The Climbing Wall Association is the standard setting organization for the manufactured climbing wall industry. The CWA develops standards in two key areas: standards for the design and engineering of manufactured climbing structures and operational standards for climbing facilities.

The CWA sponsors two standards committees: an engineering standards committee and an operations standards committee. CWA standards committees address important issues regarding the use and safety of products, facilities, and services related to the climbing wall industry. Membership on CWA standards committees is open to those interested in, or affected by, the standards. For more information about our standards committees or membership, please contact the CWA office or click on one of the links above.

Climbing Wall Association standards programs provide consensus-based forums for the development of sound standards. The CWA maintains standard-setting policies and procedures, designed to reflect model standard-setting practices, which must be met in the development and approval of any future CWA standard. These policies were drafted to incorporate best practices for standards development and maintenance including requirements for due process, openness, lack of dominance, balance, fair notice, consideration of various points of view, objections, and appeals.

CWA standards are intended to be developed and maintained in the best interests, mutually, of consumers who use climbing specialty products, manufacturers of these products, and other properly interested parties such as commercial climbing gyms and other climbing wall operators. Standards are intended to promote industry self-regulation, and to provide useful information to government, consumers, manufacturers, and owner/operators of climbing walls.

The use or observance of any CWA standard is strictly voluntary.

The CWA has adopted policy governing the activities of all standards initiatives within the association. The policy document can be viewed here:

Policy for the Development and Maintenance of Climbing Wall Association Standards , pdf, 115 KB