Note: This column offers general advice and is not intended to be used as direct legal counsel. Gym owners should consult a lawyer for their facility’s specific legal matters. Pill can be contacted directly here.
The Climbing Wall Association (CWA) announced last month that it will start restructuring the organization, starting with the leadership team. Industry growth was cited as the primary reason for the changes, although the current crisis was also mentioned. Since the CWA formed in 2003, the number of climbing gyms in the U.S. has grown from less than 200 gyms to more than 500 at the end of 2019.
“We have concluded that the CWA must also grow to better serve our community of members and stakeholders specifically and the indoor climbing industry generally,” reads the announcement on the CWA website. “The on-going coronavirus pandemic has only highlighted this conclusion more.”
New Executive Director
The news came in the form of a letter from the CWA Board of Directors, which aims to shift the trade association towards “a more traditional non-profit governance model.” Planned changes include replacing the President/CEO position with an Executive Director, effective immediately. Bill Zimmerman, the previous President/CEO, has departed from this position but may remain in a consultancy role. Zimmerman led the organization since 2005, establishing the CWA Summit and improving certification programs during that time.
During the transition period, The Board of Directors named Garnet Moore the Interim Executive Director. Moore previously served as Director of Operations and has played a significant role for the CWA amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The CWA has been providing resources and community calls for climbing gyms throughout the crisis; this month the CWA released a comprehensive guide for climbing gym reopenings. Given the challenges of hiring during this period, Moore will continue in this capacity “for the foreseeable future.”
“With all the recent turmoil in our indoor climbing world, I have been privileged to be witnessing the incredible leadership and community in indoor gyms first hand,” Moore told Climbing Business Journal. “I hope that the CWA and I can deliver those same things for the owners and operators in our industry indefinitely.”
Policy Position Created
Another hire the Board of Directors plans to make is for a new Policy Director. The CWA has long advocated for climbing gyms in government affairs and educated its gym members on policy matters. This work has included distinguishing climbing gyms from amusement centers in the eyes of lawmakers and developing liability protection. More recently, the CWA drafted a petition for the federal government to add climbing gyms to the emergency stimulus funding. Now the goal is to devote more resources towards these issues, given “the industry’s ever-growing needs for regulatory work and standards development.”
This week’s CBJ Homewall of the Week is another little backyard woodie thrown together in North Reading, MA. The colorful paint job makes the most of owner Nate Furst’s six-foot tall budget-friendly wall. See past homewalls here.
When did you build your wall?
Beginning of April the day after my gym announced its shutdown and outdoor climbing was discouraged due to Covid-19.
How long did it take you to build?
So the wall took about 30min to bang together so actually not bad, and the supports took a little longer, maybe 1.5 hours. But the hang board took us about 3 hours, it’s made completely of scrap from under my porch. All and all 2 different days.
Not including holds and padding, how much did it cost you to build?
I spent about $120 on screws, 2x4s and plywood but I got a lot from salvage so I was able to keep the price down quite a bit.
Did anything in particular inspire your wall design?
I wanted something unique and colorful. But also needed something overhung to train power on.
What was the most difficult aspect of the design and build?
The hang board, it was a nightmare outing. It’s strong and will hold you but it sure looks sketch.
What would you do differently?
Since I didn’t actually draw up a plan for this wall, it does have some flaws. So next time I would plan better and not have to use as much scrap wood.
What is your favorite aspect?
My favorite aspect I would say is the paint job, me and my girl friend did all sorts of different things with spray paint, paint markers, sharpies, and hand prints. And it came out really awesome.
Any words of wisdom to aspiring homewallers?
You don’t have to have the biggest wall in the world, you can still have a blast on a 6 foot tall piece of garbage!!
Want us to consider your woodie for a future Homewall of the Week? Submit your homewall here to be considered. If yours is chosen you’ll win a prize pack like this (varied prizes each week):
Welcome to the first “monthly wrap” in cooperation with 
The Climbing Wall Association (CWA) announced last month that it will start restructuring the organization, starting with the leadership team. Industry growth was cited as the primary reason for the changes, although the current crisis was also mentioned. Since the CWA formed in 2003, the 
