# climbinggym.guide

Site grounding for agents without the climbinggym.guide repository: its seven charter files, unchanged except that headings sit two levels lower and every term id the pinned version defines, in the frontmatter blocks too, is followed by its label from the pinned version. The YAML blocks are therefore for reading, not parsing; the repo files are the source.

- Domain: climbinggym.guide
- Pins: editorial-charter@1.3.1, portfolio-icp@1.0.0
- Repo: 6be32948f99bd429772da52c4edb39608a857c84 (committed 2026-10-03T14:15:08-07:00)
- Built 2026-10-05T03:25:29+00:00
- Pages: https://taxonomy.tfw.bz/sites/climbinggym.guide/

## BRAND.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 ae7ec8543147aabcfc88e65fbb5b8c5b03d337a06bdebf7e035d366c817f1b4d

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: climbinggym.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
archetype: charter:brand-archetype-caregiver (caregiver)
secondary_archetype: charter:brand-archetype-everyman (everyman)
claims:
  - id: c1
    text: The site is independent and not affiliated with any climbing gym, gym chain or climbing brand.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: about.manifest.json copy.aboutParagraph
  - id: c2
    text: The directory grows only from verified records, and an empty directory says so.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: PRODUCT.md section Product Purpose; briefs/site.md ("never invent listings")
  - id: c3
    text: Safety and grade content is grounded in climbing federation and gym association sources.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: briefs/site.md section Site-specific rules; VOICE.md section 6
```

### BRAND

#### Name and entity
climbinggym.guide, an independent guide to indoor climbing and bouldering gyms, published by Thomas Prommer. Entity home: https://climbinggym.guide/en/about/ (source of the entity facts: `about.manifest.json`).

#### Promise
Get you through your first month at a climbing gym, from the first visit to the first membership choice, with plain answers and a directory that never invents a gym.

#### Personality
The caregiver, with an everyman streak: the climber at the front desk who remembers being new and makes the first session easy. Warm and practical, and exact about safety. It teaches the belay check and the auto-belay in plain words, and leaves instruction to qualified staff onsite.

#### Visual pointers
Design tokens: `design/tokens.json`. Approved direction ("Topo Sketchbook"): `DESIGN.md` and `design/DIRECTION.md`. Product stance: `PRODUCT.md`.

#### Do / Don't
Do: reassure, then instruct, and put safety steps in numbered lists. Do: gloss every climbing term once. Do: date every price and cite the federation or gym page. Do: show limitations beside a claim.
Don't: write extreme-sports hype or "crush it" copy. Don't: publish fake venue rankings or invented listings. Don't: invent personal experience or a named climber. Don't: claim a safety certification a product lacks.

## VOICE.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 7f5692e69210c84d2b18306f9ae3bb7ec4827d32ebc6e048d6dc606e2f4f5691

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: climbinggym.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
register: charter:voice-register-practitioner (practitioner)
person: charter:voice-person-second (second person)
languages: [en, de, es, fr, it, ja, pt]
addresses: [new-indoor-climbers, travelling-climbers]
essence: "The climber at the front desk who makes your first session easy."
```

<!-- ASSUMED DEFAULT, 2026-09-17: recommended voice option 'a. The Friendly Route-Setter' from ~/reports/site-strategy/climbinggym.guide.json, pending Tom's review in ~/reports/site-decisions/index.html. If Tom picks another voice this file is replaced. -->

### VOICE: climbinggym.guide (climbinggym.guide)

> Loaded by /humanizer (Step 0) and the content publishing gate (drafting Step 1
> + humanizer Step 3). If absent, both fall back to generic mode.

#### 1. Identity & Register
- Voice owner / who speaks: climbinggym.guide editors, second person to the reader
- Register: practitioner
- Language/locale: en (primary); de, es, fr, it, ja, pt via DeepL
- One-line essence: "The climber at the front desk who makes your first session easy."

