CWA Blog

Posted By Climbing Wall Association, Thursday, July 16, 2020 | UPDATED November 17, 2020 With the recent wave of re-closures and changing guidelines, it is necessary now, more than ever, to stand up and advocate for effective and reasonable reopening guidelines for climbing gyms. Your local... Continue Reading

“Climbing is all about community,” says Nick Muffet, Marketing & Community Director at Rock Mill Climbing in Akron, Ohio. That’s the philosophy behind holding regular member appreciation events—to make your members feel welcome, engaged, and excited to be a part of your gym’s community. And these da Continue Reading

Many climbing gyms across the country have moved well into their reopening plans. We’ve begun to see programs like youth teams and adult classes return to the gym, even if they do look a little different than before. Several gyms have restarted their adaptive climbing programs and events... Continue Reading

COVID-19 has required an incredible amount of flexibility and adaptation in all of our lives, inside of the climbing gym and out. Like many other industries, climbing gym retail has taken a hit this year, but it’s not all bad news. Based on data from a convenience sample of three gyms that... Continue Reading

Starting and maintaining a business, as well as expanding a brand, can be challenging enough in an ordinary business landscape. Now, during a global pandemic, to evolve your business model can seem daunting and confusing, maybe even dire. But the best-laid plans for a business are the plans that... Continue Reading

During a recent CWA Community Call, our members discussed some of the problems and solutions around hosting in-person climbing competitions and events. Getting back to large group gatherings is far off in many areas of the world, but we still need to provide a sense of community and fun for... Continue Reading

The pandemic was a shock to the climbing industry. In addition to other disruptions to daily life, gym closures have been devastating to the entire industry. It’s clear that the path forward cannot be the same one previously taken. A new path forward has to be forged. The Climbing Wall... Continue Reading

The timeline for more federal coronavirus stimulus in the US has been delayed for at least a month, but there is still some chance that we will see legislation passed before November 3. A lot of the public discussion around stimulus pertains to unemployment benefits and Economic Impact Payments,... Continue Reading

On September 2 and 3, 2020 the CWA hosted the Survive & Thrive Workshop, its first-ever all virtual workshop. The event was built to give gym owners and senior leadership a framework for success during COVID. 150 people from over 25 states and 3 countries, including more than 40 different... Continue Reading

It is quite common for the customer service team of a climbing gym to wear multiple hats; performing the roles of front desk staff, retail, communications, floor patrol, and now—public health and safety officers. As climbing gyms and fitness facilities have rolled out reopening plans,... Continue Reading

As COVID-19 threatens the health of our global community, climbing gyms across the world are facing challenges unlike any we’ve seen before. As climbing gyms begin to reopen, operations cannot be business as usual. In this time of uncertainty and change, the indoor climbing industry has... Continue Reading

Since climbing gyms have begun reopening this summer, gym owners and managers across the country have been bracing themselves for what feels inevitable: the news that someone who’s recently climbed at their facility has tested positive for COVID-19. It’s a tough situation, and... Continue Reading