Old School Gyms vs Mega Gyms, Which Is Better for Climbers?
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Andrew Bisharat and Chris Kalous (along with a surprise guest) join to explore:
- Climbing gym culture of the 90s
- Trends in corporate vs independent gyms
- Which gyms prepare climbers better for real rock
- A case against mega gyms
- A case for mega gyms
- Will soft gym grades result in mass upgrading of classic outdoor climbs?
- When a local gym closes... and is miraculously saved
- Is pickle ball competitive with climbing?
- How dirtbags can help save indie gyms
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And check out ALL the show’s awesome sponsors and exclusive deals at thestruggleclimbingshow.com/deals
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Here are some AI generated show notes (hopefully the robots got it right)
00:00 Old Gyms vs Mega Gyms
01:37 Rock Sport Closes
03:20 Andrew First Gym Memories
06:35 Chris Early Wall Origins
11:26 DIY Gym Spirit
11:51 Rock Sport and Rock Creation
15:09 Rock Creation Business Model
20:45 How Many Gyms Exist
23:32 Gym Growth and Trends
28:29 Gyms as Outdoor Gateway
32:26 Case for Mega Gyms
36:04 Gym Community Vibes
37:24 Modern Mega Gym Magic
39:12 Corporate Future Hypothetical
40:19 Grades Versus Real Rock
42:48 Setting Ergonomics Limits
44:34 WALL-E Mega Gym Satire
46:44 Surprise Guest Joins
48:21 Saving Rock Sport
50:29 Keeping the Old Soul
56:07 Sandbagging and Grade Plans
58:15 Pickleball and Business
01:01:47 Gym Ownership Reality Check
01:07:44 Support Your Local Gyms
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Shoutout to Aiden Schlatter and Michael Martin for supporting at the Hero level on Patreon. So mega!
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Follow along on Instagram and YouTube: @thestruggleclimbingshow
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This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin, and edited by Glen Walker. The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.
And now here are some buzzwords to help the almighty algorithm get this show in front of people who love to climb: rock climbing, rock climber, climbing, climber, bouldering, sport climbing, gym climbing, how to rock climb, donuts are amazing. Okay, whew, that’s done. But hey, if you’re a human that’s actually reading this, and if you love this show (and love to climb) would you think about sharing this episode with a climber friend of yours? And shout it out on your socials? I’ll send you a sticker for doing it. Just shoot me a message on IG – thanks so much!
