Vertical Pro: A Milestone Moment for Climbing Gems

Vertical Pro this year was a big milestone for Climbing Gems.

When we started playing around with creating one-of-a-kind chalkbags back in 2022, there were a few dreams we jokingly called the pipe dream. Being featured at a World Cup. Collaborating with a World Cup winner. And Vertical Pro — a trade show that takes place every year in Friedrichshafen, a town just across the lake from where I grew up.

When Climbing Gems Pty Ltd was officially founded, there was a vision board in the living room. On it was Vertical Pro. On it was the name of a World Cup Winner, Petra. 

Last year, I travelled to Vertical Pro just to check it out. This year, however, was different. This year, Climbing Gems had its own 9 m² booth in Hall A5. It’s the quieter, calmer hall of the three — but a booth nonetheless.

Vertical Pro is intense. It’s fast-paced, overwhelming, and inspiring all at once. The scale alone is huge: over 18,000 m² of exhibition space and more than 2,700 visitors over the course of the show.

We set up on Thursday, the day before the show started, and collaborated with friends from Virgin Grip and Kilter, who also had booths in Hall A5. We displayed some of their holds on our booth, and they showcased Climbing Gems products on theirs — a genuine exchange between brands built on trust and friendship.

One of the biggest highlights was collaborating with Petra Klingler — World Cup winner, ice climbing champion, and Olympian. What started years ago as a pipe dream quietly became real in 2024 and solidified in Friedrichshafen. Together we collected money for Miracle Feet, a non for profit organisation, helping children born with clubfoot all over the world. People could bid for and enter to win one of a handful coveted magnetic chalkbags made from Petra's Tokyo 2020 Olympic uniform, each one signed by her.

Trade shows like Vertical Pro give insight into future collaborations, new innovations, and ideas for what Climbing Gems can grow into next. But more than anything, this experience reinforced something we deeply value:
Climbing Gems grows through community — through conversations, collaborations, and genuine connections.

Vertical Pro was a powerful reminder that this journey is as much about people as it is about products.