UKC

The End of Climb Magazine

© Climb

Having announced in August that print publication would cease and that the content would instead move to a free digital version, Editor of Climb Magazine Ian Parnell has informed readers that the online version of the print magazine will now also cease production after one digital edition.

The statement was posted on Facebook:

In a letter distributed to contributors and subscribers, publishers Greenshires Group announced that the printed version of Climb Magazine would continue as a free online production, available worldwide from September.

The announcement read: 'After serious consideration, and following over 33 years of production, Greenshires Press Group have made the decision to cease printing a paper version of Climb Magazine; the Sept/Oct 2017 edition (issue #140) will be the last edition published.'

A combination of the current economic climate and the increasing preference of advertisers and readers for digital platforms were cited as reasons for Climb's online migration.

The bi-monthly publication had its roots in the 70s and 80s, with origins in Crags, High Mountain Sports and more recently On the Edge magazine, following a merger in the 90s.

Read the first and last online edition of Climb here.


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24 Oct, 2017
Sad news. I suppose the formula didn't work out. Oh well, Ian will find another platform for his talents. No pressure in on UKC now ... ;-)
24 Oct, 2017
Such a big loss. For all that UKC is good, Climb was on another level for photography, writing and reporting. Gutted that it hasn't worked out. I guess Instagram really is the future of climbing media. "I just sent my project!!!! So proud #9d #redbull #coke #nike #olympics #liveyourdream #mindfulness" Or has anyone got any other suggestions? I've read a couple of decent articles in The Project Magazine.
24 Oct, 2017
Totally agree that Instagram is the future of climbing media. Who needs those rubbish long articles like bullock writes or those crappy mountain profiles in alpinist. If something about climbing cant be said with a hashtag it needn't be said at all.
24 Oct, 2017
A sad day. I remember as a kid excitedly awaiting the next edition of Climber and High (and later, OTE) - such exciting times of youth. But change is inevitable as media and platforms evolve. There will be many of us who have spent much of our time sitting on the bog with a climbing guide book, reading the route descriptions and then devouring the history section. You can't really do that to the same extent with Rockfax guides - they are more akin to flicking through a glossy mag with appealing photographs. But that is not to say that Rockfax doesn't have its place. Their guides are innovative and appealing and rightly enjoy great success. So yes, it is sad that the 'old style' guides and magazines are a dying breed, but that has opened up new opportunities; we have seen a raft of autobiographies from the heros of the past and I reckon that without the history section in guidebooks, and without features in magazines, we might just see a rennaisance in the 'climbing coffee-table book' akin to Hard Rock, packed full of history, photos, interviews and, features to inspire the next generation.
24 Oct, 2017
Surprised they only published one online edition before ceasing. Guess either they were hitting a brick wall regarding advertising or they had already run into a cash flow problem beforehand. The digital version looked slick. I imagine the competition becomes much greater when moving to an online platform. So easy to self-publish online.
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