#### 2. Audience
- Primary audience: beginner
- Reader's job-to-be-done: Get from curious to confident in the first month at a climbing gym
- Assume they know: nothing about climbing beyond having seen it
- Always explain: grades, auto-belay, belay checks, bouldering falls, rental gear and pass types, each on first use

#### 3. Tone Axes
- Formal  ────●──  Casual
- Authority  ─────●─  Peer
- Serious  ───●───  Playful
- Concise  ──●────  Expansive
- Default editorial_track: factual

#### 4. Person, POV & Cadence
- Person: second person (you)
- Sentence rhythm: Short to medium, friendly, concrete verbs
- Paragraph length: 2 to 3 sentences
- Structural tics: Reassure, then instruct. Safety steps as numbered lists. One "what staff will ask you" line on first-visit pages.

#### 5. Lexicon
- Preferred terms: problem (boulder), route, top rope, auto-belay, belay check, day pass, rental shoes, send
- Banned phrases (beyond humanizer's generic list): "crush it", "beast mode", "conquer", "epic", "no pain no gain"
- Capitalization & spelling rules: V-scale grades as V0, V1; Font grades as 6A; YDS as 5.10a; auto-belay hyphenated
- Domain-jargon level: Low. Every climbing term glossed once.

#### 6. E-E-A-T / Experience Claims
- Authentic experience this voice can claim: None personal yet. Safety and grade content grounded in climbing federation and gym association sources.
- Named author + bio source: No named author yet. Byline is "climbinggym.guide editors" until Tom assigns a real climber; never invent one.
- Quantified credential for bios: None yet. Add only a verifiable credential (for example a named instructor certification) once a real author exists.
- Citation posture: Federation and Climbing Wall Association or national body sources for safety; gym pages for prices, dated.
- Original-data hooks this voice owns: Day-pass and rental price ranges per city; the membership vs day pass calculator.
- "What I got wrong" angle: Name the common first-day mistake, such as buying tight shoes before knowing what size rentals fit.

#### 7. Gold-Standard Examples
- Example A (draft anchor, not yet published; replace with a live paragraph once pages ship): "Wear clothes you can lift your knee to your chest in, and skip anything with big pockets or zippers that scrape the wall. Stretchy shorts or leggings and a T-shirt are perfect. You do not need your own shoes: every gym rents climbing shoes, and they should feel snug but not painful. Leave rings and watches in your locker, and tie back long hair. The one thing people forget is socks, which some gyms ask you to wear with rental shoes. Bring a water bottle too, because a first bouldering session is more tiring than it looks."
  - Why on-voice: Warm and concrete, anticipates the forgotten detail, no jargon.
- Example B (draft anchor, not yet published): "An auto-belay is a device at the top of the wall that takes in the rope as you climb and lowers you gently when you let go. Clip in, have staff check it the first time, and always look at the carabiner before you start."
  - Why on-voice: Defines the term, then gives the safety step in plain words.

#### 8. Anti-References
- Hype sports-brand copy ("crush your limits")
- Generic fitness listicles
- Gatekeeping scene talk that makes beginners feel out of place
- AI-generated "ultimate guide" filler

#### 9. Per-Language Notes
- de: du, as climbing culture in Germany expects; DAV terms (Toprope, Vorstieg, Kletterschein) used natively.
- es: tú; escalada, búlder or boulder as used locally; keep grade systems in their original notation.
- fr: tu, matching French climbing culture; escalade de bloc, moulinette, tête, cotation.
- it: tu; arrampicata, boulder, top rope and via kept as Italian gyms write them.
- ja: です/ます polite form; ボルダリング and ジム as used by Japanese gyms; grades as 級/段 where gyms use them.
- pt: você; check pt-BR vs pt-PT for the target market; escalada, boulder, top rope.

