The climbing industry is growing. Help lead it forward by participating in CBJ’s 2026 Compensation Survey. Survey participants receive free access to the industry’s most up-to-date compensation data.

We and our industry thank you for contributing!

First launched in 2024, CBJ’s Compensation Report & Dashboard is the go-to source for climbing gym employee compensation data. As an independent journal serving the businesses and professionals of climbing, we conduct this research to help all parties learn more about compensation standards and foster more equitable workplaces.

For the report’s second edition, we’re aiming for our highest survey turnout yet, with the goal of sharing even more robust data on pay, paid time off and other benefits. This year’s survey is open to all employees who work at a climbing gym or other facility with a climbing wall, anywhere in the world.

If you receive a paycheck from a climbing facility, please complete the survey form below by Sunday, May 31.

Download a PDF flyer to post on staff break room messageboards.

By taking the survey, you’ll get free access to current compensation data, benefit from exclusive discounts/giveaways, and help inform industry benchmarks.

We will publish the anonymized and aggregated results in updated versions of the CBJ Climbing Gym Employee Compensation Report and Dashboard, expected to be released within the next few months.

Benefits of Participating

1) You will have FREE access to the resulting report and dashboard. You will be able to learn and benefit from the anonymized and aggregated data we collect.

2) You will be contributing to the development of our industry. As an industry, we need reliable and recent compensation data. You can help drive that collective knowledge forward.

3) We’ve got over $1000 of giveaways lined up for you! The earlier you take the survey, the more chances you have to win:

• $100 cash drawing on Apr 13
• Asana Focus Crash Pad drawing on April 20
• Rhino Skin Solutions two $150 giftcards drawing on May 17
• PhysiVāntage $300 giftcard drawing on May 24
• $100 cash drawing on May 31
• Discounts from Asana, PhysiVāntage, and CBJ sent to you after survey completion

This survey is not for employees at brands or suppliers.

Privacy Pledge

CBJ has a proven track record of taking data privacy very seriously and handling information shared in surveys with the utmost care. We will not release any details in our reporting that can be tracked back to any specific facility or individual. We do need your email to ensure the validity of responses, and we ask for some sensitive information, but all reporting will contain only aggregated anonymized information.

Examples of past survey results reporting at CBJ can be found here and here. Our data dashboards (see an example here) often contain filters allowing aggregated data to be segmented further, but we work hard to make sure that nothing can be tracked back to you or your facility. CBJ will be handling all data processing. We will not share your personal information with anyone.

You can see our privacy policy here.

The post CBJ Compensation Survey for Climbing Gym Employees 2026 appeared first on Climbing Business Journal.

[Editor’s Note: This list was first published on September 26, 2024, and was most recently updated on February 27, 2026.]

Opening a new climbing gym is not a small undertaking. It takes a labor of love to go through the research, business planning, financing, staffing, design, construction and other essentials required to bring a new gym project to life. Yet those hurdles haven’t discouraged gym developers from taking on the challenge and opening multiple or (in a couple instances) over 20 climbing facilities in communities around a country. This article highlights the climbing gym businesses in the United States with the most locations, based on CBJ’s proprietary dataset.

Each business on this list has a unique story, but one thing they all have in common is that every one started as a single-location facility going through the grind of a first-time gym operator, before bringing the benefits of climbing to more people and places. That rite of passage is a good reminder that, for all the recent growth, the climbing gym industry is still relatively small compared to other industries out there, and even the largest gym businesses in the industry have humble beginnings behind their success and expansion.

Without further ado, below are the gym developers that have grown their small businesses into the largest climbing gym brands in the U.S. In conjunction with this report, be sure to check out the Largest Climbing Gyms, Largest Bouldering Gyms and Tallest Climbing Gyms in America.

9. High Point Climbing & Fitness

• Open Gyms: 8
• Region: South
• States: AL, FL, TN
• Roped/Mixed Gyms: 6
• Bouldering Gyms: 2
• Self-Built Gyms: 7
• Acquired/Merged Gyms: 1

High Point Climbing, tied in 9th place with eight open gyms, is a Southern climbing gym developer with roped and bouldering facilities scattered throughout Alabama, Tennessee, and now Florida. The first High Point location opened in 2013 in downtown Chattanooga, and the Tennessee-based gym developer has added six more self-built gyms since then—including High Point Orlando, the Largest New Climbing Gym of 2025, and High Point Mid City, the Second-Largest New Climbing Gym of 2019. In 2015, High Point added a second Chattanooga gym by purchasing Urban Rocks (now High Point Riverside), which originally opened in 2008. In addition to its climbing gyms, High Point operates a Zip Adventure zipline based on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga.

9. VITAL Climbing Gym

• Open Gyms: 8
• Planned Gyms: 1 (WA)
• Region: Nationwide
• States: CA, NY, WA
• Bouldering Gyms: 8
• Self-Built Gyms: 6
• Acquired/Merged Gyms: 2

Since opening their first facility in 2010 in Carlsbad, California, the VITAL team has expanded their gym business to include eight locations, tied for 9th most in the U.S. VITAL initially focused its development on the West Coast but jumped across the country in 2021, opening VITAL Brooklyn—the Largest New Bouldering Gym of 2021 and one of the Largest Bouldering Gyms in America—and acquiring Steep Rock Bouldering’s two Manhattan gyms later that year. VITAL is well known for operating bouldering-focused gyms (several with 24/7 access). The business opened its latest one (VITAL Lower East Side) in Manhattan, in 2024, and has its first roped gym on the way in Bellingham, Washington.

9. Momentum Indoor Climbing

• Open Gyms: 8
• Planned Gyms: 2 (TX)
• Region: Worldwide
• States: TX, UT, WA
• Roped/Mixed Gyms: 4
• Bouldering Gyms: 4
• Self-Built Gyms: 8

Also tied for 9th place, Momentum Indoor Climbing opened its first U.S. location—in Sandy, Utah—in 2007. Since then, Momentum has expanded throughout Utah as well as into Texas, Washington, and even Bulgaria. Today the business’s primary shareholder is Bulgaria-based Walltopia, and several other shareholders are in Utah and Texas. In total, Momentum operates eight locations in the U.S. and two in Bulgaria. The second-largest of those U.S. gyms—Momentum Fort Union in Midvale, Utah—opened at the end of 2024 with 31,000 square feet of climbing; the Fort Union gym and Momentum Millcreek (34,302 square feet of climbing) fall just outside the Largest Climbing Gyms in America list. In 2026, Momentum has two more U.S. gym projects underway in Houston and San Antonio, Texas.

7. Rock Spot Climbing

• Open Gyms: 9
• Region: New England
• States: CT, MA, RI
• Roped/Mixed Gyms: 5
• Bouldering Gyms: 4
• Self-Built Gyms: 8
• Acquired/Merged Gyms: 1

New-England-based Rock Spot Climbing is tied for the 7th-largest climbing gym developer in the U.S., with nine open gyms (five roped and four bouldering-focused). The team’s first location opened in Lincoln, Rhode Island, in 1995 and was originally named Rhode Island Rock Gym, before the gym moved to a new facility in 2002 and rebranded to Rock Spot Climbing. Since then, Rock Spot has opened seven other facilities and acquired an early 1990s gym—Prime Climb, in Connecticut—in 2022. The most recent of those new gym builds were two bouldering-focused locations—in Brookline, Massachusetts, and New Haven, Connecticut—that opened in 2024, expanding Rock Spot’s footprint in the Northeast.

7. Climbing Collective

• Open Gyms: 9
• Planned Gyms: 1 (PA)
• Region: East Coast
• States: NC, NY, PA
• Roped/Mixed Gyms: 7
• Bouldering Gyms: 2
• Self-Built Gyms: 7
• Acquired/Merged Gyms: 2

Tied for the 7th-largest climbing gym developer in the U.S. is Climbing Collective, an East Coast business with nine facilities across North Carolina, New York and Pennsylvania. The first location, Philadelphia Rock Gym (PRG) Oaks, opened in 1994, followed by four additional PRG gyms around the Philadelphia area, then Hudson Boulders in New York. In 2023, PRG’s parent company, Climbing Collective—not to be confused with the Climbing Collective in Colorado, which is a separate business—was formed and acquired Inner Peaks’ Matthews and South End gyms in North Carolina, then opened Inner Peaks NoDa the following year. In 2026, Climbing Collective has a new bouldering-focused gym (PRG University City) on the way in Philadelphia.

6. Hangar 18

• Open Gyms: 11
• Region: West Coast
• States: CA
• Roped/Mixed Gyms: 7
• Bouldering Gyms: 4
• Self-Built Gyms: 5
• Acquired/Merged Gyms: 6

Hangar 18, in 6th place for the largest climbing gym developer in the U.S., operates 11 gyms in California. The West Coast business opened its first location in 1998—Hangar 18 Upland—and has since expanded throughout Los Angeles through a mix of self-builds and acquisitions. In 2012, Hangar 18 made its first acquisitions, purchasing The Rock Gym (now Hangar 18 Long Beach) and Beach City Rocks (South Bay); the team then purchased TruHold (Mission Viejo) in 2013, Thresh Hold (East Riverside) in 2014, Arcadia Rock Climbing Gym (Arcadia) in 2017, and The Factory Bouldering (Orange) in 2020. Altogether, Hangar 18 operates seven roped gyms and four bouldering-focused gyms in the Los Angeles area.

5. Bouldering Project

• Open Gyms: 13
• Region: Nationwide
• States: AZ, DC, MA, MN, NY, TX, UT, WA
• Roped/Mixed Gyms: 2
• Bouldering Gyms: 11
• Self-Built Gyms: 9
• Acquired/Merged Gyms: 4

In 5th place for the largest climbing gym developer in the U.S. is Bouldering Project (BP), with 13 gyms nationwide—all but two of which are bouldering-focused. The first BP location opened in the Poplar area of Seattle in 2011. In 2015, BP then opened its first gym build outside Washington—in Austin, Texas—and expanded into Minneapolis two years later. In 2022, BP took a big leap on this list by acquiring three Brooklyn Boulders gyms in Boston, Brooklyn and Washington D.C., then opened a new gym in Salt Lake City, Utah, later that year. And in 2024, BP acquired Oso Climbing Gym in Dallas. Today, BP runs 13 gyms across eight states/districts—including four of the Largest Bouldering Gyms in America as well as the Largest New Bouldering Gym of 2025 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

4. The Gravity Vault

• Open Gyms: 16
• Planned Gyms: 3 (NJ, PA, TX)
• Region: Nationwide
• States: CA, NJ, NY, PA
• Roped/Mixed Gyms: 13
• Bouldering Gyms: 3
• Self-Built Gyms: 16

In 4th place for the largest climbing gym developer in the U.S. is The Gravity Vault, with 13 roped gyms and three bouldering-focused gyms. The Gravity Vault opened its original location in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, in 2005, then added a second location in the state (Chatham) in 2009. In 2014, the team made headlines by opening the first franchised climbing gym in the U.S. and has since started several other franchised locations—including one on the other side of the country, in Marin, California. The Gravity Vault founder Lucas Kovalcik owns and operates multiple climbing gyms, but the majority of The Gravity Vault gyms are owned and operated by franchisees. With three new gyms in the works across three states, The Gravity Vault is closing in on the 20 gyms mark and currently has more planned gyms announced than any other developer on this list.

