2015 may have already faded into history but thanks to the magic of the Internet, CBJ articles live on forever. Even though all of our articles are great, there were some that our readers loved more than others. We look back on the 11 most popular articles from the last year.
Gear designed for hands-free operation, head protection and rescue plans are entering the climbing gym as routesetters borrow more from the world of high rope access.
Apparently Australians like to boulder. From the Grampians to the Blue Mountains, the climbers of Oz have plenty of options for pebble wrestling. But it seems they also like to pull on plastic.
Salt Pump Climbing Co – Bliss Bouldering & Climbing Complex – Austin Bouldering Project
2015 was another good year for the indoor climbing industry. According to CBJ’s own data tracking the US commercial indoor climbing industry grew by 10% over last year, with 37 new gyms bringing the total number of commercial climbing facilities in the USA up to 388. There are several interesting aspects to this year’s growth, one of which is that this growth happened throughout the country.
California, and specifically Southern California, led the nation with 5 new climbing gyms, while 23 other states — as far reaching as Hawaii, Florida, Alaska and Louisiana — added at least one or more climbing facilities within their borders. This trend shows that climbing has strong staying power and that developers, lenders and investors are willing and excited to get into the business of selling climbing in new and non-traditional markets.
In addition to the widespread nature of development this year the other big trend is actually quite small. Only 5 US gyms opened with at least 25,000 square feet of climbing (SFC). In Canada none met that criteria. This is most likely due to the first time operator factor (see below) and that the majority of new gyms were built in smaller markets. These smaller gyms are a real departure from the last few years when we saw the rise of the mega gym with a new, “Largest Climbing Gym” crowned each year.
This year’s 10% growth rate is a very positive marker for the climbing industry. Since 2013 the growth rate has hovered in the low double digits each year, indicating that the indoor climbing industry has become a reliable business sector and a sustainable investment. CBJ research shows that the industry has been growing at a steady clip over the past 5 years during which time the growth rate has bloomed from a mere 5% in 2009 and 2010, to 2013 when we experienced the first signs of the modern gym rush with a 11% growth rate.
Photo: Brooklyn Boulders – Queensbridge
Wall Builders
Of the 49 new climbing walls that opened in the USA and Canada this year, nearly 40% (19 gyms) were owner built. While it is difficult to obtain climbing wall square footage for these types of walls, most of them were small, averaging 7,500 SFC, with at least two clocking in under 800 SFC.
The majority of the new climbing walls, both by number and total square footage, were designed and installed by professional wall builders. Walltopia maintained its lead in the industry and expanded its market share by building 10 new gyms totaling 145,000 SFC. Oregon-based Entre-Prises also increased its output over last year with 5 new facilities, while Rockwerx completed 4 projects and Vertical Solutions maintained their market presence with 3 projects. The remainder of the professional walls were installed by Eldorado, Leading Edge, Louie Anderson and a new Canadian wall builder, B121.
Photo: Salt Pump Climbing
First Timers
Of all the new commercial climbing facilities that opened in the US this year, 22 of them were from first-time gym operators. This may not come as a surprise considering the variety of places that are seeing growth. Anyone that has taken notice of the industry’s rise wants to get in on the action before all the prime markets get snatched up. What is surprising is that these climbing entrepreneurs are taking the leap to open in small to mid-sized cities that traditionally have not been considered large enough to support the investment of a climbing gym.
These new first time operators built gyms that have under 10,000 SFC, with a few pushing into the 15,000 range. Gyms like Ascension Rock Club in Fairbanks Alaska, Teton Rock Gym in tiny Driggs, Idaho, Approach in Omaha, Nebraska and L’Escalade Fitness, in Lexington, Kentucky all brought traditional full-service gyms to untapped markets.
