CWA Blog

The Climbing Wall Association is pleased to announce the appointment of two additional representatives to the CWA Board of Directors. Michele Lang, Owner/Operator of Insight Climbing & Movement with two locations in Washington, and Mike St. Laurent, President/COO of Triangle Rock Club with... Continue Reading

You read that headline right. Here at the Climbing Wall Association, I’ve been pouring over the 2022 calendar for the past month, planning out our content so we can continue delivering for our members. You should be thinking ahead for next year too, and I’ll tell you why. But first,... Continue Reading

It's no secret that routesetting is a niche profession that many staff members have questions about. From the outside, especially for new staff and climbers, some days can look like we are just goofing off, having fun climbing, and the sets go up effortlessly. But other days are tenser, where I... Continue Reading

Vaccine requirements have arrived across the United States. From Los Angeles to New York, municipalities are requiring gyms, restaurants, and other indoor venues to ask patrons to prove they've been vaccinated in order to receive services. This is inherently daunting for most businesses. It... Continue Reading

We’ve all been there, meandering through the aisles looking for something, anything, that would be the perfect gift. This holiday season, let’s prep our staff and website to be the best gift guides they can be! The front desk staff is the first to welcome shoppers into the retail... Continue Reading

A participant competes in a 'dyno' competition at The Crag Nashville. Photo by Kyle Somers. New climbers frequently ask my team, “Hey, how do you guys know where to put the pieces?” There’s also “Hey, are you just making it up or do you draw a map?” And my personal... Continue Reading

A key component to having a successful retail operation is how you merchandise your store. Merchandising is the art of laying out your store and making your store shoppable while thinking about how it looks to your customers. Of course, your shop should look neat and clean, but most importantly... Continue Reading

The Climbing Wall Association is excited to announce that ClimbInsure has been selected as our partner in Canada to create the first insurance program designed for Canadian climbing facilities. This partnership will help support the industry’s long-term goals of increasing access to... Continue Reading

USA Climbing athletes compete in the IFSC World Cup in Salt Lake City in May 2021. It’s hard to make someone do something exactly the way you want them to. People like to simplify things, even if in the end they’re making it harder on themselves. At least, that’s what chief... Continue Reading

The CWA's exclusive US insurance partner, Monument Sports, is excited to announce the hiring of Rebecca Bennett as their Claims and Risk Management Manager. Rebecca brings with her over 15 years of insurance claims handling experience. During her time at Markel Insurance Company and James River... Continue Reading

In many industries, especially during the pandemic years, there has been a big focus on employee wellness programs to decrease mental stress, increase physical activity, and improve overall morale in the workplace. In routesetting, while there has definitely been improvement in what gyms offer... Continue Reading

ABC Kids Climbing in Boulder, Colorado, has built something truly special. It was the first, and to date, the largest climbing gym dedicated to training youth athletes. It also trained two of the four Olympians on Team USA who competed in the Tokyo Olympic Games. The gym started inside the... Continue Reading