Climbing Business Journal Podcasts

The USA Climbing competition season is well underway and athletes are showing up to qualification events across the country. On this episode of The Impact Driver Podcast, host Holly Chen invites former USAC Routesetting Director Mike Bockino to chat all about competition setting. Mike is someone who needs no introduction, but we’re going to introduce him anyway. Climbing since 1999 and setting commercially since 2009, Mike estimates that he has set over 150 competitions, including 28 National Championships and 6 World Cups. He bounced between Salt Lake City and Boise in his early setting days before landing at The Front Climbing Club, where he eventually became the Director of Setting. In 2020, he became USA Climbing’s Routesetting Director. Mike left that position in 2025 to join Essential Climbing. He is a USAC Level 5 National Head Routesetter, an IFSC Level 2 Routesetter, and a certified strength coach. When Mike is not setting or climbing, he enjoys making restaurant-grade tomato sauce. General Topics Covered Life of USAC’s Routesetting Director and what comes next The evolution of difficulty in bouldering events The specialization of setters: Why do setters often gravitate toward bouldering competitions? Selective memory of competition setters: If competitions are so taxing, why do we keep doing it? Setting for athletes versus setting for spectators Assessing difficulty based on a setter’s abilities How setters can manage the pressure of perfection and look past it Don’t sleep on the soft skills of routesetting Personal limits within routesetting: Do they exist? Show Notes Find Mike Bockino on Instagram Essential Climbing Welcomes Mike Bockino to the Team Mike’s blog Closing Notes If you’d like to nominate someone as a next guest, have a topic you want to see us tackle or have questions, we’d love for you to reach out. You can find our pitch form here. The Impact Driver podcast is a production of the Climbing Business Journal. Today’s episode is sponsored by Approach and Butora. It was edited and produced by Holly Yu Tung Chen, Megan Cheek, Scott Rennak, and the team at CBJ. Our theme music is by Devin Dabney.

Today's episode features an interview with Parker Sims, founder of Gravity Bear, a new bouldering gym built inside a century-old, renovated building in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. Parker talks with host John Burgman about the process it took to bring this ambitious project to life, from managing construction timelines and subcontractors to refining the gym’s vision around a “minimum-viable-product” approach. Throughout the conversation, Parker shares the challenges of acting as his own project manager, the importance of hiring the right team early, and how the gym’s design evolved to balance financial reality with addressing community needs. He also explains how his military background shaped his leadership style and resilience through the ups and downs of construction. Listeners will hear how Parker drew inspiration from climbing gyms around the world, blending a European-style, café culture with a focus on creating a community gathering space and true “third place” for locals and visitors alike. Tune in to learn how Gravity Bear came together—one deadline, renovation and lesson at a time. General Topics Covered Project Management and Construction Challenges Team Building and Organizational Structure Facility Vision with a Minimum-Viable-Product Focus Building Renovation and Historical Preservation Military Influence on Leadership and Business Philosophy Competitive and Community Insights from Global Climbing Gyms Show Notes @climbgravitybear Thank you Approach and Kilter for your support! And thank you Devin Dabney for your music!

As the routesetting field continues to become more professionalized, so do our standards and expectations. On this episode of The Impact Driver Podcast, host Holly Chen talks with Colorado-based routesetter Daniel Cornella about the state of routesetting education and the elements of good competition sport routes. Dan first discovered climbing thanks to his high school biology teacher, took a detour to serve in the Marines in California, and eventually found his way back to the Colorado climbing scene. In 2013, he was introduced to routesetting at Life Time Fitness by Matt Lloyd. If you’ve climbed in a Colorado gym in the last decade—from the iconic 90s-era gym Rock’n & Jam’n (now The Spot Thornton) to various Movement locations—chances are you’ve pulled on something set by Dan, who is now the Assistant Director of Routesetting at Movement’s Centennial facility. Dan is also a USAC Level 4 Setter and has set for Youth Nationals, National Cups and Vail Citizens competitions. He has also chiefed half a dozen youth championship events. Outside of climbing, Dan works in high rigging for concerts at major Colorado venues, such as Ball Arena. Above all else, he is a proud husband and father. General Topics Covered A catch-22 of routesetting How gyms can work internally to educate setters through a standardized pipeline Balancing the creative and technical aspects when educating setters Preparing routesetters for their first competition Speed is style The elements of a good skeleton for a rope route Tips and tricks on building pump, from recreational to Olympian-level routes, and why every limb should have a job Systematic forerunning and how to approach skeletons versus near-comp-ready routes Show Notes Find Dan Cornella on Instagram Movement x B-Pump Collaboration Brings Japanese Routesetting and Training to Colorado Rumble in the Rockies Closing Notes If you’d like to nominate someone as a next guest, have a topic you want to see us tackle or have questions, we’d love for you to reach out. The Impact Driver Podcast is a production of the Climbing Business Journal. Today’s episode is sponsored by Essential Climbing and Strati. It was edited and produced by Holly Yu Tung Chen, Megan Cheek, Scott Rennak and the team at CBJ. Our theme music is by Devin Dabney.