## STRATEGY.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 527b1629fc573cd7074516010dab9cf963657af19ebd9fead1858dbce892bffc

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: climbinggym.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
mission_shape: charter:mission-shape-serve-x-to-achieve-y (serve X to achieve Y)
horizon: charter:horizon-12m (12 months)
positioning:
  primary: charter:positioning-axis-locality (locality)
  secondary: [charter:positioning-axis-authority-depth (authority depth)]
audiences:
  - kind: charter:audience-kind-consumer (consumer)
    name: New indoor climbers
    segment: new-indoor-climbers
    job_to_be_done: Get through a first visit without embarrassment and choose between bouldering, rope climbing and a pass type.
  - kind: charter:audience-kind-consumer (consumer)
    name: Travelling climbers
    segment: travelling-climbers
    job_to_be_done: Find a gym in a new city and know its entry rules, rental gear and price before arriving.
profile_required: true
```

### STRATEGY

#### Mission
We help adults preparing their first month of indoor climbing, and climbers visiting a new city, choose and prepare a gym visit, with plain answers and a directory that grows only from verified records.

#### Positioning
Locality first: city pages, native-language routes in seven languages and market-specific grading and gym terms, with non-English city pages about cities in that market. Authority depth second: safety and grade content comes from climbing federation and gym association sources, and prices from gym pages, dated. We concede the broad climbing-media territory of technique and gear reviews. Sources: `PRODUCT.md`, `briefs/site.md`, `VOICE.md`.

#### Audiences
New indoor climbers have booked or are about to book a first bouldering or top-rope session, often after a friend's invite. They want to know if they can do it, what to wear and what it costs if they keep going. Travelling climbers compare a new city's gyms and need entry, equipment and lesson details. Assume neither knows climbing beyond having seen it; explain grades, auto-belay and belay checks on first use.

#### Competitors
Established climbing media that already rank for grades and beginner tips. Local map packs, which absorb near-me gym queries. Hype sports-brand copy and generic fitness listicles, as the voice file names them. Sources: `briefs/strategy.md`, `VOICE.md` section 8.

#### What we will not do
No fake venue rankings and no invented listings: directory pages use placeholders until a record is verified. No extreme-sports hype or stock outdoor heroics. No decorative animation, shadows or new palette. No invented personal experience or named climber. Sources: `PRODUCT.md`, `briefs/site.md`, `VOICE.md`.

#### Bets for the horizon
1. Build the city finder hub with verified records only, so travelling climbers land on real gyms (moves pageview_recorded).
2. Own the first-month answers under the indoor climbing gym pillar: what to wear, grades, cost and pass types (moves gsc_clicks).
3. Ship the membership break-even calculator and the fitness tools as the pages people return to (moves content_engaged).

## AUDIENCE.md

Version 1.1.1 · status draft · sha256 eb331e5aea4f506a342ba4ec5bad3be31de558774f469c78de2f3eaa7a653008

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: climbinggym.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
segments:
  - slug: new-indoor-climbers
    name: New indoor climbers
    kind: charter:audience-kind-consumer (consumer)
    archetype: icp:first-time-experience-seeker (First-time experience seeker)
    priority: charter:segment-priority-primary (primary)
    job_to_be_done: Get through a first visit without embarrassment and choose between bouldering, rope climbing and a pass type.
    funnel_stages: [charter:funnel-stage-awareness (awareness), charter:funnel-stage-consideration (consideration), charter:funnel-stage-decision (decision)]
    languages: [en]
    regions: [US, GB]
    pains:
      - Grades, auto-belays and belay tests are confusing.
      - Rental and membership pricing differs by gym.
      - Fear of falling or getting hurt.
    channels: [charter:channel-organic-search (organic search)]
    size_signal: {metric: monthly_searches, value: 26420, unit: count}
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-researched (researched), source: "PRODUCT.md Users (2026-09-24: 'adults preparing their first month of indoor climbing'); jobs and pains from briefs/strategy.md ICP a", as_of: 2026-10-03}
      size_signal: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-researched (researched), source: "briefs/strategy.md ICP a size signal (about 26,420 monthly searches across the Bouldering, Indoor Climbing Gym, Climbing Fitness and Climbing Gym Cost clusters, from briefs/keywords.json)", as_of: 2026-09-17}
      regions: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent assumption 2026-10-03: no source names a country for the English segment", as_of: 2026-10-03}

  - slug: travelling-climbers
    name: Travelling climbers
    kind: charter:audience-kind-consumer (consumer)
    archetype: icp:first-time-experience-seeker (First-time experience seeker)
    priority: charter:segment-priority-secondary (secondary)
    job_to_be_done: Find a gym in a new city and know its entry rules, rental gear and price before arriving.
    funnel_stages: [charter:funnel-stage-consideration (consideration), charter:funnel-stage-decision (decision)]
    languages: [en]
    regions: [US, GB]
    channels: [charter:channel-organic-search (organic search)]
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-researched (researched), source: "PRODUCT.md Users (2026-09-24: 'travelling climbers comparing a new city's options'); briefs/strategy.md lists it as option b", as_of: 2026-10-03}
      regions: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent assumption 2026-10-03: no source names a country", as_of: 2026-10-03}
```