3. Touchstone Climbing

• Open Gyms: 18
• Region: West Coast
• States: CA
• Roped/Mixed Gyms: 11
• Bouldering Gyms: 7
• Self-Built Gyms: 18

Touchstone is the 3rd-largest climbing gym developer in the U.S., with 18 locations across the state of California. Touchstone opened its first climbing gym in San Francisco in 1995, then expanded into the Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose, Fresno and Los Angeles areas. In addition to opening new locations, the team at Touchstone has also expanded existing locations, adding 9,000 square feet of climbing to Pipeworks in 2015 and 6,000 square feet to Dogpatch Boulders in 2016, for example—the latter of which is the Largest Bouldering Gym in America. Touchstone also operates the Largest Climbing Gym in America—Pacific Pipe Company, which unsurprisingly won the Largest New Climbing Gym of 2021 award. In 2025, Touchstone opened the new Hyperion gym in Redwood City, between San Francisco and San Jose, shortly before the business celebrated its 30-year anniversary.

2. Central Rock Gym

• Open Gyms: 29
• Region: East Coast
• States: CT, FL, GA, MA, NY, RI
• Roped/Mixed Gyms: 16
• Bouldering Gyms: 13
• Self-Built Gyms: 25
• Acquired/Merged Gyms: 4

The 2nd-largest climbing gym developer in the U.S.—founded by Joe and Ed Hardy—is Central Rock Gym (CRG), which operates 29 locations throughout six states. Originally based in the Northeast, CRG opened its first gym in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 2009, then added new builds throughout the state as well as in Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island. In 2023, CRG expanded into the South for the first time, opening two gyms in Florida, in addition to three gyms in the Northeast. CRG further expanded its footprint in the South in 2024, acquiring the four Stone Summit gyms in Georgia, CRG’s first acquisition. Although not first on this list, CRG does wear another crown: the only climbing gym developer in the U.S. to have opened more than 20+ gyms entirely through self-builds (i.e., not part of mergers or acquisitions). Two more self-built gyms—in Troy (NY) and Fort Myers (FL)—opened in 2025 and early 2026, respectively, making CRG one of only two developers in the country with 29+ climbing gyms.

1. Movement Climbing, Yoga & Fitness

• Open Gyms: 34
• Planned Gyms: 1 (VA)
• Region: Nationwide
• States: CA, CO, IL, MD, NY, OR, PA, TX, VA
• Roped/Mixed Gyms: 23
• Bouldering Gyms: 11
• Self-Built Gyms: 12 (as Movement brand)
• Acquired/Merged Gyms: 22

The largest climbing gym developer in the U.S. is Movement Climbing, Yoga & Fitness, the first climbing gym business to operate 30 open locations across the country, from coast to coast. Movement’s origins date back to the 90s, with the founding of Maryland-based Earth Treks by Chris Warner and California-based Planet Granite by Micky Lloyd. In 2017, the two climbing gym companies merged under the El Cap parent company, which later acquired the Colorado-based Movement gyms in 2019. Mike and Anne-Worley Moelter opened the original Movement location in Boulder, Colorado, in 2009, then added two more gyms in the Denver area over the next decade. Following the acquisition, America’s largest climbing gym network unified under the Movement umbrella and continued to expand across the country through self-builds and acquisitions, purchasing four Summit gyms in Texas and acquiring The Cliffs’ five gyms in New York and Pennsylvania. Movement also boasts some of the Largest Climbing Gyms in America—Englewood (3rd), Rockville (7th), Lincoln Park (8th) and Design District (10th). With 34 open gyms and one planned gym on the way—coming to Fairfax, Virginia—Movement’s total gym count (open or planned) makes it the largest climbing gym developer in the world. In 2024, Movement named Anne-Worley Moelter as the new CEO of the company, a title she held 15 years prior as co-founder of the first Movement gym. (Click here and here for exclusive interviews with Anne-Worley).

The post Largest Climbing Gym Developers in America appeared first on Climbing Business Journal.

[Editor’s Note: This list was first published on December 2, 2013, and was most recently updated on February 27, 2026.]

At the time of this writing, there are more than 695 commercial climbing gyms in the United States. We love climbing, and we love celebrating climbing gym businesses doing big things in their communities. Each year, we report on industry growth and award the largest new climbing gyms that opened their doors for the first time. But of all the gyms—new and old—in existence today around the continent, which ones are the biggest, in terms of offering the most climbing?

We crunched the numbers, checking with the gym operators to verify square footage figures. Below is a list of the top 10 largest climbing gyms in the U.S., based on total square feet of climbing wall surface.

In addition to this list, be sure to check out the Largest Bouldering Gyms, Tallest Climbing Gyms and Largest Climbing Gym Developers in America.

10. Movement Design District

• Wall Size: 35,880 sqft
• Open Year: 2022
• Location: Dallas, Texas
• Walls: Walltopia
• Flooring: Cascade Specialty
• CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro

The 10th-largest climbing gym in the U.S., based on total climbing wall surface, is Movement Design District, with 35,880 square feet of climbing. In 2022, the year the gym first opened, Movement Design District won the Largest New Gym of the Year award and was Movement’s 20th location. Now, Movement operates 34 facilities across the country. The Design District gym—located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area—features 56-foot climbing walls in a 45,417-square-foot space, with a mix of roped, bouldering and speed terrain. Other amenities include fitness and cardio zones, group classes, youth programming, saunas and a gear shop.

9. Carabiner’s Climbing and Fitness

• Wall Size: 36,600 sqft
• Open Year: 2004
• Location: New Bedford, Massachusetts
• Walls: Owner/contractor
• Flooring: Owner/contractor
• CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro

In 9th place, Carabiner’s Climbing and Fitness was founded by Steve Caton in 2004 and features 36,600 square feet of climbing. After breaking ground on the gym in 2001, Caton acted as the designer, engineer, certified welder, and foreman of the construction crew for Carabiner’s. When the facility first opened, it was the largest indoor climbing gym in the U.S. After expanding several times—remaining the largest gym for seven years—Carabiner’s lost that position in 2011. The gym’s 65-foot climbing walls are some of the tallest in the country.

8. Movement Lincoln Park

• Wall Size: 37,079 sqft
• Open Year: 2021
• Location: Chicago, Illinois
• Walls: Walltopia
• Flooring: Cascade Specialty
• CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro

Movement Lincoln Park, the 8th-largest climbing gym in the U.S., opened in Chicago in November 2021. On its 37,079 square feet of climbing wall surface, the roped and bouldering gym has over 200 climbs. The 41,181-square-foot space received the Tallest New Climbing Gym of the Year award in 2021, with climbing walls reaching 56 feet, and was the 2nd-largest new climbing gym to open that year. In addition to the climbing terrain, the gym has a soundproof yoga studio, several lounge areas, a gear shop, and a floor dedicated to cardio and weightlifting equipment.

7. Movement Rockville

• Wall Size: 38,000 sqft
• Open Year: 2006
• Location: Rockville, Maryland
• Walls: Comp Wall
• Flooring: Cascade Specialty
• CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro

The 7th-largest climbing gym in the U.S., with 38,000 square feet of climbing, is Movement Rockville. Originally Earth Treks Rockville before it was rebranded in 2021, the bouldering and roped gym near Washington D.C. was the largest in the nation from 2011 to August 2014. At the end of 2023, Movement announced plans to reinvest nearly $1 million into the 29,000-square-foot facility, which gained a climbing training zone—with a 12×12 Kilter Board and 12×12 Tension Board 2—an expanded fitness area, upgraded locker rooms and yoga room, new holds and more.

6. Sportrock Climbing Centers Alexandria

• Wall Size: 38,500 sqft
• Open Year: 1996
• Location: Alexandria, Virginia
• Walls: Radwall; Rockwerx; Walltopia
• Flooring: Flashed; Strati Climbing
• CRM/POS Software: Redpoint HQ

The 6th-largest climbing gym in the U.S. is Sportrock Alexandria, with 38,500 square feet of climbing wall surface. The 41,000-square-foot facility is the oldest on this list, having opened in 1996; it’s also the longest standing gym run by Sportrock, which has been developing and operating climbing gyms since 1994. The mixed-discipline Alexandria gym boasts 61-foot roped walls and 14-foot boulders, with over 150 roped routes and 125 bouldering problems. Also inside the facility are two 15-meter speed walls, a MoonBoard, and several more training and fitness amenities.

4. Mesa Rim Austin

• Wall Size: 40,000 sqft
• Open Year: 2023
• Location: Austin, Texas
• Walls: EP Climbing
• Flooring: Strati Climbing
• CRM/POS Software: Redpoint HQ

Tied for the 4th-largest climbing gym in the U.S. is Mesa Rim Austin, which won the Largest New Climbing Gym of the Year award for 2023. The 52,000-square-foot space—California-based Mesa Rim’s first Texas location—features 40,000 square feet of climbing, with walls reaching 55 feet, a 15-meter speed wall and 16-foot boulders. It’s often said that “everything’s bigger in Texas”—a state that’s home to two gyms on this list and a third large gym in Momentum Indoor Climbing Katy (28,450 square feet of climbing)—and while not the largest climbing gym in the U.S., Mesa Rim Austin is bigger than most.

4. Portland Rock Gym Beaverton

• Wall Size: 40,000 sqft
• Open Year: 2023
• Location: Portland, Oregon
• Walls: EP Climbing; Revival
• Flooring: Cascade Specialty
• CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro

Tied for 4th place, Portland Rock Gym’s Beaverton location first opened in 2023 and, following the completion of the gym’s roped terrain in 2024, now has 40,000 square feet of climbing. Oregon’s largest climbing gym continues the legacy of the original Portland Rock Gym, one of the earliest U.S. climbing gyms when it was established in 1988. The 65,000-square-foot Beaverton space includes roped walls up to 55 feet tall as well as a range of bouldering terrain. It’s also home to the first Titan bouldering wall installed in North America, which is based on a standardized wall design created in collaboration with EP Climbing and the IFSC (World Climbing) that was used for the 2024 Paris Olympics and other international events.