This episode of the Climbing Business Journal podcast is a little historical. There is so much that is often recounted and celebrated related to the heritage and lineage of outdoor climbing, and there is an equally fascinating counterpart to that history with the history of indoor climbing. The wonderful industry that we have now with climbing gyms includes components that are largely unique to the indoor scene. Things like routesetting and artificial holds, coaches, comps…These elements didn't just appear suddenly in gyms; they had to germinate and develop over a long period of time. And that's not news to anyone who is listening to this podcast. It is worth pointing out that, more often than not, there was a person or a small group of people who were at the vanguard of those ideas and various developments. That background leads to today's guest, Mike Pont. Mike was one of the people leading the charge in the earliest days of indoor climbing, and particularly the earliest days of routesetting. He was among the first group of people in the United States who actually thought of themselves as routesetters in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when climbing gyms were few and far between. And Mike Pont, along with a few other people, helped make routesetting a concept and helped put it into practice. Mike was also involved in organizing some of the earliest large-scale climbing competitions in the U.S. and was involved in the climbing portion of the ESPN X Games. He basically had a front row seat for the generational turnover in sport climbing and in the climbing industry that occurred in the 90s. Mike and host John Burgman get into all those instrumental beginnings for our industry on today’s show. General Topics Covered Early Climbing Experiences The Birth of Routesetting Competition Development American League of Forerunners ESPN X Games Competition Routesetting The New Generation of Climbers Coming Full Circle Show Notes @mikepont1 Thank you EP Climbing and Rock Gym Pro for your support! And thank you Devin Dabney for your music!

On this episode of The Impact Driver Podcast, host Holly Chen sits down with Nickolas Gagliardi to get us thinking about USAC events as routesetters gear up for the upcoming youth competition season. Nick started setting in 2015 in St. Paul, Minnesota. While that beginning was only ten years ago, Nick experienced the industry when many setters were still getting paid by the route and boulder, specifically: $7 a boulder, $11 a top-rope route, $15 a lead route and $26 for setting the roof. From there, Nick moved to Colorado where he set at the Earth Treks gyms—now Movement—before he finally landed in Portland, Oregon. Now, Nick is a USAC Level 3 routesetter and the Director of Setting at Portland Rock Gym. When he’s not setting, Nick is often climbing outdoors, playing video games, and trying to get better at Go. General Topics Covered The history of Portland Rock Gym’s Beaverton location, designed with setters and competitions in mind Key elements of a competition-ready gym Communicating with members about hosting USAC competitions Preparing to host Youth Nationals Lessons learned from hosting Youth Nationals—and what could be done differently next time Managing relationships between in-house and guest setters Setting novice routesetters up for success in their first competition Professional development opportunities for experienced competition setters Show Notes Find Nick Gagliardi on Instagram Portland Rock Gym 2025 Youth National Championships at the Portland Rock Gym, Beaverton USA Climbing Routesetters USAC Boulder QE Setting Guidelines and Top Rope/Lead Guidelines USAC Rulebook You’re Stronger if You’re Honest: Behind the Wrench With Abby Wilson  More: other episodes of The Impact Driver Podcast that look at competition team dynamics:  Setting the Tone: What Makes a Space Feel Good? – CBJ Podcast with Jesse Safford No One Sets Alone: Collective Authorship – CBJ Podcast with Ruth Jang “You Can Strip My Boulder.” – CBJ Podcast with Blake Green Closing Notes If you’d like to nominate someone as a next guest, have a topic you want to see us tackle or have questions, we’d love for you to reach out. The Impact Driver podcast is a production of the Climbing Business Journal. Today’s episode is sponsored by Kilter and Bold Climbing. It was edited and produced by Holly Yu Tung Chen, Megan Cheek, Scott Rennak, and the team at CBJ. Our theme music is by Devin Dabney.