Photo: First Ascent – Chicago
Another interesting note about these first time operators is that exactly half chose to open bouldering-only facilities. Center 45 in Boone, North Carolina, Stone Tree in Helena, Montana, New Orleans Boulder Lounge in Louisiana, and Urbana Bouldering in Urbana, Illinois are just a handful of the 11 first-timer bouldering gyms to open. This trend should also not come as much of a surprise as the capital requirements to open a bouldering gym are significantly less than a full-size facility and real estate searches can be significantly easier.
There is however one big exception to the first-timer trend and that’s First Ascent in Chicago, Illinois. Not many first time gym owners would think it wise to try to open two new facilities in the same year but that’s exactly what they did. Starting with a large 31,000 SFC traditional climbing gym near downtown, the First Ascent team moved on to open a 10,000 SFC bouldering-only facility also in Chicago. This was a bold step in an untested market. Chicago was, until last year, an unknown and untapped climbing market that the major players had avoided. That was until Brooklyn Boulders opened a Chicago facility in the heart of the city in 2014.
Big Gets Bigger
For the largest climbing gym operators, those with 4 or more facilities, 2015 was a quiet year. Touchstone, the largest of the large operators, announced 3 new gyms for the LA market but only opened one, a 20,000 SFC, bouldering gym they are calling The Cliffs of Id in Culver City, California. This bumps the Touchstone family up to ten. Meanwhile, Massachusetts-based companies Central Rock and Rock Spot, along with New York-based Brooklyn Boulders, each added one new facility to their respective portfolios.
San Diego-based Mesa Rim Climbing took a leap with their second full-scale facility and a new dedicated training center, putting the Mesa brand at 3 facilities. The Mesa Rim Training Center is the largest and most comprehensive in the US and is garnering quiet praise from coaches and athletes around the country. Unlike the three other training centers in the US, Mesa’s training center is not just for youth climbing team competitors. They allow and encourage adult members to use the facility and offer programing to fit the needs of athletes at all levels of performance. If successful, this type of facility could set the model for other operators to open full-service training centers. However, right now training centers are a slow moving, niche trend not likely to drive big changes in the industry for another five years.
Also taking their first steps out of their New Hampshire nest is up and comer Evo Rock which took the bold step of opening two new full-size facilities, one in Portland, Maine and another in Indianapolis, Indiana. Evo is in the process of building their 3rd in Louisville, Colorado and are testing the waters of franchising their brand.
Closed Doors
This year we saw 8 facilities in the US close for various reasons, which, according to CBJ research, is the largest number of closures the industry has ever seen in one year. However, when taken as a whole the rate is only 2% of the total gyms in the country.
One important aspect of the closed gyms is their age. All were more than 5 years old, except the youngest gym, The New Paltz Climbing Coop which opened in 2011 and unfortunately burned to the ground earlier this year; one was 13 years old and another was built almost two decades ago. All were under 18,000 SFC and operated in leased spaces.
In fact landlord issues and non-renewed leases contributed to several of the closures, including ClimbX and Vertical Endeavors – Warrenville. In Logan, Utah long time tenant The Rock Haus was not allowed to renew their lease and had to close shop earlier this year. Then just a few months after a new group of owners came into the exact same space and opened Elevation Climbing. The details are murky but should put lease agreements and their pitfalls on the radar for operators.
It’s important to note that only one gym closed due to direct competition. Grand Junction Climbing Center in Grand Junction, Colorado closed its doors early this spring. The 5,600 SF facility opened in 2010, although climbers had tackled its walls under various other brands, including Core Elements, Rock of Ages and the Climbery, since the early 1990’s. The latest iteration did not remain open very long after Grand Valley Climbing opened a brand new, purpose built facility housing 14,000 SFC about 1 mile away. This example could be seen as a warning to all other operators in a similar situation: modernize, expand or open a new facility or face the risk of a competitor stepping into, or right on top of, your market.
One operator that took that to heart this year was Spire Climbing Center in the college town of Bozeman, Montana. First built in 2004 with only 8,800 SFC, owner Jeff Ho met the challenge of modernization seriously by building onto his existing building and adding over 9,000 SFC for a total of 18,000 SFC.