3. Movement Englewood

• Wall Size: 42,123 sqft
• Open Year: 2018
• Location: Englewood, Colorado
• Walls: Walltopia
• Flooring: Cascade Specialty
• CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro

Movement Englewood, formerly Earth Treks Englewood, is the 3rd-largest climbing gym in the U.S. The bouldering and roped gym opened its 42,123 square feet of climbing in the Denver metro area in 2018. According to the Movement website, the 52,000-square-foot facility is “large enough to house an entire football field worth of climbing,” with 55-foot climbing walls and over 400 climbs. Like other Movement gyms, the Englewood location has a variety of climbing and training classes, as well as yoga and fitness options accompanying the climbing.

2. Vertical Endeavors – Glendale Heights

• Wall Size: Pushing 46,000 sqft
• Open Year: 2014
• Location: Glendale Heights, Illinois
• Walls: Nicros
• Flooring: Nicros
• CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro

Vertical Endeavors – Glendale Heights was built in 2014 by Nicros—Vertical Endeavors’ parent company—and is the 2nd-largest climbing gym in the counry, with 46,000 square feet of climbing terrain. At the time of the 42,000-square-foot facility’s opening, it was the sole gym with over 45,000 square feet of climbing, a distinction it held for seven years. The Glendale Heights gym, located on the west end of Chicago, was Minnesota-based Nicros’ second build in Illinois. The gym features 30-foot climbing walls, 450 climbs, 35 auto belays and a 20-foot horizontal hand crack.

1. Pacific Pipe Company

• Wall Size: 47,000 sqft
• Open Year: 2021
• Location: Oakland, California
• Walls: Walltopia
• Flooring: Flashed
• CRM/POS Software: Redpoint HQ

In 1st place on this list and the largest climbing gym in the U.S. is Pacific Pipe Company, opened in 2021 as Touchstone’s 14th location. Since then, Touchstone has grown to 18 locations across the state of California, but Pacific Pipe remains the largest of the group. The gym is situated in a former manufacturing warehouse in Oakland from the 1920’s, which sat vacant for decades before being repurposed for climbing. Today, the 62,000-square-foot building sports a whopping 47,000 square feet of climbing wall surface built by Walltopia, winner of the Climbing Gym Wall Builder of the Year award for five years straight. Not surprisingly, Pacific Pipe won the Largest New Climbing Gym of the Year award in 2021, with 33,000 square feet of roped climbing on 55-foot climbing walls, bouldering terrain, training boards, and a full lineup of fitness offerings.

The post Largest Climbing Gyms in America appeared first on Climbing Business Journal.

[Editor’s Note: This list was first published on August 29, 2024, and was most recently updated on February 27, 2026.]

Bouldering has been booming. According to data from CBJ’s 2025 Gyms & Trends report, 95% of the roughly 270 bouldering-focused gyms in the United States opened in just the past 15 years. Bouldering gym builds—as opposed to climbing gym builds where roped climbing is the focus—have been on an upward trajectory since practically the start of the century, but especially of late. In both 2025 and 2024, 73% of the new climbing gyms in the U.S. were bouldering gyms—an all-time high for a calendar year.

Last year, Bouldering Project opened the largest new bouldering gym, in Minnesota. But where in the country are the largest bouldering gyms of all-time that are still in operation today? We checked with the gym operators to determine which bouldering gyms are offering the most climbing, compiling a list of the top 10. Below are the 10 largest bouldering gyms in the U.S., based on total square feet of climbing wall surface.

In tandem with this article, be sure to check out the Largest Climbing Gyms, Tallest Climbing Gyms and Largest Climbing Gym Developers in America.

10. Tempe Bouldering Project

• Wall Size: 14,744 sqft
• Open Year: 2023
• Location: Tempe, Arizona
• Walls: Owner/contractor
• Flooring: Owner/contractor
• CRM/POS Software: Approach

The 10th-largest bouldering gym in the U.S. is Tempe Bouldering Project, Bouldering Project’s first location in Arizona. Opened in 2023 in the Phoenix area, the Tempe gym—the largest bouldering gym in the state—features 14,744 square feet of climbing on walls reaching 17 feet in a 49,000-square-foot space, with the walls and flooring built in-house by Bouldering Projects Environments. The Largest New Bouldering Gym of 2023, BP’s Tempe location also has yoga and fitness classes, youth programming, private instruction, competitions and other events.

9. Blocker Boulders

• Wall Size: 15,000 sqft
• Open Year: 2026
• Location: Jacksonville, Florida
• Walls: Walltopia
• Flooring: Climbmat
• CRM/POS Software: Approach

The 9th-largest U.S. bouldering gym is Blocker Boulders in Jacksonville, Florida, at 15,000 square feet of climbing. According to the gym’s website, Blocker Boulders was founded by a family of Florida locals who felt “a place dedicated purely to bouldering” was missing in the area and “wanted to build a real community hub.” In addition to the bouldering terrain in the 45,000-square-foot space, the Jacksonville gym—the newest on this list—features a training wall, a weight room, a yoga studio, non-climbing games, space for socializing and more, per the Jacksonville Business Journal.

8. Minneapolis Bouldering Project

• Wall Size: 16,370 sqft
• Open Year: 2017
• Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Walls: Owner/contractor
• Flooring: Owner/contractor
• CRM/POS Software: Approach

Minneapolis Bouldering Project is the 8th-largest bouldering gym in the U.S., with 16,370 square feet of climbing. Opened in 2017, the Minneapolis facility—Bouldering Project’s first gym build in Minnesota—features 17-foot bouldering walls in a 39,700-square-foot space. Amenities include fitness and yoga studios, co-working spaces, a sauna, a gear shop and a weight room, and programming ranges from climbing and fitness classes to competitions and after-school programs. The gym also shares a complex with a local brewery, Pryes Brewing.

7. Austin Bouldering Project – Springdale

• Wall Size: 17,458 sqft
• Open Year: 2015
• Location: Austin, Texas
• Walls: Owner/contractor
• Flooring: Owner/contractor
• CRM/POS Software: Approach

Austin Bouldering Project – Springdale, which opened in 2015, is the 7th-largest bouldering gym in the U.S. The 45,000-square-foot space features 17,458 square feet of climbing wall surface, with over 250 problems on walls reaching 17 feet. Originally operating gyms in the Seattle area, as Seattle Bouldering Project, Bouldering Project’s first gym to open outside the state of Washington was the Springdale location, and today Bouldering Project now operates gyms in eight states/districts around the country. In addition to climbing, the Springdale gym offers a range of yoga and fitness amenities and classes, after-school youth programs, a bouldering league and more.

5. Vertical Endeavors – Twin Cities Bouldering

• Wall Size: 18,000 sqft
• Open Year: 2018
• Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
• Walls: Nicros
• Flooring: Habit
• CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro

Vertical Endeavors – Twin Cities Bouldering is tied for the 5th-largest bouldering gym in the U.S., with 18,000 square feet of climbing. Vertical Endeavors is no stranger to large gyms, having opened its Glendale Heights location—runner-up for the largest climbing gym in the U.S.—in 2014. The Twin Cities Bouldering gym is Vertical Endeavors’ sole bouldering-focused location and fourth gym in the Minneapolis area. The 30,000-square-foot facility boasts 21-foot climbing walls built by Nicros—its parent company—plus a mix of yoga and fitness classes.

5. North Mass Boulder

• Wall Size: 18,000 sqft
• Open Year: 2021
• Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
• Walls: Vertical Solutions
• Flooring: Flashed; Habit
• CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro

Also tied for the 5th-largest bouldering gym in the U.S. is North Mass Boulder, an Indianapolis facility that opened in 2021. Built in a historically preserved factory, Indiana’s largest bouldering gym features 18,000 square feet of climbing in a 47,000-square-foot facility, with walls by Vertical Solutions reaching 17 feet. One of the newer gyms on this list, North Mass also has yoga and fitness studios, a training area—with Kilter, Tension, Treadwall and Moon boards—social and work spaces, youth and family lounge areas, a café and bar, and other amenities.

4. Momentum Indoor Climbing Silver Street

• Wall Size: 18,340 sqft
• Open Year: 2017
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Walls: Walltopia
• Flooring: Climbmat; Strati Climbing
• CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro

Momentum Indoor Climbing Silver Street, the 4th-largest bouldering gym in the U.S., has 18,340 square feet of climbing wall surface in a 43,000-square-foot facility. Originally a Utah-based business before operating gyms in Texas, Washington, and even Bulgaria, Momentum first expanded outside of Utah in 2017, opening a roped gym (Katy) and the Silver Street location in the Houston area. The latter features over 280 bouldering problems on Walltopia walls reaching 15 feet. Other offerings include a spray wall, Lattice and Moon boards; youth programs for all ages; climbing, yoga and fitness classes; a bouldering league and competitions.

3. Vital Climbing Gym – Brooklyn

• Wall Size: 18,633 sqft
• Open Year: 2021
• Location: Brooklyn, New York
• Walls: EP Climbing; Vertical Solutions
• Flooring: Habit
• CRM/POS Software: Mindbody

Vital Climbing Gym – Brooklyn is the 3rd-largest bouldering gym in the country and largest in New York, with 18,633 square feet of climbing in a 46,000-square-foot space. When it opened in 2021, the Brooklyn gym—the Largest New Bouldering Gym of 2021—was VITAL’s first outside of California, before VITAL acquired two bouldering-focused gyms in Manhattan later that year. Today, VITAL operates eight bouldering gyms in total. The Brooklyn location features indoor and rooftop bouldering on walls reaching 13 feet; Tension, Treadwall and Kilter boards; aerial silks, cycling, yoga, fitness and climbing classes; and a slackline.

2. Seattle Bouldering Project – Poplar

• Wall Size: 19,941 sqft
• Open Year: 2011
• Location: Seattle, Washington
• Walls: Owner/contractor
• Flooring: Owner/contractor
• CRM/POS Software: Approach

The 2nd-largest bouldering gym in the U.S. is the Seattle Bouldering Project – Poplar location, with 19,941 square feet of climbing. Bouldering Project—which currently operates 13 climbing gyms across eight states/districts (including Washington D.C.)—stormed onto the bouldering scene in 2011 with its Poplar build in Seattle, the largest bouldering gym in the U.S. at the time. The three-story, 39,700-square-foot space has two floors of bouldering on BP-built walls reaching 17 feet, a training center with five training boards—two Kilter Boards, two Moon Boards and a Tension Board 2—a bar and restaurant downstairs, a gear shop, saunas, a range of youth programs, and competitions.

1. Dogpatch Boulders

• Wall Size: 20,500 sqft
• Open Year: 2013
• Location: San Francisco, California
• Walls: Walltopia
• Flooring: Flashed
• CRM/POS Software: Redpoint HQ

In 1st place for the largest bouldering gym in the U.S. is Dogpatch Boulders, with an impressive 20,500 square feet of climbing. Touchstone—the largest gym developer on this list, with 18 climbing gyms throughout California—opened Dogpatch Boulders in 2013, complementing Touchstone’s roped gyms in the San Francisco area. Dogpatch Boulders took a sizable leap on this list after adding 6,000 square feet of climbing in 2016. In addition to over 300 problems on Walltopia walls reaching 17 feet, the 30,000-square-foot space has a Kilter Board, cardio machines and weights, climbing and fitness classes, youth programs and more.

