By Jon Partridge, for Clava
Selling Hang to The Font gave me a rare moment to reflect, not just on what we built, but on the bigger picture: where the climbing industry is headed, and what it will take to thrive in the years ahead.
At Clava, we work closely with a wide range of operators: single-site independents, growing regional chains, and everything in between. From that vantage point, one thing is clear: the landscape is shifting fast, and many of the changes happening under the surface will define the sector’s future.
There’s a common perception among some customers that climbing gyms are lucrative from day one. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Most sites face significant upfront capital investment and associated debt, take years to reach maturity, and the cost of getting there continues to rise. Whether it’s rent, rates, wages, utilities or insurance, the overheads are substantial. Add to that the ongoing capital required to keep routes fresh, facilities competitive, and the customer experience evolving, and it becomes clear this is a high-input business.
Customer expectations are rising, too. Climbers want more from their gym: thoughtful setting, modern training zones, quality coffee, good retail, smooth digital check-ins, and a real sense of community. And rightly so. But meeting those expectations requires consistent reinvestment of time, energy, and cash.
Margins remain tight across the board. Inflation, rising wages, and energy costs are squeezing operators, who are caught between a desire to remain accessible and the need to charge enough to stay afloat. It’s a delicate balance. Climbing sits firmly in the “non-essential discretionary spend” category, and when consumer confidence drops, this is often where cuts are made first.
Property adds another layer of pressure. Suitable units are limited, with high ceilings, strong floors, transport access, and planning permissions all narrowing the field. Operators often find themselves competing not just with each other, but with gyms, leisure, retail, and hospitality businesses. Landlords understand this, and they rarely offer flexibility.
But perhaps the biggest long-term issue is the pricing model itself. The traditional structure, low drop-in rates and high membership thresholds put gyms in a tough spot. In many cases, members need to climb four or five times a month just to justify the cost of their pass. That’s too high. The only sustainable solution is a shift toward a model where the value is clear even at two visits per month, making membership attractive to more people, more of the time.
This is one of the strengths of the North American approach: higher single-use pricing that reflects the real cost of delivering the experience, alongside more accessible membership pricing that encourages loyalty and repeat visits. It not only supports retention but also opens the door to sustainable secondary revenue, from cafés and shops to classes and coaching.
On top of that, there’s now an additional dynamic shaping the market: the groth of institutionally backed operators with longer investment horizons and access to more substantial capital. These groups can afford to take a slower route to profitability, and in some cases may enter new markets at pricing levels that smaller, founder-led businesses would find unsustainable. While this approach can accelerate innovation and raise overall standards, it also changes the economics for everyone else. It introduces a different type of risk to the landscape and makes the traditional risk-reward equation harder to justify for independents deploying personal capital or operating on leaner margins.
At the same time, some markets are nearing saturation. In certain areas, openings have outpaced demand, and walls are now competing more directly than ever. That competition isn’t inherently bad; it often drives innovation, but it does raise the stakes, particularly for smaller operators. Increasingly, the only viable path to scale and resilience is through a multi-site model. With it comes operational efficiency, but also increased complexity and risk.
And yet, the opportunity remains. Across the UK and beyond, many communities are still underserved. Demand for climbing continues to grow, particularly among younger people looking for something active, social, and mentally engaging. If the past few years have shown us anything, it’s that climbing is more than just a workout. It’s a lifestyle. A culture. A community. That’s what kept people coming back to Hang, and it’s what will keep this sector alive in tougher times.
Looking forward, we’ll likely see a continued push toward professionalisation. Expectations are rising. People want a seamless, welcoming experience from the moment they walk through the door or tap in with their membership card. Operators who can deliver that consistently while maintaining cost control will thrive. Those who can’t may struggle to keep pace.
Technology has a major role to play. Whether it’s simplifying enrolments, consolidating café and retail systems, enabling staffless member-only access, or helping operators unlock operational efficiencies, digital tools are becoming essential, not as gimmicks, but as genuine levers for performance and sustainability.
This is a time of transformation. But for all the challenges, I still believe the climbing industry’s best days lie ahead. At Clava, our mission is to help operators navigate this evolving landscape, supporting them with the tools, insight and infrastructure they need to run stronger businesses and deliver brilliant customer experiences.
Because at its core, climbing is still about connection. With the wall. With ourselves. And with each other.