The Spire Climbing’s new addition. Photo: Spire
Canada
The Canadian climbing gym market saw a 15% growth rate in new climbing gym openings over last year. That large uptick came from 9 gyms opening for a total of 69 commercial climbing gyms in Canada.
British Columbia saw the largest growth with five new gyms. The Hive opened their second bouldering-only facility in Vancouver, and Crag X moved into downtown Victoria after closing their original ten-year-old facility. The climbers of Squamish came together to open Ground Up Climbing Center, giving the Squamish climbers something to do on those all too often soggy rest days.
Photo: Delire Escalade – St Foy
Calgary Climbing Centre, which is the largest gym developer in Canada brought a third gym to the Calgary area with their 22,000 SFC Hanger location. On the far east coast of Halifax, Seven Bays Bouldering opened the doors on their ultra hip, urban bouldering gym, while Délire Escalade opened their second bouldering-only gym in Quebec City.
As the large metro areas fill up it will be interesting to see what happens in Canada in the next few years. With only 5 gyms publically announcing plans for new gyms in 2016, it will be quite surprising if the Canadians see anywhere close to 15% growth in the near future.
Other trends
Other than new gyms popping up all over the place, established operators are getting savvy about marketing and operations. Specifically in the marketing department we’re seeing a lot more splashy, highly produced videos both for special events like competitions and for showcasing the gym to new customers. In essence they’re creating their own commercials without having to pay for advertising.
Another trend builds on the idea of the “3rd place”, or where people want to be when they are not at home or work. Brooklyn Boulders is the most cited example of a gym tapping into this trend, and the company has been very successful at marketing itself not just as a place to climb, but as a “new type of community space” where people can work, play and relax. With more gym owners putting serious thought into the design of their social spaces, with cafe-type amenities such as comfy couches, wifi and fresh roasted coffee, as well as offering a variety of social programming, climbers are getting more and more reasons to be at the gym.
Sober Reminder
Even though it feels as if we haven’t recovered completely from the Great Recession, economic forecasters are reporting the eminent return of the next recession. The conclusion drawn from a Bloomberg survey of economists back in September, the median forecast of 31 respondents anticipated the next downturn occurring in 2018.
Graphic: Bloomberg News
Assuming the collective wisdom of economists is right — which is a generous assumption given their mixed track record — it puts the current expansion on track to have a lifespan of about nine years. That’s a pretty good run, though the honor of the longest expansion on record would still belong to the decade that ended in March 2001.
However, according to some of the world’s major financial institutions 2016 will be the year of the next big global downturn. Cillian Doyle is an economist with the People Before Profit Alliance of Ireland and wrote in Counterpunch, “Daiwa – Japan’s second largest brokerage house – and Citibank both released reports in which they made a global financial meltdown in 2016 their baselines scenarios! Let that sink in for a minute; they’re not saying a meltdown next year is their worst case scenario, they’re saying it’s their assumed one!”
There is also no way to prevent a recession, only to weather it. When it does arrive, it is certain to have negative implications for the health and fitness sector, which relies on customers with disposable incomes. Gym operators may need to start thinking about what choices will help them make it through the next dip.
Looking forward
What we know right now is that 2016 is looking to be a possible record breaking year for US climbing gyms.
There are already 36 gyms that have publicly announced that they will be opening in 2016. That’s an expected 13% growth rate over this year which would be the highest rate on record. A lot of the growth could come from major players opening multiple facilities, like Touchstone and Gravity Vault. While other established brands such as Evo Rock, Mesa Rim, Momentum, Metro Rock and Earth Treks are planning to expand their reach into new markets with one gym each. And that’s just what has been already publicly announced. CBJ knows of at least a half dozen other large operators that may be opening new facilities in 2016.
