CWA Blog Archive-Standardizing Entry To Your Climbing Gym Could Prevent Hassle (Or Worse)

Standardizing Entry To Your Climbing Gym Could Prevent Hassle (Or Worse)

Pdf Summary

A CWA staffer recounts encountering a belay orientation video for the first time, well into his own climbing career, at his partner's gym. He assumed his experience would let him skip it, but staff politely explained the video was simply their process, applied to everyone. Once he understood it as a risk management procedure he was happy to do it, found it engaging and informative, learned the facility's preferred belay commands from it, demonstrated his technique, and was climbing shortly after. That small experience frames a larger development: through a partnership with Monument Sports Group, the CWA developed standardized belay orientation videos for the industry. The motivation was practical. Building your own orientation videos can seem daunting and expensive, so the goal was to simplify that for CWA member facilities and make consistent orientation easier to implement nationwide. After a 15-month process, the CWA produced six activity-specific videos with Monument and a graphics partner. They're designed to cover the range of gym activities, auto belays, top rope, bouldering, and lead, while serving both small and large facilities, and they're free to Monument Sports Group clients. The value proposition is standardization. When entry orientation is consistent, every climber gets the same clear information and the same expected commands, regardless of experience level, which reduces both everyday hassle and the risk of a serious incident from a misunderstanding. For operators, the videos remove a common barrier: they get professional, activity-specific orientation content without the cost and effort of producing it themselves, and the industry moves toward a shared baseline for how climbers are introduced to the floor.

Asset Caption

A CWA staffer's first belay orientation video, applied to him despite his experience, illustrates the value of standardized entry. Through a Monument Sports Group partnership, the CWA produced six activity-specific orientation videos over 15 months, covering auto belay to lead, for facilities of any size, free to Monument clients.