The Salon de l’Escalade, which made its debut last November, will take place again this year on Nov. 22 in the French city of Villeurbanne, just outside Lyon. According to the organizers, rock climbing is the number-two sport in France’s schools and has seen steady growth among urbanites. Later this year, it will become an Olympic sport. The trade fair will reserve a morning for industry professionals and be open to the public for two and a half days. Last year’s fair drew 104 exhibitors from 11 countries. Of the 4,526 visitors, some 94 percent were French, with the rest traveling primarily from neighboring countries. There were 15 conferences, nine round-table discussions, four public workshops, two climbing walls, three other structures to play on, five film showings and a morning program on climbing for the handicapped.

Topics