Bouldering gyms may take a back seat to new traditional gyms in 2016. There are only 4 announced bouldering-only gyms in the US and Canada. However bouldering gyms can be built much faster than your typical full-service gym so we expect more announcements as the year progresses.
In the end, 2015 was a good year for the climbing industry. We saw major exposure due to the Dawn Wall phenomenon and the announcement that climbing is on the final short list for the 2020 Olympics. Major business publications printed stories about the climbing gym market heating up and VC’s are eyeing a possible entry into our little world.
Climbing Business Journal is proud to announce the release of the third annual Grip List survey! The survey will determine the most popular hold companies of the year, as judged by the routesetters that use their holds.
As in years past, the Grip List will be determined by an online survey of professional and amateur routesetters in North America that vote for their favorite hold brand of the year. The survey will also collect some voluntary employment data that will provide baseline information about routesetting employment in North America.
If you are a routesetter in the USA, Canada or Mexico please take the 2016 Grip List survey!Surveys must be submitted by Thursday, December 31, 2015 at Midnight PST.
Renovations are under way at the Everett climbing gym. Photo: Summit Everett
by Joe Robinson
The climbing facility in downtown Everett, Washington – previously Vertical World Everett – will soon re-open under the new management of Summit Everett LLC. Managing members Daniel Coltrane, Brian Hawkins and Andrew Lange, with the help of non-managing member Jim Brevig, plan to open the gym in late January.
Vertical World operated the facility since 2007 and moved out on November 16th after pressure from the landlord to change from a month-to-month lease. “I just didn’t want to sign a long term lease knowing that I have a new gym coming down the pipe,” says Vertical World president Rich Johnston. That new gym is Vertical World North in Lynnwood, WA, only a 20-minute drive south of Summit Everett towards Seattle. “We did our homework on demographics, and I felt that…Lynnwood would capture a bigger audience than downtown Everett.”
Despite the departure of Vertical World and the close proximity of Vertical World North, Lange still believes Summit Everett will be profitable. “They weren’t leaving because it wasn’t profitable, but because it didn’t fit their business model,” says Lange. “They have a lot of overhead, so you have to have a lot of big gyms to support that.”
“We could have built a bigger climbing gym,” continues Lange, “but then we realized we would be losing one of the things we loved about this gym: a very good neighborhood climbing community.” While not massive, Summit Everett will feature 9,600 square feet of bouldering and top-rope climbing surface with modernized wall designs, brand new Cascade Specialty flooring, color-coordinated routes, a fitness center and a cafe at the front of the gym to enhance the neighborhood feel of the place.
Lange plans to continue improving Summit Everett, with a second phase of renovations scheduled for next summer. “My goal for the gym right now is to bring it into the 21st century,” he said. “My next goal is to try to foster growth in the climbing community situated north of Seattle, to create a place where people want to come and hang out, train, and then go out and have their own adventures. That is what the Cascades are all about.”
Gainesville Rock Gym. Photo: GRG.
Due to extensive maintenance issues found during a remodeling, the Gainesville Rock Gym in Gainesville, Florida was forced to closed down last week and may be forced to close permanently.
According to a GoFundMe page set up by the management of the rock gym:
“In mid-December of 2015 we started a project to re-build and expand one of our climbing walls. In doing so, we uncovered extensive concrete slab damage throughout the entire facility (See images below). The cracks were covered by layers of padding and carpet so we never knew what kind of damage was underneath. GSE, a local structural and soil engineering firm came to assess the damage. After testing numerous core samples they determined:
“Per our discussion with you based upon our findings from the concrete cores and hand augers performed at the site, GSE believes there is a safety hazard in regards to the concrete floor slab at the Gainesville Rock Gym. Voids were observed beneath the concrete slab throughout the building. We will prepare stabilization recommendations and forward them to you as soon as possible. These recommendations will consist of either underpinning the entire slab or chemically grouting the entire slab. Again, GSE believes there is a safety concern in regards to the conditions encountered and will exist until repairs are made or the slab is stabilized.”
