Author Archives: Rock Rose Blog, LLC

For video format, visit my Substack Part VI of VI: The Digital Guidebook Landscape Shaped by Policy    I want to point out that most of the rhetoric Kaya put out was surrounding compensation. They did not seem to address sending out their employees or contractors to copy information from already existing climbing areas, except whenContinueContinue reading “Part VI of Robot Kaya: Demographics of Route Development in Climbing”

For video format, visit my Substack Part V of VI: The Kaya Controversy    The Kaya app Robot Blocks was released on has not come without controversy as a company. Let’s start with the history of Kaya.    “Founded in 2019, KAYA began as an app for climbing gyms, allowing users to log climbs and workouts. OverContinueContinue reading “Part V of Robot Kaya: Demographics of Route Development in Climbing”

For video format, visit my Substack Part IV of VI: Route Names    I am all for people of color outdoor routesetting. One of the reasons I like a diverse set of people route developing is to, at the very very least, have better route naming practices. Yes, it’s partially about control. Who has control overContinueContinue reading “Part IV of Robot Kaya: Demographics of Route Development in Climbing”

For video format, visit my Substack Part III of VI: Robot Blocks    Robot Blocks is a bouldering area near Darrington, Washington. You will not find it on Mountain Project or a paper guidebook at this time as it had an exclusive release on the app Kaya. More on that later.    Let’s talk about the mainContinueContinue reading “Part III of Robot Kaya: Demographics of Route Development in Climbing”

For video format, visit my Substack Part II of VI: Route Development Initiatives    If we look at the sheer small numbers of guidebook authors and the mechanisms to keep out women, and then even more mechanisms to keep Black women and queer people out of the sport (see my Hip Hop in Climbing article, specificallyContinueContinue reading “Part II of Robot Kaya: Demographics of Route Development in Climbing”

This article available as a podcast here VI of VI    How does all of this affect us in climbing? I do recall one Black woman influencer admitting once that she preferred her hair chemically straightened. It was just her preference. Fair enough; but I would also like to add that the climbing industry itself alsoContinueContinue reading “Black Hair in Climbing, Continued Part VI”

V of VI    Since in the past there were no laws regarding food labeling, additives, or health claims this meant that people could not sue with the law on their side. This slowly changed and ideas such as individual lawsuits or class action lawsuits for harm by a for profit company became an option. AContinueContinue reading “Black Hair in Climbing, Continued Part V”

IV of VI    The FDA was mostly focused on drugs and food, however, their power also extends to cosmetics. In line with some criticisms of the FDA, some of their guidelines could also be called into question. One example would be the consumption and use of propylene glycol.     In my natural hair care journey, IContinueContinue reading “Black Hair in Climbing, Continued Part IV”