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!

Subscribe

CWA Blog CWA Blog : Association News CWA Blog : CWA Summit CWA Blog : In the News

CWA Announces Keynote for 2023 CWA Summit
CWA Announces Keynote for 2023 CWA Summit

Boulder, Colo., 11/14/2022 – The Climbing Wall Association (CWA) is proud to announce Kareemah Batts as the keynote speaker for the 2023 CWA Summit. Kareemah, a cancer survivor, para-climber, outdoor enthusiast, and an equity, and inclusion professional, will highlight the climbing... Continue Reading

Date posted11/21/2022


REPORT: Reduce Incidents by Understanding Why Climbers Make Mistakes
REPORT: Reduce Incidents by Understanding Why Climbers Make Mistakes

Facilities have long been trying to answer the vexing question of why climbers make mistakes that can result in injury. Knowing this answer would go a long way in helping climbing gyms’ risk management programs and reduce incident rates. To help understand why mistakes happen, the CWA... Continue Reading

Date posted11/21/2022


Develop Leadership Pipelines, Part 2
Develop Leadership Pipelines, Part 2

Peer Leadership Review: Your Tool for Management Success Since joining the indoor climbing industry as an operator in 2019, my stance has been unwavering that leadership pipeline creation and succession planning are among the biggest problems for the industry. This is most apparent for gyms... Continue Reading

Date posted11/14/2022


Nonprofit Member Spotlight: Access Fund
Nonprofit Member Spotlight: Access Fund

Last May, the Access Fund and the CWA launched a dual membership program that is designed for indoor climbing gyms to have an easier time educating their climbers on how to transition into outdoor climbing. The Access Fund and CWA Dual Membership Program is a way for indoor climbing facilities to... Continue Reading

Date posted11/10/2022


CWA Team Grows with New Manager of Communications & Member Engagement
CWA Team Grows with New Manager of Communications & Member Engagement

The CWA welcomes Matt Pucak as the newest member of the staff as the Manager of Communications and Member Engagement. Continue Reading

Date posted10/28/2022


Top Rope Risk and You
Top Rope Risk and You

One of the most interesting sessions, for me at least, at the 2022 Climbing Wall Association Summit was the auto belay discussion between gym owners. The session was billed as a discussion of the mitigation of risk, and I think most of us were expecting hard statistics and clear guidelines, but... Continue Reading

Date posted10/27/2022


Creating Safe Spaces in Indoor Climbing Coaching
Creating Safe Spaces in Indoor Climbing Coaching

“Why do you throw up sometimes?” I asked my sister on our way home from school. Silence hung in the air. “I don’t know.” She breathed. In my freshman year, there was often tension between us. I needed her to know that I cared about her and that I was a safe person to... Continue Reading

Date posted10/17/2022


Indoor Climbing Coaching and Parkinson's: A Case Study
Indoor Climbing Coaching and Parkinson's: A Case Study

Climbing is used by many of us for myriad purposes: stress relief, physical activity, pure pleasure, and so much more. Recently, our sport has gained a lot of traction for its constructive potential for neurodivergent folks experiencing a broad range of symptoms. I chatted with Molly... Continue Reading

Date posted10/17/2022


Routesetting For Your Members
Routesetting For Your Members

Imagine you’re stepping into the climbing gym for the first time. What are your first impressions? The way the staff greet you, the sounds and smells emanating from the facility, the height of the walls, and the feeling of space. Above all, many new indoor climbers notice and gravitate... Continue Reading

Date posted10/17/2022


Member Spotlight: North Carolina State University
Member Spotlight: North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University, located in Raleigh, recently saw a fresh renovation to its on-campus climbing facilities. In this member spotlight, learn how Erin Heiser, NC State’s Assistant Director of Outdoor Adventures, built administrative and community support for the project managed... Continue Reading

Date posted10/4/2022


Develop Leadership Pipelines, Part 1
Develop Leadership Pipelines, Part 1

If you think of the indoor climbing industry on the timeline of an average human lifespan, I think we are probably at the tail end of puberty. Growth is booming, but there are thoughts that aspects are plateauing. The industry’s strength has increased exponentially, but there’s a long... Continue Reading

Date posted10/4/2022


How To Create Women-Specific Programming
How To Create Women-Specific Programming

Last year, after seeing the success of Rana Accawi’s Climb Like a Girl (CLAG) program at Brooklyn Boulders, I knew I wanted to trial a similar program at The Crag. While I have very little coaching experience and no formal coaching training - five years of full-time routesetting and climber... Continue Reading

Date posted09/19/2022