If you're from the States you'll have a good laugh at this.
We all know this product. Petzl Spirit quickdraw. An old sport climbing favourite.
Price today in USA:
$20.36
Price today in major Australian gear store:
$54.95 (!)
If you're from the USA or Europe you might be thinking "WTF?" but yes, it's true. Australians pay roughly
double what you guys spend for our climbing gear. Often this simply means that people who know what they want just order from the States. This unfortunately means
not supporting local business, but when the prices are so high, can you really blame consumers? Not me. I too order gear online if it's heaps cheaper. Of course the downsides from ordering from the States is the expensive shipping and the waiting.
I had this idea when I was roadtripping overseas and since returning home I have been super busy getting it up and running but I am happy to announce that as of today
upskillclimbinggear.com is open for business. Yep, we have our very own online climbing gear store :)
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| Have a browse - let me know what you think, or if you find any bugs :) |
I don't want to become yet another online climbing retailer selling the same stuff for the same prices. I'm working directly with several gear manufacturers in USA and Europe to source products directly, cutting out as many middlemen as possible. This isn't about making money. I'm not quitting my day job. It's about getting gear here cheaper and selling it cheaper.
So what do we have? Well right now we are launching with:
Our aims:
- Source gear that has not been previously available in Australia
- Use sourcing and selling models which allow for low prices
- Supply outdoor equipment at prices which are better than buying from the USA
- Give super quick, kick-arse service
Why support us?
- Street cred. We're not a big corporation or a bunch of has-been
climbers. We're out there doing it at an elite level every single week
and have been climbing for over 17 years. BAM!
- We're not selling camping equipment. We're not some generic
outdoor shop. We know our products and we know climbing. We will give
you expert advice if you need it.
- Price. We aim to make our stuff cheaper than you can buy anywhere else.
- We try hard to make climbing better. See How Upskill Helps Climbing.
Our philosophy for Upskill's online retailing
- Only stock products we believe in.
- Grow very slowly. Build new relationships and add cool new products as we find them.
- There's no point stocking rock climbing gear if you can get it cheaper somewhere else.
- Encourage the outdoor gear market in Australia to change.
So! I hope you'll take a
browse around the site, mention it to your friends if they're after some new
quickdraws or something, or buy a T-Shirt. You can subscribe to a feed of our new products (
check this for more details) or just keep an eye on our featured goodies over in the right sidebar of this site (scroll up, you'll see what I mean).
And to everyone who has helped with this project - thanks so much for the encouragement and support. Sincerely!
$99.95
$149.95 $139.95
$29.95
$19.95
I was then approached by Rob from Indoor Climbing Productions (a very cool, local climbing hold company) who suggested I have a try at shaping up some holds using molding clay. That was quite a learning process! I knew what I wanted, but sculpting it in clay was something else entirely. Anyway, after some trial and error I shaped my first set, and Rob set about taking my initial designs and crafting the holds. I am stoked with the result. The holds climb fantastically. Some of them are little flat one-pad edges (great for powerful, long movements) and others are fiendish half pads which really require some power. Have a look at the pics:
