Eric Hörst. one of the leading climbing trainers the last 20 years, reports from the current situation in USA. "All gyms are closed in the USA. There will be no outdoor climbing for us this in April (and perhaps May) due to stay-at-home orders. Luckily we have a well-equipped home gym with bouldering wall, treadwall, campus board, more than 12 different hangboards, free weights and more. So we are training like it's winter. Sad that we are losing the Spring climbing season, but happy that we are healthy and able to train at home together. Praying this COVID-19 plays out quickly and the world (And climbers) can return to normalcy sometime this summer. Here in Pennsylvania we can only leave our house to get food and medicine...and to exercise. Each USA state has slightly difference restrictions, but 80% of the country has stay-at-home orders...so most climbers are following this order and staying home (but unfortunately there are some climbers still going outside to climb)." 16GMT (18.00 Euro Time) he will run a live streaming talking - Hangboard training protocols....and planning for a positive future beyond COVID-19, through his Coffee Training Talk.

In Sweden, all gyms are open following the official guidelines. Klätterdomen in Göteborg has tried to go further and is offering liquid chalk to everyone. They do also clean much more frequently and they tell both their customers as well as workers to stay at home even if they just have very mild symptoms of a cold. Currently, they estimate a 50 % drop of climbers meaning there are plenty room in their gym. Their spring Mega boulder was canceled and instead, they run a competition during one month via the Vertical-Life App. Lars Höström is the founder of the gym and he reports. "Climbers are very happy that we are open and they strictly follow the guidelines. Nobody showers here and, in fact, as there are so few climbers here and we are offering liquid chalk and clean much more often, it is a nice atmosphere. Climbers do not hang here long hours as they used to. Instead, some quick boulders or laps, often on the auto-belay, and they are off. Climbers are keen of doing the new boulders for the competition and it is great that this can be organized in the Vertical-Life App.