Today's podcast episode features an interview with gym founder Eric Hires. Eric is the co-owner of Stone Climbing, the first location of which opened in St. Augustine, Florida, several years ago. Now, there's a second Stone Climbing gym that is quickly approaching its grand opening in Jacksonville, Florida. Eric talks with host John Burgman about the development and the construction of both those gyms. The new Stone Climbing gym that's about to open in Jacksonville is a 16,000-square-foot ground-up build, with boulders and roped climbs. The focus of this conversation with Eric is on the challenges (and opportunities) inherent in opening a gym in a place like Florida, which certainly has some gym climbing history but doesn't have an outdoor climbing heritage per se. John was also curious to get Eric's insights on the lessons he learned from opening that first gym…and how Eric is applying those lessons to the opening of a second gym. So, keep listening to hear how jotting something down on a barroom napkin was crucial in the creation of Eric's gyms in Florida. General Topics Covered Introduction to Stone Climbing Climbing and Surfing Communities Origin Story of Stone Climbing The Bar Napkin Connection Ground-Up Construction vs. Retrofitting Second Location Development Creating Beautiful Spaces Show Notes @stoneclimbingco Thank you Approach and Strati for your support! And thank you Devin Dabney for your music!

On this expansive episode of The Impact Driver Podcast, host Holly Chen brings on two setters—Nat Vorel and Mia DePaolis—to talk about paraclimbing and parasetting, diving into fundamentals and tips that any setter can put into practice. Nat Vorel is based in Oklahoma City and has been climbing for ten years, paraclimbing for around five of them. They are a four-time National Champion and have five World Cup podiums. Nat started setting five years ago and turned freelance recently. Nat has set for a variety of competitions, from local qualifiers and citizens comps to paraclimbing comps. They have a USAC L1 setting certification and an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor certification for guiding. Climbing and setting aside, Nat is a costume designer and would like to shout out their three tabby cats, whom they love dearly. Mia DePaolis is the Head Routesetter at Central Rock Gym in Randolph, Massachusetts. She has been climbing for over twenty years and setting for ten of those years. After hearing from some local paraclimbers, Mia began to run an annual paraclimbing comp, the Randolph Rumble, at CRG. She is a USAC Level 3 routesetter with only one more national event to go before obtaining the next level. She is also a certified sports nutrition coach. Outside of climbing and setting, Mia worked as a beekeeper for many years and continues to love bees. General Topics Covered Who are paraclimbers and what are the competition categories? Debunking common myths and assumptions about paraclimbers Fundamentals of setting for paraclimbers Are there distinctive tones or styles in para routes/boulders? Paraclimbing introduces creative techniques and beta  Paraclimbing competition basics: safety, format, scoring, time, local to world stage Building and educating a robust volunteer parabelay community The future of paraclimbing and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games Show Notes Find Nat Vorel on Instagram Find Mia DePaolis on Instagram Central Rock Gym USAC Paraclimbing and USAC Parasetting Clinics IFSC Paraclimbing Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes Randolph Rumble, Central Rock Gym’s annual paraclimbing competition Para Climbing Set to Make Paralympics Debut Closing Notes If you’d like to nominate someone as a next guest, have a topic you want to see us tackle or have questions, we’d love for you to reach out.  The Impact Driver podcast is a production of the Climbing Business Journal. Today’s episode is sponsored by EP Climbing and Trango. It was edited and produced by Holly Yu Tung Chen, Scott Rennak and the team at CBJ. Our theme music is by Devin Dabney.