Jason E. Gowland, P.E.
GSE Engineering and Consulting, Inc.
The Image below shoes the first sunken crack found. Photo: GoFundMe Gainesville.
The rock gym has leased the building it resides in since its opening on January 1st, 2000. According to Jon Hawk who is an owner of Gainesville Rock Gym, the repairs for the concrete damage will be paid for by the landlord of the building. However the cost of closing the business for up to two months is solely on the backs of the rock gym.
That’s why the gym has set up the GoFundMe page with the hopes of raising up to $100,000 to cover to the costs of operation while the doors are shut. Hawk told CBJ that, “The 100k goal is the initial number but it is flexible. While we will be able to maintain the facility with less, we chose this number in anticipation of the need for a cushion from possible legal fees,” he said.
More damage at Gainesville Rock Gym. Photo: GRG.
Even though the gym has been in business for 15 years, Hawk and his partner only bought into the business in 2013. “This was the best year, in terms of revenue, that GRG has had. Unfortunately our debt left us with little to get by on,” Hawk said. According to a Facebook response that Hawk wrote about the ownership change, “The transition ended up increasing our debt and we were just starting to recover this year. Our business insurance does not cover this situation and does not cover loss of revenue. We have been working on bringing in investors for over a year with no luck. We had no intention of “threatening a shutdown.” We just want to be completely transparent with the situation and are asking for help.”
Hawk has alluded to a permeant shut of the gym if the money can not be raised. “The need for the funds is immediate. Our reserve cash will not last long enough to get through the repair process,” Hawk said. He does believe he’ll raise at least part of the cash the gym needs to make it through the next few months and told CBJ, “Once the doors are back open business will go back to normal. Our membership renewals and kids/youth programs will keep us going.”
A group of climbers is planning to turn an old barn into a modern climbing facility in the Central Washington town of Wenatchee, which sits on the eastern side of the Cascades near the bouldering paradise of Leavenworth.
According to Icicle.tv, the gym will be called the Riverfront Rock Gym and feature over 10,000 square feet of lead, top rope, boulder, and kid-climbing features. In addition, it will offer a 1,500 square foot space for traditional fitness, climbing specific training, and locker rooms, as well as 500 square feet of climbing retail and a 1,000 square feet of social space with wi-fi, an espresso bar, and beer on tap. The bouldering area will be competition caliber and there will be 2 levels of bouldering.
Here is the first look of a scaled rendering of the finished gym. On their Facebook page, Riverfront gave us a look at the new building which is an attempt to blend “the modern look of hard angles, steel, and lots of glass with the rustic gabled barn with its big timbers, exposed brick and wood floors will create a very unique, aesthetic finished product.” They went on to state that the 3,000 square foot renovated barn will feature a wrap-around porch that will house the reception, cafe, and retail. The 1,500 square foot shed-roof addition will house the traditional fitness equipment, climbing specific training area, and locker rooms. The 5,600 square foot steel span structure will house over 10,000 square feet of rope, boulder, and kid climbing features. It will be 70’x80′ and 45′ tall! When finished, the whole facility will be over 10,000 square feet.
Matthew McKellar, Leavenworth-local and climbing category manager and ski tech at Leavenworth Mountain Sports, is a partner in the project along with several friends: Flint Hartwig, Thanh Van Tran, Mark Shipman, and Stewart Hoover, all Wenatchee Valley locals. McKellar told Icicle.tv how the project came together:
“Every few years there is some local buzz about the possibility of a climbing gym in Wenatchee. Having been in the outdoor industry for over 17 years, some of that buzz comes from credible sources. Obviously, no one committed to building a gym here, but I was confident that the market was close to, if not over, the threshold for a sustainable business model. About one year ago, I started working with a company that operates multiple climbing gyms on a local feasibility assessment. Ultimately, they did not choose the project, but they taught me the key gym metrics. I had a vision and I now knew what it would take to bring it to life. I teamed up with a local group of friends, Flint Hartwig, Thanh Van Tran, Mark Shipman, and Stewart Hoover, all whom have been part of the Wenatchee climbing gym discussion for years. Led by Flint Hartwig, we have the talent, resources, and network necessary to build a world-class climbing gym in central WA.”