The post Largest Bouldering Gyms in America appeared first on Climbing Business Journal.

[Editor’s Note: This list was first published on September 13, 2024, and was most recently updated on February 27, 2026.]

It’s a sensation climbers know well: standing outside at the base of a rock wall, tied in and with chalked hands, gazing up at an inspiring route that just seems to go on and on and on, paving a path into the sky…Visionaries in the industry have long sought to replicate that experience and continue the stoke indoors, building titans of walls that tower above us, sometimes surpassing 100 feet. By nature of being within (or on the side of) a building, it takes a feat of engineering to build a mammoth climbing wall, but manufacturers and developers have been making it work for decades, creating structures that enable the roped climbing experiences we know and love.

There are hundreds of impressive climbing walls in the United States, from rock-realistic outdoor replicas to colorful modern masterpieces. This article highlights the tallest ones at commercial climbing gyms around the continent, whether those walls are outside or inside the gym. Without further ado, below are the top 10 tallest climbing gyms in the U.S., based on peak climbing wall height.

In conjunction with this article, be sure to check out the Largest Climbing Gyms, Largest Bouldering Gyms and Largest Climbing Gym Developers in America.

10. inSPIRE Rock – Cypress

• Wall Height: 63 ft
• Open Year: 2018
• Location: Cypress, Texas
• Walls: Walltopia
• Flooring: owner/contractor
• CRM/POS Software: Redpoint HQ

The 10th-tallest climbing gym in the U.S. is inSPIRE Rock – Cypress, a 25,000-square-foot roped climbing and bouldering facility featuring 63-foot roped walls. Located northwest of Houston, the Cypress gym—inSPIRE Rock’s second location in the area—opened in 2018 and has 24,000 square feet of climbing wall surface, of which 17,000 square feet are dedicated to roped climbing. The gym also boasts over 20 auto belays on walls ranging from 32 to 63 feet.

7. Vertical View

• Wall Height: 65 ft
• Open Year: 2020
• Location: Meridian, Idaho
• Walls: Walltopia
• Flooring: Asana
• CRM/POS Software: Capitan

In a tie for 7th place, Vertical View features 65-foot climbing walls in the 2020-built gym, the third-youngest gym on this list. Situated west of Boise, Idaho, the Tallest New Climbing Gym of 2020 contains 18,000 square feet of climbing terrain across four stories. The 32,000-square-foot facility has roughly 140 roped routes, 100 bouldering problems, outdoor routes and six auto belays, in addition to fitness and yoga options, speed climbing courses and climber education classes.

7. Velocity Climbing

• Wall Height: 65 ft
• Open Year: 2024
• Location: Miami, Florida
• Walls: Walltopia
• Flooring: Climbmat; owner/contractor
• CRM/POS Software: Redpoint HQ

In Florida, the roped climbing walls at Velocity Climbing, tied for 7th, top out at 65 feet as well. The newest gym on this list opened in Miami as the Tallest New Climbing Gym of 2024. In addition to the terrain for lead, tope rope, auto belay and speed climbing, the gym also features a Kilter Board and two floors of bouldering—including a replica of the Innsbruck competition wall used for the 2018 IFSC Climbing World Championships.

7. Carabiner’s Climbing and Fitness

• Wall Height: 65 ft
• Open Year: 2004
• Location: New Bedford, Massachusetts
• Walls: owner/contractor
• Flooring: owner/contractor
• CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro

Also tied for the 7th-tallest climbing gym in the country, Massachusetts-based Carabiner’s Climbing and Fitness has roped walls reaching 65 feet. When the facility—founded by Steve Caton, who led the gym’s design and construction—first opened in 2004, it was the largest climbing gym in the U.S., a title it held for seven years. After expanding multiple times, the gym now features 36,600 square feet of climbing, making Carabiner’s also the 9th-largest climbing gym in the U.S.

5. Vertical Dreams – Manchester

• Wall Height: 70 ft
• Open Year: 1998
• Location: Manchester, New Hampshire
• Walls: owner/contractor
• Flooring: self-installed using Dollamur
• CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro

Tied for the 5th-tallest climbing gym in the U.S. is Vertical Dreams – Manchester, with 70-foot climbing walls. Vertical Dreams operates two climbing facilities in southern New Hampshire, and while the Nashua location offers more square feet of climbing, the Manchester gym has the taller climbing walls. Opened in 1998—one of four ‘90s gyms on this list—the Manchester facility features 5,000 square feet of climbing in total.

5. The Front Climbing Club – SLC

• Wall Height: 70 ft
• Open Year: 1999
• Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
• Walls: Vertical Solutions
• Flooring: Habit
• CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro

The Front Climbing Club – Salt Lake City is tied for the 5th-tallest climbing gym in the U.S., with climbing walls reaching 70 feet. Opened in 1999, The Front’s hallmark SLC location previously featured 18,750 square feet of climbing—built by its sister company, Vertical Solutions—in a 50,000-square-foot space, before more bouldering surface was added two years ago. Originally a bouldering hub, the gym expanded into a space next door in 2015, adding roped climbing into the mix. In addition to the roped climbing and bouldering, today the gym features multiple training boards; fitness, cardio and yoga options; as well as a gear shop, café, saunas and more.

4. Kansas Cliff Club

• Wall Height: 80 ft
• Open Year: 1998
• Location: Wichita, Kansas
• Walls: owner/contractor
• Flooring: owner/contractor
• CRM/POS Software: their website (WordPress)

The Kansas Cliff Club—located in a once vacant concrete plant in Wichita, Kansas—is the 4th-tallest climbing gym in the U.S., with 80-foot climbing walls. According to its website, the gym “is a private, grassroots, not-for-profit organization created for the purpose of supporting the sport of rock climbing in Wichita.” The unstaffed facility first opened in 1998, featuring 11,500 square feet of climbing across 65-to-80-foot outdoor climbs and 32-foot indoor climbs. The 80-foot splitter concrete cracks outside take trad gear.

3. projectROCK Easley

• Wall Height: 84 ft
• Open Year: 2022
• Location: Easley, South Carolina
• Walls: RADRock
• Flooring: Flashed; owner/contractor
• CRM/POS Software: Mindbody

The country’s 3rd-tallest climbing gym is projectROCK Easley, a 2022 build with 84-foot climbing walls. The 16,500-square-foot space—projectROCK’s second location and the second-newest gym on this list—was the Tallest New Climbing Gym of 2022 and has the tallest indoor climbing walls of any U.S. climbing gym. The South Carolina gym features 32,000 square feet of climbing on RADRock rock-realistic features that mimic several classic climbing areas in the U.S., from Yosemite Valley to Horse Pens 40.

2. Upper Limits – Bloomington

• Wall Height: 100 ft
• Open Year: 1995
• Location: Bloomington, Illinois
• Walls: owner/contractor
• Flooring: owner/contractor
• CRM/POS Software: Rock Gym Pro

Upper Limits – Bloomington is in 2nd place for the tallest climbing gym in the U.S., with climbing walls reaching 100 feet. A unique facility that offers climbing inside silos, the Bloomington gym—Upper Limits’ first location—has 65-foot routes in the silos and a 100-foot outdoor wall, in addition to more climbing terrain indoors. In total, the 20,000-square-foot facility offers 18,000 square feet of climbing and a variety of climbing programs. Upper Limits also operates two other climbing facilities in St. Louis and Chesterfield, Missouri.

1. BaseCamp Reno

• Wall Height: 164 ft
• Open Year: 2011
• Location: Reno, Nevada
• Walls: outdoor walls by EP Climbing; indoor walls by Vertical Solutions
• Flooring: Flashed
• CRM/POS Software: Redpoint HQ

BaseCamp Reno, located at the Whitney Peak Hotel in Reno, Nevada, features the tallest climbing walls of any climbing gym in the U.S., with its astounding 164-foot outdoor wall—built by EP Climbing—on the side of the hotel building. Opened in 2011, the Guinness Book of World Records’ “World’s Tallest Artificial Climbing Wall” can be ascended as a two-pitch sport climb or as a single top rope pitch. In addition to the famed outdoor wall, BaseCamp Reno also offers a variety of bouldering terrain inside the facility for hotel guests and seasoned climbers alike.

The post Tallest Climbing Gyms in America appeared first on Climbing Business Journal.

At this time last year, analysis of the North American climbing gym industry revealed an array of somewhat contrasting trends; commercial gym development was booming, whereas operators of preexisting climbing gyms—that is, gyms that were already in operation when the year began—were citing significant headwinds. This year, as we reflect on the trends of 2025, we can say that the overall trends were more aligned and many key indicators trended downward.

Specifically, the number of new climbing gyms that opened in North America was down for 2025 compared to 2024, and so too was the total amount of climbing wall surface built across those new gyms. And based on the results of CBJ’s first Gyms & Trends Survey, traffic and revenues were largely flat or down at many preexisting gyms around the continent. Adding to these hurdles, and perhaps playing a major role in consumer habits throughout 2025, was an uptick in expenses and general macroeconomic woes referenced in the survey responses—all of which prompted some gyms to scale back their plans for growth and expansion.

In short, it’s safe to say 2025 was a challenging year for the climbing gym industry in North America. “Boom times are over,” summed up one operator at a multi-location climbing gym business. “Profitability is much harder unless you have scale and infrastructure to support institutional growth or mergers and acquisitions.”

That assessment echoed many others expressed via CBJ’s Gyms & Trend Survey—more of which will be featured throughout this report. We also highlight key statistical takeaways from the survey results, which span 240 climbing facilities (85% United States, 8% Canada, 3% Mexico, 4% other countries) and can be viewed in full in the CBJ Climbing Gym Operators Forecast Dashboard. The interactive dashboard displays in-depth trends from 2025 in climbing facility revenues, expenses, traffic, prices, programs, amenities and more, as well as expected trends for 2026.

While feelings of “uncertainty” and “concern” underscore much of this year’s analysis, there were also some bright spots that shone through the data, including a rise in youth program sign-ups that buoyed some gyms last year. Read on for more high-level takeaways from the survey results, and more statistics on new climbing gym development in North America can be found at the end of this report and in the CBJ Climbing Gym Industry Growth Dashboard.

In tandem with this report and the accompanying dashboards, be sure to check out the 2025 CBJ Gym List Awards, which lists all the new climbing gym openings and closures in North America last year, as well as the leading gyms and suppliers.

