The Climbing Wall Association's blog is a place for indoor climbing professionals to find useful and relevant information from industry and business experts. Stay on top of best practices, thought leadership, and trends by subscribing to our newsletter!
Since the inception of climbing gyms, there has often been some tension between management and routesetting teams. Both sides want an inspiring facility filled with compelling routes that cater to their clientele. But both sides also have their own priorities, and sometimes those priorities seem... Continue Reading
When I was only a climber and hadn’t begun routesetting, I studied Child and Family Studies at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. During my time there, my interests bounced back and forth between parental practices and family policy - and sometimes how one influenced the other.... Continue Reading
It is fair to say that most indoor climbing gyms share the same separation of clientele. We have new and experienced climbers, recreational and competitive youth climbers, boulderers, and rope climbers (further broken down into top rope and lead climbers). And each of these groups comes... Continue Reading
Managing your marketing from a social media account is an easy, free way to advertise yourbusiness and there isn’t only one way to do it well. There are multiple avenues you can go down as a climbing gym to have a successful and engaging platform depending on your available resources. While... Continue Reading
The CWA is excited to announce the hiring of a new Membership Manager. Tilde Bombardo brings a rich tapestry of experience to her new role as the CWA's Membership Manager. Hailing from Naples, Italy, Tilde discovered her passion for climbing at the age of 12. She fell in love with the cliffs of... Continue Reading
Sponsored Content Brought to you by Warrior's Way. The most challenging moment for climbing coaches is when their athletes are shut down, unwilling, or unable to engage in an activity the coach thought was appropriate. The youth athlete that boulders V9 and has only redpointed 5.11c. The thought... Continue Reading
Eating disorders and RED-S have been hot topics in the climbing world in recent years, and particularly in competition climbing of late. In just the past year, two members of the IFSC Medical Commission resigned from their positions, climbers voiced their desire for more extensive athlete... Continue Reading
The indoor climbing industry witnesses a continual flux of personnel, with staff members transitioning to new opportunities, being let go, or advancing within the ranks, leading to recurrent gaps that need filling. For facility operators, prioritizing hiring becomes imperative. While selecting... Continue Reading
For many gyms, the busiest hours are weekday evenings, likely when the bulk of adult and youth programming occurs. A dedicated programming space, or programming-focused space, is vital to successful programming and the interactions between the average member and your programming during busy... Continue Reading
Developing a new climbing gym can be incredibly rewarding. But it’s not a simple process. Carefully balancing many factors—from the business model to the budget, real estate to construction costs—is needed to build a facility that will provide a good return on investment. We sat... Continue Reading
As a climbing wall worker, each day demands a delicate balance between exerting energy to set routes and boulder problems and allowing enough time for recovery to enjoy climbing yourself. Click here to view photos and videos of the exercises described in this article Climbing wall workers are... Continue Reading
“Well, it is that time of year again . . .” . . . is how I was going to start this article about how to implement new ideas into your gym. I am writing this in January, 2024, deep in the New-Year-Resolution-Boom (NYRB) of gym usage. You are likely reading this near the end of Q1,... Continue Reading