Walltopia announced it is investing in Momentum Indoor Climbing
Walltopia released a press release last week regarding their investment in Momentum Climbing. Read the full story here. Below is their statement in its entirety.
The Bulgaria-based climbing wall manufacturer is currently completing its fifth investment in a climbing gym, this time funding Salt Lake City, Utah-based Momentum. After successful investments in the amusement and attraction sector, Walltopia has returned its focus to the climbing industry.
Founded in 1998, Walltopia has become a leading climbing wall manufacturer in the world. The company has grown its share of the US market by combining first class climbing wall design, manufacture and installation with savvy investments in various businesses led by like-minded entrepreneurs. Walltopia’s opportunities and growth accelerated after 2007, when Momentum became the first US-based company to trust a rising eastern European company with its project. Walltopia achieved further prominence in 2012, when Chris Sharma agreed to a sponsorship deal. This also led to the company taking a stake in the Sender One chain in California. These partnerships gave Walltopia a better foothold in the US market, and helped establish our own boundaries and expectations for future investments. Walltopia’s current deal with Momentum is a logical next step for us in the ongoing support of the sport and the industry, along with our previous investments in the US, Canada, Israel, Russia and Bulgaria.
Walltopia is not the only wall manufacturer to invest in climbing gyms. Most major producers have gone even further, owning and directly operating gym chains. Walltopia however does not relate to this model, we are not interested in becoming a gym operator. We remain passionate about designing, developing, manufacturing and delivering top quality products for climbing and amusement industry operators. Walltopia will continue to support the growth of our sport through investments, partnerships and sponsorships – we highly appreciate the climbing industry and see tremendous potential for growth and profit. However, our main focus will always remain on what we excel at – product development and manufacture.
We understand that clients will voice questions and concerns about the company’s ongoing investment strategies. With this in mind, we reiterate our strict adherence to standard business practices with regard to the treatment of customers and the safeguarding of clients’ business plans. A non-disclosure policy has from the beginning been a cornerstone of all Walltopia contracts. In the near future a completely separate entity will be created to take care and run all investments in order to ensure that no financial incentives exist to justify preferential treatment in design, manufacture or product availability within the company.
“We are a high-integrity company that respects its clients,” says Walltopia CEO, Ivaylo Penchev. In addition to managing Walltopia, Penchev is a major shareholder in the Composite-X hold factory that produces holds for over 40 different climbing brands, including Walltopia-owned brand, HRT. Penchev points out that what might appear to be a potential conflict of interest, has never resulted in preferential treatment for HRT over the other clients of Composite-X. “Every client is important for the success of Composite-X, and HRT is just one of them,” he explains.
Walltopia has earned businesses’ trust for 18 years through diligence, persistence, creativity, loyalty and responsibility, thus becoming a preferred wall supplier for many climbing gyms around the world. Today, we maintain relationships of trust and confidentiality with all of our customers, something that will not change regardless of where we invest.
In a recent blog post on the company’s website, Smartwaiver announced a new round of investment and new CEO. Mark Silliman, a father of four daughters, wrote that he will be stepping down as CEO, “Both parenting and running a startup also require one to accept the fact that someday you will need to “let go” in order to see them reach their full potential and get to the next level.”
Smartwaiver
Along with the investment, at least two new executives will be coming onboard. Tod Bloxham, who owns Edgeworks Climbing in Tacoma, Washington, will take over as CEO of Smartwaiver, according to Silliman’s blog post. Ted Knudsen, who according to the post has handled programming for a mix of startups and established companies, will take over as chief technology officer. Andy Laakmann, who founded the company with Silliman, will stay on as a technical and business adviser.