### AUDIENCE

#### New indoor climbers
Adults who have booked or are about to book a first bouldering or top-rope session, often after a friend's invite or a date idea. They want to know if they can do it, what to wear and what it costs if they keep going. They read on a phone before visiting a gym. Source: `briefs/strategy.md`, `PRODUCT.md`.

#### Travelling climbers
Climbers comparing a new city's gyms who need entry, equipment, lesson and price details before they travel. Source: `PRODUCT.md`, `briefs/site.md`.

#### Excluded audiences
Gym regulars training to improve are not a segment. PRODUCT.md names only first-month climbers and travelling climbers, and `briefs/strategy.md` lists regulars as option c, not chosen.

Not written for: readers who want a ranking of gyms, gear-brand hype, or technique coaching that replaces qualified onsite instruction. Source: `PRODUCT.md`, `VOICE.md` section 8.

## MONETIZATION.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 0ea6bcf5c6ab8c996021ae915a4a5e63fb1def705bccfe3e6ffc02f1efa397f3

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: climbinggym.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
revenue_lines:
  - slug: affiliate-rei
    name: REI gear affiliate
    type: charter:revenue-type-affiliate (affiliate)
    partner: {name: REI, entity: null, program_url: null}
    network: Impact
    program_status: charter:program-status-assumed (assumed)
    commission_model: charter:commission-model-unknown (unknown)
    placements: [charter:placement-type-inline-link (inline link)]
    segments: [new-indoor-climbers]
    kpi_key: affiliate_clicked
    status: charter:revenue-status-idea (idea)
    share_band: charter:revenue-share-band-minor (minor)
    start_trigger: Owner confirms affiliate links, and the program terms are read
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md option a (assumed default; cites https://getlasso.co/affiliate/rei/, not read by the agent)", as_of: 2026-10-03}
  - slug: affiliate-backcountry
    name: Backcountry gear affiliate
    type: charter:revenue-type-affiliate (affiliate)
    partner: {name: Backcountry, entity: null, program_url: null}
    network: AvantLink
    program_status: charter:program-status-assumed (assumed)
    commission_model: charter:commission-model-unknown (unknown)
    placements: [charter:placement-type-inline-link (inline link)]
    segments: [new-indoor-climbers]
    kpi_key: affiliate_clicked
    status: charter:revenue-status-idea (idea)
    share_band: charter:revenue-share-band-minor (minor)
    start_trigger: Owner confirms affiliate links, and the program terms are read
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md option a (assumed default; cites https://www.backcountry.com/info/affiliate-program, not read by the agent)", as_of: 2026-10-03}
  - slug: affiliate-evo
    name: evo gear affiliate
    type: charter:revenue-type-affiliate (affiliate)
    partner: {name: evo, entity: null, program_url: null}
    network: AvantLink
    program_status: charter:program-status-assumed (assumed)
    commission_model: charter:commission-model-unknown (unknown)
    placements: [charter:placement-type-inline-link (inline link)]
    segments: [new-indoor-climbers]
    kpi_key: affiliate_clicked
    status: charter:revenue-status-idea (idea)
    share_band: charter:revenue-share-band-minor (minor)
    start_trigger: Owner confirms affiliate links, and the program terms are read
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md option a (assumed default; cites https://www.evo.com/evo-affiliate-program, not read by the agent)", as_of: 2026-10-03}
  - slug: display-ads
    name: Display ads on informational pages
    type: charter:revenue-type-display-ads (display ads)
    commission_model: charter:commission-model-rpm (RPM)
    placements: [charter:placement-type-display-slot (display slot)]
    segments: [new-indoor-climbers, travelling-climbers]
    kpi_key: ad_revenue_recorded
    status: charter:revenue-status-idea (idea)
    share_band: charter:revenue-share-band-minor (minor)
    start_trigger: Owner confirms ads, and the site clears a managed-network traffic threshold
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md option a (assumed default, pending the owner's review)", as_of: 2026-10-03}
```

### MONETIZATION

#### Revenue model
The only plan on file is an assumed default in `briefs/strategy.md`: gear affiliate links on beginner pages to REI, Backcountry and evo, plus display ads once traffic qualifies. Nothing is live, nothing is signed, no program terms have been read, and the file holds no payout figures.

#### Disclosure rules
Disclose affiliate relationships clearly and near the links. Gear recommendations never claim a safety certification the product lacks, and cite UIAA or CE standards where relevant. German pages carry a "Werbung" label at the link. Source: `briefs/strategy.md`.

#### Not monetised
No gym pays for a ranking or a listing yet, and no listing fee is charged. Featured listings and intro-offer referrals were an alternative not chosen. Directory records stay verified and unsponsored. Source: `briefs/strategy.md`, `PRODUCT.md`.

#### REI gear affiliate
An idea, not approved. Links on first-purchase gear pages (shoes, harness, chalk, belay devices) tied to the gym context: rent first, buy when.

#### Backcountry gear affiliate
An idea, not approved. Same placements as the other gear programs, through AvantLink.

#### evo gear affiliate
An idea, not approved. Same placements as the other gear programs, through AvantLink.

#### Display ads on informational pages
An idea, not approved. Ads run on informational pages only once the site meets a network's traffic requirement.

## KPI.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 59d45cc1907ad8a28d95c4f6488fe7be1987ba73c491169d2a5497ecbcd2f095

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: climbinggym.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
template: charter:kpi-template-editorial-traffic (editorial traffic)
template_override: ""
kpis:
  - {key: pageview_recorded, role: charter:kpi-role-primary (primary)}
  - {key: gsc_clicks, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: gsc_impressions, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: avg_position, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: content_engaged, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: newsletter_subscribed, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: affiliate_clicked, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: crawl_errors, role: charter:kpi-role-guardrail (guardrail)}
  - {key: pages_indexed, role: charter:kpi-role-guardrail (guardrail)}
catalog_sha: 4304fc97e9ac457725bdc25dcbb724c36257a707cbb3c237b69cd3e7ba04ac39
```

### KPI

#### Why these metrics
The site is closed and pre-launch and run on reach, so pageview_recorded is the primary. gsc_clicks, gsc_impressions and avg_position show whether the beginner and city queries find the pages. content_engaged shows whether the calculators and guides are used. affiliate_clicked belongs because gear links are the leading revenue idea, and it stays at zero until the owner approves them. newsletter_subscribed stays from the template, though the site emits no signup event. crawl_errors and pages_indexed are the guardrails across seven languages and a large static export.

#### Reading guide
Read pageview_recorded weekly against the `(site)` target in kpi-mgmt once one exists. Rising pages_indexed with flat gsc_clicks means the pages are indexed but do not match the query. Only the Preferred Sources button emits a dataLayer event today, so content_engaged and affiliate_clicked need events before they read anything.

#### Review cadence
Quarterly, with the 12-month bets in STRATEGY.md.

## taxonomy/binding.yaml

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 5b0e7752132d1c6cb63f7a3d74d2d4505a9e9d1b881974f2eb270a02aee1658d

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: climbinggym.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
iab_content: ["iab:483"]
icp_profile: portfolio-icp@1.0.0
content_profile: null
languages: [en, de, es, fr, it, ja, pt]
regions: [US, GB, DE, ES, FR, IT, JP, BR]
```