In reply to CJD:
I agree CJD as regards gear catalogues.
Rather than dump them in climbing mags or at a wall or a shop the paper ones should be available by request and as a download.
A far less wasteful way of distribution and more effective.
Similarly as regards climbing magazines or any enthusiast media, the model is changing.
Much of what is in print magazines is duplicated time and time again. Better to publish and archive on the web....for example technique, training and skill articles. News obviously is better suited to the web as well. Instantly accessible and searchable too.
Looking into my crystal ball I can see a time in the not too distant future where a climbing media has a very active website combined with a print mag, the print mag available by subscription or from specialist shops only, printed on paper from sustainable forest that is only published say FOUR times a year and is photo rich and has the highest quality content both from professional climbers and weekend climbers like ourselves (
there's a wealth of talent out there), with climbing topics from the UK and around the world, is thick and large format and very collectable.
I'm sure Warners or Greenshires, the publishers of Climb, Climber (and the printers of the BMC's Summit) have the resources and vision to implement something like that.
Mick