Key Statistics on North American Climbing Gym Growth in 2025

53 newly opened climbing gyms (40 USA, 11 CAN, 2 MEX)
(60 in 2024: 48 USA, 7 CAN, 5 MEX)

12 permanent climbing gym closures (12 USA, 0 CAN, 0 MEX)
(8 in 2024: 7 USA, 1 CAN, 0 MEX)

41 net new climbing gyms (28 USA, 11 CAN, 2 MEX)
(52 in 2024; 41 USA, 6 CAN, 5 MEX)

4.7% net growth rate (4.2% USA, 6.5% CAN, 5.0% MEX)
(6.3% in 2024; 6.5% USA, 3.7% CAN, 14.3% MEX)

356,314 square feet of climbing across new gyms (307,832 USA, 41,562 CAN, 6,920 MEX)
(460,997 in 2024; 404,311 USA, 23,200 CAN, 33,486 MEX)

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The post Gyms and Trends 2025 appeared first on Climbing Business Journal.

[Editor’s Note (January 29, 2026): Following additional fact-checking, the Climbing Gym Management Software of the Year section of this article and accompanying awards were corrected to reflect a more accurate gym count.]

In 2025, dozens of new climbing gyms opened across North America, even amid the shifting economic pressures. New gyms continued to open in urban cores, suburban hubs and previously underserved regions, bringing the total number of climbing gyms in North America to over 900.

This year’s CBJ Gym List Awards celebrate the standout gym builds of 2025, highlighting new facilities in North America with the most climbing wall surface, the tallest walls, and the developers and suppliers who fueled the most gym openings. We are proud to recognize the teams whose work shaped another dynamic year of gym development, and we invite you to join us in celebrating their achievements as we dive into the 2025 CBJ Gym List Awards.

Congratulations to all the new climbing gyms of 2025 and to everyone who helped bring them to life!

Scroll or click to see the following awardees:
High Point Orlando – Bouldering Project St. Paul – The Gravity Vault – Walltopia – Climbmat – Rock Gym Pro – Approach

Largest New Climbing Gym of 2025
(based on total climbing wall surface)
& Tallest New Climbing Gym of 2025
(based on peak indoor climbing wall height)

High Point
Orlando, Florida

High Point Orlando, a 49,000-square-foot facility built inside a former shipping warehouse, is both the Largest New Climbing Gym and Tallest New Climbing Gym of 2025, based on total climbing wall surface and peak indoor climbing wall height, respectively. The gym features 35,000 square feet of climbing terrain built by Walltopia, with walls reaching 52 feet.

“We hope people feel inspired the moment they step inside [the gym],” said John Wiygul, Partner and President of High Point Climbing and Fitness. “The sheer height of the walls and the openness of the space are designed to spark curiosity and make people think, ‘I want to try that.’”

That sense of scale was intentional from the beginning. Wiygul said the team made an early decision to let the gym’s roped walls drive the layout of the space. “Orlando has the largest amount of indoor climbing walls in Florida, and we leaned into the verticality,” he said. Bouldering, fitness and mezzanine areas were positioned to complement the roped-climbing centerpiece, with the Flashed flooring underneath and the lighting designed to reinforce the intended flow and sightlines throughout the facility.

Architecturally, Wiygul said High Point Orlando reflects a broader philosophy that’s rooted in adaptive reuse and community integration. “Transforming a 49,000-square-foot shipping warehouse into a modern climbing gym has been incredibly rewarding,” Wiygul shared, noting the team balanced preserving the building’s industrial structure with introducing climbing walls and natural light into the space.

Located in Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Packing District, the gym is part of a larger mixed-use redevelopment and is slated to host USA Climbing’s 2026 YETI Climbing National Championships in February.

Top Ten Largest New Climbing Gyms of 2025
(based on total climbing wall surface)

1st – High Point – Orlando, FL – 35000 sqft
2nd – Movement – Philadelphia, PA – 29000 sqft
3rd – Central Rock Gym – Troy, NY – 16000 sqft
4th – Planet Rock – Grand Rapids, MI – 15500 sqft
5th – The Gravity Vault – Whitehall Township, PA – 15000 sqft
6th – The Pad – Santa Barbara, CA – 14000 sqft
7th – Odyssey – Appleton, WI – 12400 sqft
8th – The Pad – Vestal, NY – 12000 sqft
9th – Aloha Rock Gym – Kahului, HI – 8700 sqft
10th – Greeley Climbing Collective – Greeley, CO – 8103 sqft

Top Ten Tallest New Climbing Gyms of 2025
(based on total climbing wall surface)

1st – High Point – Orlando, FL – 52 ft
2nd – Planet Rock – Grand Rapids, MI – 50 ft
3rd – Climb Yukon – Whitehorse, YK – 46 ft
4th – Central Rock Gym – Troy, NY – 45 ft
5th (tie) – Movement – Philadelphia, PA – 42 ft
5th (tie) – Odyssey – Appleton, WI – 42 ft
7th (tie) – The Pad – Vestal, NY – 40 ft
7th (tie) – Aloha Rock Gym – Kahului, HI – 40 ft
9th – Greeley Climbing Collective – Greeley, CO – 39 ft
10th – The Pad – Santa Barbara, CA – 37 ft

Return to Awards List

Largest New Bouldering Gym of 2025
(based on total climbing wall surface)

Bouldering Project
St. Paul, Minnesota

Bouldering Project St. Paul, a 36,000-square-foot facility featuring 11,360 square feet of bouldering wall terrain reaching 16.5 feet, is the Largest New Bouldering Gym of 2025, based on total climbing wall surface. The gym is Bouldering Project’s second in the Twin Cities region and was built inside a preexisting building located about a 20-minute drive from the Minneapolis gym, with the wall construction and flooring installation all handled by Bouldering Project’s in-house climbing environments team.

Sean Foster, the Regional Director, mentioned one of the early decisions that proved influential in the project’s development: “We decided to reuse the existing mezzanine, which ended up having a big impact on the overall layout and feel of the gym,” said Foster.

Keeping the mezzanine intact helped support the team’s goal of placing climbing at the center of the space and arranging supporting amenities around it. “Because of that, you get to experience the climbing terrain throughout the gym,” whether from the pads below, the lounge above or the fitness area, continued Foster.

According to Foster, that sense of cohesion between the building’s original structure and the new climbing walls carried into other aspects of the gym’s layout—most notably through an arched climbing feature that was built to wrap up and around the mezzanine. “This [arched] feature is an evolution of some of the arches and barrels we’ve designed in the past,” he said, noting the added complexity that came from building the new arch within an existing structure.

Bouldering Project’s team also drew inspiration from outdoor climbing when designing the space and intentionally made room for open areas, quieter corners and natural light.

Top Ten Largest New Bouldering Gyms of 2025
(based on total climbing wall surface)

1st – Bouldering Project – St. Paul, MN – 11360 sqft
2nd – Hyperion (Touchstone) – Redwood City, CA – 10700 sqft
3rd – Movement – Mountain View, CA – 7800 sqft
4th – Cultivate Foundy – Asheville, NC – 7500 sqft
5th (tie) – Climbing Roots – Knoxville, TN – 6000 sqft
5th (tie) – inSpire – Lubbock, TX – 6000 sqft
5th (tie) – MoCo Bouldering – Conroe, TX – 6000 sqft
8th – Adamanta Del Valle – Ciudad de Mexico, – 5920 sqft
9th – ABC Climbing Academy – Naperville, IL – 5300 sqft
10th – Tomo Bouldering Club – Portland, OR – 5298 sqft

Return to Awards List

Developer of the Year 2025
(based on new climbing gym locations)

The Gravity Vault

With three new climbing gym openings since CBJ’s last Gym List Awards was published, The Gravity Vault is the Developer of the Year for 2025. Within that timeframe, The Gravity Vault opened new facilities across two states—New Jersey and Pennsylvania—through a mix of two franchise partnerships and one new corporate bouldering and fitness location.

“[Franchising] is something we see as a powerful sign of our continued ability to grow and support climbing communities nationwide,” said Lucas Kovalcik, CEO of The Gravity Vault, “both corporately and through our franchise partnerships.”

Kovalcik credits The Gravity Vault’s service-oriented approach in part to his background in hospitality, which continues to influence the company’s operations as it grows. “Coming from the hospitality industry, I’ve always aimed to embed a high level of customer service into The Gravity Vault,” he said, pointing to his past experiences with Hilton Hotels, The Waldorf Astoria and The Walt Disney Company.

For Kovalcik, a focus on warmth, flow, and staff engagement has helped define The Gravity Vault’s brand as it expands into new markets. At the end of 2025, there were 16 different The Gravity Vault locations in operation around the U.S., spanning four states, and multiple ground-up projects are already planned for 2026.

Developers With New Locations Since 2024 Gym List Awards

Return to Awards List

Climbing Gym Wall Builder of the Year 2025
(based on new climbing gym locations)
& Climbing Gym Floor Installer of the Year 2025
(based on new climbing gym locations)

Walltopia & Climbmat

Walltopia and Climbmat (a division of Walltopia launched in 2012) both earned honors this year as the Wall Builder of the Year and Floor Installer of the Year for 2025, respectively. This time marks Walltopia’s fifth consecutive win in the Wall Builder category since 2021, when the award began, and Climbmat’s first win in the Floor Installer category.

Over the past year alone, Walltopia built climbing walls for 20 new climbing gyms around North America, constructing more than 180,000 square feet of climbing wall surface across those gyms, and Climbmat executed flooring installations at a dozen new climbing gyms in North America.

Liz Pecknold, Director of Sales at Walltopia, said, “Our core philosophy is to build walls that are durable, climber-driven, and consistent across every project.” Over the past year, the company has placed increased emphasis on ease of installation and on developing wall surfaces with improved long-term durability and sustainability, without sacrificing how the walls feel when climbed. According to Pecknold, that focus has allowed Walltopia to adapt to increasingly complex projects while maintaining reliable outcomes for gym operators and setters alike.

Pecknold also emphasized that collaboration plays a critical role in Walltopia and Climbmat’s ability to deliver at scale. “Collaboration starts early, often before a contract is signed,” she said, noting that designers and project managers work closely with gym owners from the first conversations through installation. That early coordination has helped all teams involved to solve constraints together and align expectations across the “design, construction and use” of a space, which Pecknold said the Walltopia team takes great pride in.

