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!
Photo by Matthew Huitma, commissioned by Calgary Climbing Centre Last week, the Climbing Wall Association team launched the first-ever CWA Meetings event in partnership with Calgary Climbing Centre! Over the summer, we have heard from many of you who have questions about this brand-new program:... Continue Reading
Photo by Matthew Huitma, commissioned by Calgary Climbing Centre I have always believed that the most successful people in any industry are the ones that focus on consistent professional development. In fact, “grow through constant learning” is one of my company’s core values. I... Continue Reading
Routesetting is a central part of the experience for every climbing gym’s end users: its members. Routes that are challenging but varied are one reason why climbers keep coming back. In order to provide the best experience for your customer base, it’s crucial to keep diversity in mind... Continue Reading
Of all the methods of managing risk that climbing facilities employ, a robust training program is one of the most effective means of reducing accident rates for visitors and workers alike. Studies have consistently shown that the likelihood of an accident is higher in the first month of... Continue Reading
Most gym owners consider offering child care to members at some point, but does it make sense for your gym? There are advantages to offering child care; it’s a great benefit to members with children and can give your climbing gym a competitive advantage over gyms that don’t offer... Continue Reading
Reprinted from Lines Newsletter, July 2013 Spotting is the subject of ongoing industry debate and the intent of this article is to present multiple perspectives in an effort to foster conversation and investigation into spotting practices at CWA member facilities. As with any operational... Continue Reading
A phenomenon that we often see when working with climbing programs is a lack of time for reflection. Coaches and facilitators have limited time with their with young climbers, and practices are so jam packed with activity that by the end, there's no time to reflect on what each climber... Continue Reading
The relationship between effective training and employee performance is well-researched; a well-trained staff is more engaged in their job, delivers better customer service, represents your brand more professionally, and is more resistant to turnover – all good things. But finding the time... Continue Reading
California has the most climbing facilities of any state in the US, but new gyms are still finding markets to serve. One prime example is The Boulder Field, a Sacramento gym that opened doors in the spring of 2018. With 10,000 feet of bouldering terrain and walls up to 14 feet high, The Boulder... Continue Reading
Climbers fall into a unique lifestyle sport category where the identity is connected to the need to climb, often. Urban Dictionary defines dirtbag as “a person who is committed to a given (usually extreme) lifestyle to the point of abandoning employment and other societal norms in order to... Continue Reading
Dealing with chalk dust is something that climbing gyms are entirely too familiar with; everywhere there are climbers, there’s chalk. Most gyms implement chalk mitigation strategies, whether it’s a never-ending cleaning and vacuuming circuit, installing a chalk eater, or a state of... Continue Reading
Part I of this series explained the business case for adding programming for Boomers to your climbing gym, and once you’ve decided to take that step, how to market and message that program. Now, it’s time to think through the considerations unique to working with this age... Continue Reading