On this episode of the Climbing Business Journal Podcast, host John Burgman checks out a new gym, ROQ, that is currently expected to open this fall in Seattle. The gym is quite unique in concept within the climbing gym industry, although somewhat par for the course in the fitness gym industry. Guest Michael Hauss is the founder and CEO of ROQ. The boutique climbing gym will feature high-intensity, hour-long workouts in a class setting, led by an instructor or trainer. In their conversation, Hauss and Burgman talk all about how the concept for the unique climbing gym came about, and how Hauss plans to run it in the vein of boutique fitness gyms with classes, instructors, and very high-intensity group training. General Topics Covered Business Concept for ROQ Class Structure and Programming Target Market and User Experience Hauss' Background Facility Design and Operations Market Positioning Industry Impact Technology and Equipment Choices Show Notes ROQ ROQ Instagram: @ROQClimbing Thank you Approach and Essential Climbing for your support! And thank you Devin Dabney for your music!

Jesse Safford (they/them) started climbing during college in Montana, but it wasn’t until they moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, that they stumbled upon setting. Now Jesse is the Head Setter at Terra Firma. Jesse is also an avid comp setter, chiefing and setting their annual in-house Rabble Rouser competition at Terra Firma, and has set for Death Moth, Siege the Southeast and Flight of the Phoenix, among many others. Most recently, they’re extremely excited about the upcoming Midwest Mayhem series. Outside of climbing, Jesse is a birdwatcher, Dungeons and Dragons player, and cat parent. What does D&D have to do with working on a routesetting team? How can we all play a role in improving our team dynamics? Jesse and Holly dive into those topics and much more on today’s episode. General Topics Covered What does it mean to have “good vibes” on a routesetting team? How social pressure influences us in routesetting and tips for Head Setters/Event Chiefs to soften the atmosphere Emotional awareness and situational awareness of team dynamics What Dungeons and Dragons can teach us about team vibes Checking in on yourself and verbalizing your own needs to the team Role modeling vulnerability How Jesse and our host, Holly, met / Jesse’s perfect D&D campaign Show Notes Find Jesse Safford on Instagram Terra Firma Competitions mentioned: Death Moth, Siege the Southeast, Midwest Mayhem, Flight of the Phoenix All you need to know about Dungeons and Dragons battle strategy Closing Notes If you’d like to nominate someone as a next guest, have a topic you want to see us tackle or have questions, we’d love for you to reach out. The Impact Driver podcast is a production of the Climbing Business Journal. Today’s episode is sponsored by Approach and Trango. It was edited and produced by Holly Yu Tung Chen, Scott Rennak and the team at CBJ. Our theme music is by Devin Dabney.

Today on the Climbing Business Journal Podcast, host John Burgman meets with Jonathan Brandt. Jonathan is one of the co-founders of a new climbing gym in Holland, Michigan, called Shift. It's a 12,000-square-foot, bouldering-focused facility, and by Jonathan's own admission, there aren't a lot of bells and whistles in the gym, meaning there aren't a ton of fancy accouterments or amenities that are too far afield from climbing. Inside the space is primarily a bunch of really cool boulders and the community of staff and stoke that has developed around those blocks. Jonathan has been in or around the climbing industry for about 20 years. So, Shift’s founding comes with a lot of expertise and experience. You'll hear Jonathan explain how and why he felt the timing was right now, after all these years, to finally open his own gym. And he acknowledges there are a ton of other bouldering gyms out there right now. So, the question becomes: How do you stand out in this day and age? How do you set your new gym apart from the pack? There are several ways to answer that question, but Jonathan's contention is that, in the case of Shift, it has a lot to do with the staff you hire and the culture that staff helps to build. General Topics Covered Introduction to Shift Holland, Michigan and Gym Development Mission and Business Philosophy Staffing and Culture Family Meals and Staff Development Hospitality and Community Building Hold Room Design and Wall Construction Marketing and Future Plans Show Notes Shift Shift Instagram: @shiftclimbing Thank you Approach and Kilter for your support! And thank you Devin Dabney for your music!