Top Climbing Gym Wall Builders of 2025
(based on new climbing gym locations)

1st – Walltopia – 20 gyms – 180272 sqft
2nd – OnSite – 7 gyms – 24800 sqft
3rd – EP Climbing – 5 gyms – 55298 sqft
4th – owner/contractor – 3 gyms – 13060 sqft
5th (tie) – Vertical Solutions – 2 gyms – 14103 sqft
5th (tie) – Dreamwall – 2 gyms – 8300 sqft
5th (tie) – Nomad – 2 gyms – 7317 sqft
5th (tie) – Revival – 2 gyms – 5180 sqft
5th (tie) – Rockwerx – 2 gyms – 3000 sqft

Top Climbing Gym Floor Installers of 2025
(based on new climbing gym locations)

1st – Climbmat – 12 gyms
2nd – Flashed – 6 gyms
3rd (tie) – OnSite – 5 gyms
3rd (tie) – Strati – 5 gyms
5th (tie) – Cascade Specialty – 2 gyms
5th (tie) – Habit – 2 gyms
5th (tie) – Nomad – 2 gyms
5th (tie) – Revival – 2 gyms
5th (tie) – UCS – 2 gyms

Return to Awards List

Climbing Gym Management Software of the Year 2025
(based on new climbing gym locations)

Rock Gym Pro

Rock Gym Pro (RGP) has been named North America’s Climbing Gym Management Software of the Year for 2025, earning the distinction for the fifth consecutive year since the award was first introduced. This year’s tally proved to be a particularly close race, with the final results not decided until the very end. Ultimately, RGP secured the top spot after being the chosen platform for 19 new climbing gym locations in North America in 2025.

Founded in 2008 after its creators identified a gap between what traditional health club software were providing and what climbing gym operators were seeking, RGP has grown alongside the climbing industry itself. According to the company, more than 25 million unique users, 30 million stored documents, 100 million check-ins and $2 billion in transactions have been processed over the platform’s lifetime. That track record has made RGP a trusted choice for both single-location gyms and high-volume facilities navigating increasingly complex operations.

“We are passionate about delivering innovative solutions that empower our customers and drive meaningful change in the industry,” Laura Cole, Business Leader of RGP, told CBJ last year, and that philosophy continues today. Now 18 years since the company was started, RGP is still the most widely used climbing gym management software in North America.

Return to Awards List

Climbing Gym Management Software of the Year 2025 Runner-Up
(based on new climbing gym locations)

Approach

While Approach just narrowly missed out on the main award this year, which spans all of North America, they did claim another distinction: the most widely chosen climbing gym management software among new climbing gyms in the United States in 2025. In total, Approach was chosen by 14 new climbing gyms around the U.S. last year as well as a 15^th in Canada—one of the company’s highest tallies ever.

Andrew Potter, founder of Approach, described how the platform was born out of a desire to provide an evolving climbing industry with more modern technological solutions. “We set out to create a scalable, all-in-one, cloud-based product that could grow in a manner just as exceptional as the rest of the gyms in the industry,” shared Potter. That focus has helped Approach expand to more than 182 gyms worldwide as the platform continues to roll out new features for operators.

Looking ahead to the coming year, Potter said part of Approach’s near-term development is focused on tools that deepen how gyms manage member relationships. “Membership agreements can be vital to a gym’s contract with a member and their commitment to remaining at the gym,” he said, noting that the company recently released a new membership agreement feature and is exploring ways gyms can use those documents beyond waivers.

Potter added that Approach is prioritizing other features as well, such as online ACH payments and RSVP tools for birthday parties and group events. The team at Approach is also planning to launch new onboarding tools in 2026, including “a suite of training videos for front desk managers,” after rolling out a built-in, on-demand training portal in 2025.

Top Climbing Gym Management Software of 2025
(based on new climbing gym locations)

1st – Rock Gym Pro – 19 gyms
2nd – Approach – 16 gyms
3rd (tie) – Capitan – 4 gyms
3rd (tie) – Redpoint HQ – 4 gyms
5th – Mindbody – 3 gyms
6th – BETA – 2 gyms

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THE GYM LIST 2025

New U.S. Full Service Climbing Gyms of 2025

New U.S. Bouldering Gyms of 2025

New Canadian Climbing Gyms of 2025

New Mexican Climbing Gyms of 2025

Behind the Data

CBJ is dedicated to researching and reporting accurately on the climbing gym industry in North America. Climbing gyms have been proliferating across the world since the early 1990s. The first gyms had flat walls and rudimentary holds, and often possessed inadequate air filtration, lighting, and landing zones. Modern climbing gyms, in contrast, often have vast open spaces with beautiful natural light, intricate wall designs and features, industrial HVAC, and are filled with bright and interesting shapes of plastic, fiberglass and wooden grips. The industry has grown up, and modern climbing gyms now cater to a diverse and expanding clientele.

CBJ puts significant effort into collecting and vetting this data each year, relying on both direct research and first-hand observations as well as submissions from industry vendors. As with any data collection, there are limitations to our process, and occasionally new facilities are not identified in time to be included in the analysis. To help ensure your gym or brand is properly considered for an award, please always send us your project lists and project specifications by December 31 of each year.

The post 2025 CBJ Gym List Awards appeared first on Climbing Business Journal.

Words like “data” and “analytics” can sometimes feel out of place in such an artistic, physical craft like routesetting. Yet as the profession becomes more modernized—trading the wild west days for elevated standards, increased safety measures and an improved customer experience—the use of statistics is becoming ingrained in our day-to-day work and another essential tool to metaphorically add on the toolbelt.

Some routesetting trends from 2025, it should be said, require little quantification. Our 2024 Routesetting Trends report identified rising professionalism within the field as the number one trend last year, and that progress took a big step forward this year with the launch of the Climbing Wall Association’s Professional Routesetting Certification Program (PRS)—the first of its kind in North America geared specifically toward commercial setting.

Other new developments of late, like the introduction of climb tracking cameras fueled by artificial intelligence, fall squarely on the road where statistics and setting merge. For years, setters have been logging route turnover, grade distributions and other basic figures, first on paper, then on spreadsheets, and today in dedicated routesetting management platforms. Just how ubiquitous more advanced technology will become is yet to be seen, but the technology is out there and is certainly being talked about in 2025.

What other happenings have routesetters around the industry been noticing? Below are five takeaways we had after surveying over 300 setters—predominately from North America (57%) or Europe (35%)—and crunching the numbers. Professional development and safety patterns, popular movement styles, route density and turnover spreads, the new equipment and holds that setters have been talking about most…we discuss it all in this year’s Routesetting Trends report, and the charts with the full results can be found at the end of the article.

Thank you to all the routesetters who helped expand our collective knowledge and drive the industry forward by taking the survey!

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The post Routesetting Trends 2025 appeared first on Climbing Business Journal.

So, have you…seen CBJ lately? Have you noticed our evolution?

When I first took over Climbing Business Journal from Mountain Mariana (formerly Mike Helt) in 2019, I didn’t know exactly what was in store. But I knew—with my 23 years of experience and passionate dedication to climbing—I could help guide CBJ into the future. We took a hard look at what the industry needed, and we committed ourselves to providing it. Immediately we increased the frequency of articles and revamped both the website and gym map. Revenue grew, the team grew, and our resources that empower the professionals of the indoor climbing industry grew. Everything we do is designed to uplift and propel our industry forward.

About three years ago we redoubled these efforts, quietly investing in a ton of new initiatives. I wrote this article to shine a light on this evolution CBJ has made, in case you missed any of it.

Why did we make these investments? To inspire you, the professionals of our industry, to bring your own perspectives and innovations to the places where you work, as well as to increase our collective knowledge, paving the way for tomorrow. Why do we care about those objectives? Because we are dedicated climbers too, and we know firsthand how climbing can enrich people’s lives.

Stories to Inspire

While a love of climbing brings us all together, there are so many shades and directions for that passion, whether you’re talking about climbing gyms, the routes and shapes on the walls, or the people who work in these spaces. It was always a key focus for CBJ to share stories from around the industry, but about three years ago we accelerated the pace, and now we are proud to provide you with all this content for FREE:

• Gym highlights (weekly, with over 200 published)
• Podcast interviews (bi-weekly, with over 60 published)
• Fresh hold shapes (monthly, with over 60 published)
• Latest products and services (quarterly, with over 20 published)

Meaningful Education

We have always published articles that educate readers on diverse topics, and we encourage our sponsors to share their own knowledge.

In 2023 we stepped it up by hosting live webinars. There is just something a bit deeper when learning through a presentation or discussion with like-minded professionals, especially when you join live. We currently have two webinar series, and the recordings are posted to our website:

• Climbing Gym Management (bi-monthly or so, with over 20 published)—these webinars cover topics for owners, managers, marketers and program developers
• Setters Only! (monthly with over 10 published) – these discussions tackle topics important to routesetters, from career progression to comp setting and much more

The News From Across Our Industry

For over a decade, we’ve been delivering the latest CBJ content to you every Monday morning, but we couldn’t stop there. Our weekly Climb Insider, born in those months at home during early COVID, has grown into what I honestly believe is the single most useful email in our industry for professionals.

That is my goal when I put it together for you each week. My kids know it as “Dad’s Wednesday night thing,” where I comb through hundreds of websites, blogs, social profiles and YouTube channels, with an eye for the latest news and perspectives that really affect our industry and community. It’s not always about indoor climbing, because our industry does not stop at your front entrance. But it is always about what is happening around us and the issues that affect our businesses and customers. (If you’re not subscribed, you’re missing out).

For gym managers and routesetters who want the freshest beta relevant to their roles, we started two targeted monthly curations, pulling top content from the weekly Insider for gym managers and routesetters. Setter Beta and Manager Beta deliver only what these audiences need.

Data That Informs Your Business

Since 2013 our annual Gyms & Trends Report has highlighted growth and innovations coming from the front lines of newly opened climbing gyms. The data in this report—derived from our industry-leading map—has been quoted by WSJ, NYT and BBC, and the charts are go-to resources that are frequently included in business plans for aspiring gym owners.

People constantly ask us for more industry data—often data that does not yet exist. So, a few years ago we decided to roll up our sleeves and work to fill the void. This next section includes many of our largest investments over the last few years, and a big salute goes to Joe Robinson who leads our data efforts.

The first initiative we homed in on was expanding our annual report to include a Gyms & Trends Dashboard—an interactive, filterable resource that puts more data at your fingertips. It takes the report’s static charts and allows you to customize the output, so that it’s more tailored and meaningful to your particular situation. This dashboard is in its second incarnation.

Then we tackled a monster, combining our map data with Census and other public data to build a new report and set of integrated dashboards. Our Market Analysis Report & Dashboard was designed to help you evaluate markets for new locations and marketing budgets.

One perennial question facing every manager is how much to pay your staff, so we dived into that project next. Our Compensation Report and companion Compensation Dashboard are the most in-depth analyses and resources ever made available to our industry on this topic. We chose not to make them too exclusive, because we wanted this data to empower staff and managers alike, so they are included with any paid membership, not just the top tiers.

Finally, we looked at routesetting and knew more data was needed there as well, so we leveraged our popular Grip List Survey to collect the data. Routesetting Trends is an annual glimpse into the profession, shedding light on issues like safety, training, turnover and more.

A Place That Pulls It All Together

Our website is the central node for all we do. Last December we launched our 3.0 site, and it is fulfilling our dream to provide a centralized resource and cohesive user experience. With one login you can access your job posts and resume (which are free, and always will be) and also the exclusive content or data that comes with your membership.