Laakmann, along with Silliman founded Smartwaiver in 2012. Laakman also founded the ever popular check-in software, Rock Gym Pro, which utilizes the Smartwaiver digital waiver system.
No details of the investment deal were released. However, Bloxham told the Bend Bulletin:
That he [Bloxham] had worked with Laakmann for more than six years, and became Smartwaiver’s first beta user when the company was starting out.
He added that the company will be staying in Bend for the foreseeable future, and that it will be focusing on new features that customers have requested and infrastructure upgrades in the coming months.
“In addition to my intimate familiarity with the Smartwaiver product, I have extensive experience in business management and growth, particularly within product planning on both the technology and business side of things,” Bloxham wrote.
The Rocktown Climbing Gym in Oklahoma City is set to close next month following a decision by the property owner not to renew the gym’s lease.
According to NewsOK Steven Charles, who runs Rocktown and an associated nonprofit, Rocktown Youth, said he was informed this week the property owner, Mark Ruffin, was not willing to renew the lease after Jan. 1.
Despite being model tenants, our landlord is forcing us to leave our current location effective January 1, 2016. This…
The rock climbing gym, originally known as OKC Rocks, was heralded as an innovative reuse of the long abandoned yet visually prominent grain elevator when it opened in 1999.
Charles told The Oklahoman that the closure will hurt his work with Rocktown Youth, which provides mentoring to 100 kids and cycling programs with teens at nearby schools
“Rocktown Climbing Gym, starting a year and a half ago, began giving the nonprofit an infusion of funding,” Charles said. “It helped us increase our program and start the school-based cycling program. The whole operation is in some sort of jeopardy. We lose our home. And that was our largest funding source.”
2015 may have already faded into history but thanks to the magic of the Internet, CBJ articles live on forever. Even though all of our articles are great, there were some that our readers loved more than others. We look back on the 11 most popular articles from the last year.
Gear designed for hands-free operation, head protection and rescue plans are entering the climbing gym as routesetters borrow more from the world of high rope access.
Apparently Australians like to boulder. From the Grampians to the Blue Mountains, the climbers of Oz have plenty of options for pebble wrestling. But it seems they also like to pull on plastic.
With the addition of the Rock Mill, Rock Candy Climbing Holds adds the climbing equivalent of a “tasting room” to their corporate headquarters.
Bouldering gyms that have 24-hour access are popping up all over the US. Learn how they do it to see if it is right for you.
A behind the scenes look at Metolius’ transition to urethane climbing holds for the commercial climbing gym market.
You may not have heard of Evo Rock + Fitness but that will soon change as the young company looks to set up franchises across the country.
CBJ takes a look inside one of America’s most successful climbing teams, Team Texas.
A German bouldering gym is bringing a new way of thinking to routesetting and indoor climbing.
Architecture is often a secondary thought for most climbing gym developers. The Italians take a very different approach.
Though not technically an article, our Jobs page is by far the most popular page on CBJ.
A German research group found that bouldering and mindfullness training was an effective treatment for people suffering from depression.
Climbing Business Journal is proud to announce the release of the third annual Grip List survey! The survey will determine the most popular hold companies of the year, as judged by the routesetters that use their holds.
As in years past, the Grip List will be determined by an online survey of professional and amateur routesetters in North America that vote for their favorite hold brand of the year. The survey will also collect some voluntary employment data that will provide baseline information about routesetting employment in North America.
If you are a routesetter in the USA, Canada or Mexico please take the 
Matthew McKellar, Leavenworth-local and climbing category manager and ski tech at Leavenworth Mountain Sports, is a partner in the project along with several friends: Flint Hartwig, Thanh Van Tran, Mark Shipman, and Stewart Hoover, all Wenatchee Valley locals. McKellar told Icicle.tv how the project came together:
