CWA Blog

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!

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How Do You Decide What Colors To Set Your Walls?
How Do You Decide What Colors To Set Your Walls?

Routesetting is the product that ultimately pays most of the bills in the indoor climbing industry. Regardless of your title or role, it almost all comes back to how Johnny Boulder and Jane Team Kid grab those grips. Boulders or rope. Competition style vs. replicating outdoor boulders. Each time... Continue Reading

Date posted08/12/2022


Convince Stakeholders Building a Climbing Gym is a Good Idea
Convince Stakeholders Building a Climbing Gym is a Good Idea

Thinking about building an indoor climbing gym or expanding your business to another location? Have you gotten to the most important step - the ask, and had looks of puzzlement, distrust, or complete disbelief? You’re not alone. Pitching an indoor climbing gym to stakeholders can be one... Continue Reading

Date posted08/11/2022


How To Write A Routesetting Resume
How To Write A Routesetting Resume

As we learned from the CWA Summit, more routesetters are transitioning roles and switching companies than ever before. Whether it be for higher pay, better benefits, or to be closer to outdoor climbing, routesetters have limitless options to move considering we’re currently seeing gyms pop... Continue Reading

Date posted08/1/2022


Practical Strategies for Training Staff
Practical Strategies for Training Staff

Training youth climbing program staff can be a challenge. Staff with varying levels of experience, high turnover, and lack of time are common obstacles to creating and implementing high-quality staff training. Quality staff training is an important element in creating high-quality youth programs... Continue Reading

Date posted08/1/2022


Learn How to Adapt and Overcome in the Indoor Climbing Industry
Learn How to Adapt and Overcome in the Indoor Climbing Industry

The past three years have presented a litany of big-picture, global circumstances that conspired into a perfect storm of challenges affecting the indoor climbing industry. Chief among them: staff shortages. Not to mention, of course, the global pandemic, growing anti-work sentiment, Cold... Continue Reading

Date posted07/14/2022


Sell Products In Your Gym Without Being Pushy
Sell Products In Your Gym Without Being Pushy

You need any help finding anything? No, I’m just looking. This may be the most common first interaction between a retail employee and a customer. The employee is trying to help while the shopper is usually just getting their bearings and figuring out what they want. There’s no harm... Continue Reading

Date posted07/14/2022


Professionalizing Routesetting through the CWA Summit
Professionalizing Routesetting through the CWA Summit

Recently, I had the exciting opportunity to attend the 2022 CWA Summit for the first time in Salt Lake City. Compared to the schedules from 2018 and 2019, it was inspiring to see so many routesetting sessions that were focused on the professionalization of our facet of the indoor climbing... Continue Reading

Date posted07/5/2022


How to Hire Effectively: Part 1
How to Hire Effectively: Part 1

Let’s be honest, we have all envisioned ourselves riding off into the sunset. Modern-day cowboys (see: dirtbags) in a kitted-out Sprinter van instead of a horse with no name. The flip side is that in the indoor climbing industry, we often see our best employees making that a reality,... Continue Reading

Date posted07/4/2022


What I Loved About the 2022 CWA Summit
What I Loved About the 2022 CWA Summit

The lights dimmed, the music flared, and a silver mohawk walked out on stage. Paula Horwitz pumped her fist to the music and the crowd was stoked. As I looked across the hall, I knew I was with my people. Before she introduced our keynote speaker, Kevin Jorgeson, Paula shared a heartfelt story... Continue Reading

Date posted06/16/2022


Great Wall Design: What Is It & How to Get It
Great Wall Design: What Is It & How to Get It

There are three “angles” to look at great wall design, according to The Pad Climbing team. Setting, climbability, and aesthetics. Typically when we design walls, it starts with taking the space and visualizing the best use based on the flow of climbers, then designing the... Continue Reading

Date posted06/16/2022


Member Spotlight: Macon Rocks
Member Spotlight: Macon Rocks

Macon Rocks, located in Macon, Georgia, has incorporated a community focus before they were even a gym. Whether by preserving community history in their building or working with local businesses and non-profits to benefit their members, Macon Rocks has not only expanded their business but... Continue Reading

Date posted06/6/2022


The Intangible Benefits of Working in a Climbing Gym
The Intangible Benefits of Working in a Climbing Gym

There are many reasons we work at climbing gyms, and no matter where you are on the career ladder, there are several skills and abilities we can develop to enhance our lives and strengthen our resumes.As we explore some of these areas of growth, we discover their interconnectedness and how they... Continue Reading

Date posted06/6/2022