I’m particularly excited about these features:

• Seamless access to member-exclusives
• “Sub accounts” to extend member benefits to others on your team
• Integrated “featured jobs”

Since we were founded, the vast majority of our work has been given away for free. It’s been our pride and joy, and rest assured that a whole lot of it will continue to be free.

In closing, a heart-felt thank you to all the teams of people and businesses that have chosen CBJ for membership and sponsorship. You fuel us, and we are eternally grateful.

Scott Rennak
CBJ Publisher & Owner
scott@climbingbusinessjournal.com

P.S. If you value CBJ and appreciate these investments we’ve made, please become a member.

The post Have you seen CBJ lately? appeared first on Climbing Business Journal.

The sharp, staccato burst of a drill; the gentle pat-pat-pat of a chalk sock; the metallic clang of shuffling ladders…in our day-to-day routesetting sessions is where the craft of routesetting lives, and it’s where the Grip List Awards are ultimately decided each year.

This year, setters voting in the Grip List Survey made their priorities clear: ergonomic comfort, ease of use, versatility and quality. These words came up again and again in the survey responses. With more hold options to choose from than ever, the finer details can make all the difference, and setters are increasingly veering toward grips that make their jobs more efficient, effective and sustainable. This slow-stewing evolution comes as no surprise; as routesetting becomes more professionalized by the year—with this year seeing the launch of the CWA’s Professional Routesetting Certifications, for example—so too do the grips fueling the craft.

Big competition stages continued to influence what routesetters gravitated toward in their grip selections this year, as well. Dual texture and no texture, uni-directional holds and flashy macros still play a key part in the setting zeitgeist, while jibs, screw-ons and micro-edges continue to shift from background players to main characters. These competition mainstays always find their way into local gyms, where members now expect that same mix of spectacle underfoot (and hand).

Like other industry sectors, businesses in the holds sector—especially in the U.S.—had to navigate shifts in tariffs and international trade in 2025, which have reportedly been impacting the markets for polyurethane and resin. In a sector where margins are already tight and international distribution is central to growth, it all creates fresh uncertainties for hold suppliers and their customers. But those challenges haven’t put a pause on innovation. Hold shapers, brands and manufacturers have been continuing to respond to routesetters’ needs, not only with new shapes but also with lighter materials that reduce shipping costs and more recyclable options that reduce waste.

To celebrate the full circle of businesses bringing these tools of the trade to life, CBJ followed up the addition of the Favorite Shaper award last year with a new Favorite Manufacturer award this year. Which manufacturer topped the list in the category’s debut? Which brands further cemented their legacy, and which one cracked the Grip List for the first time? Whose shaping skills have setters been appreciating most? We highlight all the winners from 2025—setters’ favorite holds, volumes, board systems, apps and more—and share the full results in each category below.

Thank you to all the routesetters who voted in this year’s survey, as well as all the shapers, brands and manufacturers who have been stocking setters’ closets with these fundamental building blocks of our sport. Your passion is core to what makes this industry thrive!

Jump To Results:
Holds – Volumes – Macros – Board Systems – Setting App – Spraywall App – Shaper – Manufacturer

Favorite Climbing Holds 2025
FLATHOLD

Flathold, co-led by Manuel Hassler and Mathieu Achermann, continued its reign at the top of the Grip List for a third straight year and again secured multiple awards, including the Grand Prize, Favorite Holds and Favorite Macros titles. Known for balancing timelessness with thoughtful innovation, the Switzerland-based brand has consistently delivered shapes that setters praise for their comfort, versatility and quality.

2025 marked a milestone for Flathold with the launch of Ravage, the first range shaped by new team member Yoris Delahay.

“This year has been a little bit special,” Achermann told CBJ. “After two years of collaborating with Yoris, teaching him, let’s say, ‘the Flathold style,’ Yoris released his first range for the brand and became the first external new shaper in the team.”

Inspired by natural textures, Ravage blends slick, quartz-like seams with soft, controlled surfaces, extending Flathold’s long-running exploration of dual texture.

For Hassler and Achermann, bringing Delahay into the fold was more than just about new shapes. “It was also an interesting process for Manu and me to exchange with a new shaper,” Achermann explained. “It gives a different perspective and a new, fresh motivation in the team. We are happy to finally also share our experience and knowledge with a new shaper.”

Flathold also launched Mephisto, a series of nine fiberglass macros designed as true slopers; the cleanly lined, dual-texture grips force particular body positions while still remaining usable even on steep walls. Both Ravage and Mephisto embody what the team at Flathold consider to be their signature offering: organic yet functional shapes.

It’s not always about what’s new for Flathold, though; among Flathold’s most enduring contributions cited in the Grip List is the Damage Control line. Survey responses in 2025 and years past repeatedly singled it out as one of the most reliable and versatile hold families in the industry, showing that while Flathold may always be releasing new shapes, their classics still anchor countless gyms and competitions, too.

Looking ahead, the team is showing no signs of slowing. Achermann told CBJ that a pocket extension of the Lucha Libre line will debut by the end of the year, followed by a major release of 200 new shapes in 2026.

“So many incredible shapes that can be used for both high-level comp setting and really fun commercial problems.”
 – Molly Beard, Head Setter, Brimstone Boulders, USA

“The PU allows for stacking and thus an increase in variability.”
– Rom Snir, Level 2 National Setter, Totem Climbing Pardes Hana, Asia

1 – Flathold (19.10%)
2 – Cheeta (10.64%)
3 – Bluepill (6.1%)
4 – Kilter (5.35%)
5 – Decoy (4.48%)
6 – Teknik (4.26%)
7 – IBEX (3.14%)
8 – Pusher (2.64%)
9 – AG (2.33%)
10 – Ocelot (2.02%)
11 – Axis (1.99%)
11 – SupR (1.99%)
13 – Trango (1.96%)
14 – Blocz (1.87%)
15 – CCE (1.71%)
16 – Rock Candy (1.68%)
17 – Unleashed (1.46%)
17 – Xcult (1.46%)
19 – Squadra (1.4%)
20 – Unit (1.31%)
21 – Urban Plastix (1.24%)
22 – 360 (1.21%)
22 – eXpression (1.21%)
22 – So iLL (1.21%)
25 – Escape (1.09%)
+71 brands had under 1%

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Favorite Wood Volumes 2025
BLOCZ

For a sixth consecutive year, Blocz again took home the Favorite Wood Volumes award in the Grip List. Operating out of Germany, the brand’s volumes are frequently heralded for their durability and versatility.

In 2025, Blocz focused on refining existing designs rather than expanding their catalog. Alongside classics like the Boards and Triangles, the company redesigned older lines too, such as the Rectangles and Squares, which customers welcomed for their updated utility that maintains the strength of the originals. When it comes to fine-tuning proven designs instead of releasing new shapes for novelty alone, Blocz continues to be among the brands at the forefront of that trend.

Tom Petzold, founder and CEO of both Blocz and Element Boulders, a climbing gym in Switzerland, told CBJ that the driving philosophy behind Blocz is “innovation through collaboration.”

“We co‑develop with setters and gyms worldwide,” Petzold continued. “[We] test relentlessly in real environments and iterate quickly.”

Durability remains a core focus at the company. Blocz constructs volumes from premium birch plywood, reinforces stress points, and applies coatings that hold up to commercial wear. They also provide upcycling kits that allow gyms to repair and refresh volumes, extending the lifespan and reducing waste.

As gym owners themselves, the Blocz team develops products based on the needs they encounter daily, testing them with setters worldwide before releasing them to the public. Looking ahead, they plan to continue updating older lines while exploring production methods that combine lightweight, 3D-printed grips with epoxy coatings, with a goal of improving the handling and longevity of their creations.

“Blocz has dialed in the texture, and they have so many great shapes that are simple and versatile.”
– Connor Westlake, Routesetter, HiClimb, USA

“It’s the quality and the vast catalog. It’s hard to compete with Blocz.”
– Lucas Bundy, Director of Routesetting, CityRock, USA

1 – Blocz (19.18%)
2 – Usable Surface (9.80%)
3 – AVA (8.98%)
4 – Fit (6.94%)
5 – Cheeta (5.71%)
5 – Solution (5.71%)
7 – Bluepill (3.67%)
8 – Simpl (2.86%)
9 – Dimension (2.04%)
9 – DIY by gym (2.04%)
11 – EP (2.04%)
+43 brands had under 2%

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Favorite Macros 2025
FLATHOLD

Flathold topped the Favorite Macros category again in 2025, a title they haven’t lost since the category was introduced five years ago.

Survey responses showed that what sets Flathold’s macros apart is how they balance comfort and creativity. Routesetters described them as ergonomic yet challenging, with shapes that can serve both beginner-friendly movement and World-Cup-style difficulty. Many setters emphasized the brand’s versatility; as one voter put it, “if there’s a move I want to set, I can usually set it with Flathold.” Others pointed to clean dual-texture designs, a wide variety across the ranges, and timeless slopers as reasons why Flathold macros continue to feel indispensable.

Survey responses also highlighted the company’s artistic vision, calling their macros “iconic” and “works of art” that elevate the look of any wall. Beyond aesthetics, setters consistently praised their reliability, describing the macros as durable, well made, and adaptable across different terrains and grades. Across the comments, one theme kept emerging: Flathold macros aren’t just popular—they’re viewed as essential tools of modern routesetting.

“I feel like the diversity in most of the sets are just unmatched when it comes to trying to force a certain move set.”
– Carter Hawkins, Lead Routesetter, Climbing Collective, USA

“For me they are classic shapes, well made, well thought about and well executed.”
– William Hammersla, National Coach and Chief Routesetter, Swiss Alpine Club, Switzerland

1 – Flathold (29.44%)
2 – Bluepill (14.72%)
3 – SupR (5.63%)
4 – AG (4.76%)
4 – Cheeta (4.76%)
6 – Xcult (3.46%)
7 – 360 (3.03%)
8 – IBEX (2.60%)
8 – Kilter (2.60%)
10 – Absolute (2.16%)
10 -ArtLine (2.16%)
10 -Morpho (2.16%)
10 -Rockcity (2.16%)
+30 brands had under 2%

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Favorite Training Board Hold System 2025
TENSION

Runner-up the past few years, this year Denver-based Tension claimed the top honors and won its first-ever Grip List award as the Favorite Training Board Hold System.

Tension just celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and while their products have certainly evolved over the years, their core philosophy has stayed the same. CBJ spoke with Michael Rosato, the Marketing Director at Tension, who pointed out that nearly everyone at Tension is a seasoned climber who uses the products themselves. “We are them,” Rosato said. That guiding principle has fueled a decade of innovation in boards and training equipment, from campus rungs to hangboards.

In 2016, the original Tension Board introduced a host of firsts: angle adjustability, wooden holds, mirrored layouts, foot-only LED options, and matching/no-matching rules within the app. The second generation, Tension Board 2, launched in 2022 and built on that foundation, providing a hybrid layout that offers two distinct hold configurations in a single set. Designed to be what Tension calls “an adaptable platform,” the TB2 allows climbers to progress from a spray-style experience to systematic weakness training without additional purchases.

The TB2 was intentionally designed to deliver a more comprehensive progression environment. Tension spent nearly four years testing variables, comparing spraywalls and mirrored boards to determine the mix of hold diversity, grip textures and wall angles they wanted on the board. The result is a system that’s purposefully built to make users better all-around climbers—not just stronger in one style.

Rosato also emphasized that a board is more than hardware. “If the board is the body, the brand is the soul,” Rosato told CBJ. Through content, clinics, and global database curation, Tension is among the leading brands who have been fostering a board climbing culture that treats boards not only as training tools but as destinations in their own right.

“Actual rock climbing skills on a hyper-dense board with finger-intense grips.”
– Max Donovan, Regional Routesetting Manager, The Spot, USA

“Plastic and wood options, challenging and good routes.”
– Sierra McMurry, Routesetter, Triangle Rock Club, USA

1 – Tension (40.09%)
2 – Kilter (31.98%)
3 – Moon (13.96%)
4 – Decoy (3.60%)
5 – Lumo (3.15%)
+12 brands had under 3%

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Favorite Routesetting App 2025
PLASTICK / KAYA

For a fourth year in a row, KAYA/PLASTICK was voted by setters as the Favorite Routesetting App. The complementary platforms have always worked in tandem, with setters managing routes in the PLASTICK platform and climbers interacting with them in the KAYA app.

KAYA’s mission, the team said, is “to help climbers share meaningful experiences on and off the wall.” Over the past few years, they have been expanding the platform beyond routesetting tools into what they describe as “a holistic member engagement and retention tool for our partner gyms.”

The idea, the KAYA team explained, is that while gyms remain the places where climbers gather, KAYA serves as “the digital layer that keeps climbers connected with their community while outside of the gym, and it’s a powerful tool to help climbers unlock beta and discover their next project.”

A recent feature of late, called Climbers You Follow, puts friends’ climbing activity directly on a user’s homepage, so they can celebrate each other’s achievements. “Climbers who follow each other and connect with their friends on KAYA end up cultivating healthy, thriving communities in their gyms,” the team stated.

Looking ahead, KAYA plans to keep rolling out more tools for gyms and members to strengthen their climbing and social experiences, while aiming to “continue to build with the climber at the forefront to help cultivate meaningful connections.”

“Easy to use.”
– Jacqueline Des Rosiers, Head Routesetter, Hogtown Boulders, USA

“The tools it offers for tracking different analytics is super helpful when it comes to balancing all the climbs in a gym.”
– Anthony Lara, Senior Routesetter, Alta Climbing, USA

1 – Plastick /KAYA (43.66%)
2 – Griptonite (11.27%)
3 – Vertical-Life (8.45%)
4 – Pebble (7.04%)
5 – Climb Time (5.63%)
5 – TopLogger (5.63%)
7 – spreadsheets (4.23%)
8 – Social Boulder (2.82%)
+8 brands had under 2%

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Favorite Spraywall App 2025
STOKT

Stōkt has won the Favorite Spraywall App award every year since it began in 2022, and this year marked their fourth consecutive victory. In fact, Stōkt was the only brand in 2025 to claim over half the vote in a Grip List category.

The team attributes that success to building an app that feels “like it’s made by people who actually climb,” pointing out that everyone on the Stōkt team is not only a climber but also has a background in technology or design. Together they embrace the reality that every wall—and community that uses it—is different by designing tools with a focus on respecting individuality and responding to feedback.

Through the Stōkt platform, gyms can create contests, challenges and leaderboards for members, and climbers can find climbs on spraywalls and add their own, with the ability to grade climbs, share beta, track performance and more.

Looking ahead, Stōkt is experimenting with how AI could be used to make training and setting more intuitive. From personalized progression tools to smarter feedback loops, the company sees potential in combining data and creativity to help climbers to keep moving forward. Even if it sounds complex, they assured their philosophy remains simple: to continue being a climber-driven team that uses design and tech to make the climbing industry “more creative, more connected and more sustainable.”

“Cool how it outlines the holds. Very easy to use.”
– Jono Giles, Freelance Routesetter, Kingline Routesetting, Australia/Oceania

“Easy to use, great graphics. Resets are done incredibly fast. We use it for our three adjustable commercial boards as well as our 16’ spraywall.”
– Ben Bivins, Head Setter, Burly Bloc, USA

1 – Stōkt (54.87%)
2 – Retro Flash (11.50%)
3 – Lumo (7.96%)
4 – Crux Climb (5.31%)
4 – Kilter (5.31%)
6 – Boulderbook (4.42%)
7 – Moon (2.65%)
+7 brands had under 2%

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Favorite Shaper 2025
DAN YAGMIN

Dan Yagmin of Decoy has now won the Favorite Shaper award two years in a row, after the category was first introduced in 2024. Known for drawing on natural forms and textures, Yagmin told CBJ: “I am largely inspired by nature, even when it comes to smooth shapes. I think in nature there is a certain level of nuance present that is always interesting to me.”

Much of his recent inspiration has come from climbing near his home in New England on boulders and crags made of fine-grained granitic gneiss. “From this rock I have found a lot of inspiration, and it’s what has largely driven the development of the Gneiss range that we recently launched.”

Although he describes himself as a traditionalist, Yagmin has still embraced modern tools for shaping and hold creation, such as Z-Brush. “As much as I think of myself as a traditionalist, I still enjoy pursuing the potential behind digital shaping, 3D printing, and thermoforming,” he explained. He sees these techniques not only as a source of stylistic innovation but also as a pathway toward more sustainable practices in hold shaping and manufacturing.

Survey responses this year reflected the same themes that run through Yagmin’s own philosophy. Setters consistently described his shapes as works of art, with details that evoke outdoor rock formations while remaining highly functional indoors. Others pointed to the way he balances ergonomics with creativity and cited an ability to connect with setters on a personal level. Setters also showed appreciation for his ranges at Decoy, from fine-textured jibs to large macros.

2025 was a busy year for Decoy, with new products that ranged from the PU Gneiss series made by Peak Polymers in Ohio to fiberglass Mobula Macros produced by Escape Structures in Bulgaria and recyclable jibs manufactured by Ghold in France. “From a personal perspective, I am most proud that Decoy has remained a small company where I can stay involved in many aspects of it,” Yagmin said, crediting collaborators TJ Kelly and Zach Smith for helping keep the company running while he continues to shape.

Looking ahead, Yagmin is working on a new layout for the Decoy Board and exploring a fully recyclable line with Ghold in France.

“No other hold shaper has nailed the detail of real rock like Dan has. He is a true artist and it shows in his holds, not only in functionality but in visuals. The intricate lines/details/indents and placement make his climbing holds truly mimic real rock.
– Jen Chmiel, Head Routesetter, Ascent Climbing Gym, USA

“I appreciate Dan’s versatility across a wide range of styles and aesthetics, while keeping his brand cohesive, fresh and relevant. His work only seems to increase in quality and strikes the right balance of ergonomics, novelty and practicality.”
– Karl Cordtz, Routesetter, Touchstone, USA

1 – Dan Yagmin (11.18%)
2 – Joseph Hoffmann/Wetzel (8.82%)
3 – Manu Hassler (7.06%)
4 – Ian Powell (6.47%)
5 – Dario Stefanou (5.88%)
6 – Jimmy Webb (4.12%)
7 – Frank Bogerman (3.53%)
7 – Joey Jannsen (3.53%)
7 – Peter Juhl (3.53%)
10 – Gautier Supper (2.94%)
10 – Jared Roth (2.94%)
12 – Laurent Laporte (2.35%)
12 – Roy Quanstrom (2.35%)
12 – Will Watkins (2.35%)
+40 shapers had under 2%

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Favorite Manufacturer 2025
COMPOSITE-X

This year marked the debut of a new Grip List category recognizing hold manufacturers, and Bulgaria-based Composite-X took the inaugural honor. CBJ corresponded with chemist Daniel French, Composite-X’s Executive Director, to hear more about what sets them apart.

“Probably the depth of research and specialization we go to in the production process,” French said. “At CX we don’t really develop new science, but rather we take advantage of the huge opportunities of applying science and engineering solutions that already exist to climbing holds.”

Durability has been central to their reputation, thanks in large part to the Dannomond technology they use. “Durability or wear resistance was the key target parameter in developing the Dannomond formulation and process,” French explained. “Because we manufacture our own formulations from basic raw materials, we maintain complete control over the supply and chemistry.”

Customer feedback plays an equally important role in the team’s philosophy: “For us, the customer is usually the climbing hold brand, and they often come to us with new, innovative ideas. Our job is to figure out how to make those ideas a reality—turning their creative visions into high-performance products.”

Looking ahead to 2026, the team at Composite-X said they are exploring the use of new polyester resins that reportedly increase impact resistance six-fold, along with working on new textures, such as “Cool SKUISH”—which they describe as feeling like moleskin—and even one “that bites, like the feeling of a cat’s tongue.” More will be unveiled at the Vertical Pro trade show in Germany next month.

“I’ve been extremely impressed with the quality of plastic produced by Composite-X. Their colors are so vivid, the manufacturing is so crisp, and [the grips] seem to retain their texture even after the heaviest of use.”
– Aaron Young, Head Routesetter, Rockfish Climbing & Fitness, USA

“Flexible, durable, constant improvement in process.”
– Kyram Adsit, Regional Head Routesetter, Momentum, USA

1 – Composite X (21.43%)
2 – Blocz (14.29%)
3 – Aragon (12.42%)
4 – Peak Performance Polymers (9.94%)
5 – Schlamberger (4.97%)
6 – Kastline (4.04%)
7 – 360 (3.11%)
7 – Absolute (3.11%)
7 – Binary (3.11%)
7 – Xcult (3.11%)
11 – AG (2.48%)
+21 brands had under 2%

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Methodology

This year’s Grip List Survey ran from July 17 to August 6, 2025, and was shared across CBJ’s digital platforms. Like last year, all routesetter votes—votes of professional setters who have been paid to set in the past 12 months or have set in a commercial climbing gym, competition, rec center or university/school setting—were compiled to decide all the awards.

For the Grand Prize and Favorite Holds awards, we assigned these points: each first pick got 5pts; each second pick got 4pts; each third pick got 3pts. The sum of the points determined the Favorite Holds brands, with the brand in 1st place receiving the Grand Prize. This methodology originated from veteran shaper Ty Foose and aims to provide a better representation of brand popularity among setters, versus a single brand vote. The voting for all other awards, however, was handled plainly as in years past, with each vote counting as one.

Below are some charts showing the distribution of the votes by various factors.

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