Dear Readers,
It’s officially been a year since I started Climbing Nutrition, and in this time it’s grown a lot. I’ve written sixty posts and over 100,000 words, and covered a myriad of climbing- and sports nutrition-related topics. I hope that through my articles, I’ve helped you become a better, healthier, stronger climber. Now, I’m asking for your help.
You may have noticed that I don’t run ads, use affiliate links, sell products or programs, or use any other form of revenue generation on this site. There’s a good reason for this.
First and foremost, it’s because I don’t want to increase bias. Nutrition websites frequently make their money advertising and selling nutrition products, such as supplements. I completely understand this practice, but it also raises the question of intent: does a site recommend a product because it’s the best for the reader, or the best for the blogger’s wallet? I don’t want you to have any reason to question my recommendations; you should know I always put you first.
Additionally, I don’t run ads on Climbing Nutrition because I want to keep the website as clean and information-rich as possible. Again, I don’t have any problem with ads in general, and I recognize that many sites have been able to use them effectively—but it’s not the path I see for Climbing Nutrition. I’m not closed to the possibility of a future partnership with a non-nutrition-related climbing company, but for the time being, I have no intention of advertising on this site.
Finally, I don’t sell any programs through this site. I want to bring high-quality information to everyone, regardless of their budget, and that means not cordoning off the best bits for those who pay. Of course, I haven’t actually created any programs at this point (so it’s easy to say this!), but you should know that when I do, I plan on giving them away free of charge.
All this brings me back to the main point of this letter: I’ve done a lot with Climbing Nutrition so far, but I’ve realized that I need some financial security and funding to do even more with the website. That’s why I’ve started a Patreon campaign.
Patreon is a form of crowdsourced funding. With Patreon, you agree to fund me and Climbing Nutrition on a monthly basis in whatever amount you feel is affordable or appropriate, and I get the benefit of a relatively stable, foreseeable income. This is important for numerous reasons, not least of which is because many of the projects I envision for Climbing Nutrition will cost time and money I don’t currently have!
A couple of these projects include:
- Free, Customizable Online Climbing Nutrition Plans/Programs: I’ve helped a lot of clients achieve their climbing goals through nutrition, but it’s always one at a time. An online program would allow me to help many more people.
- Meal Plans for Climbing Trips: I’ve released scant information about what you should bring on a climbing trip, and the information I have released is all just for day trips. I suspect that having a meal plan (or plans) for an entire climbing trip would be informative, though—a curated selection of recipes designed to help you stay fueled and crush your projects.
I’d also love to fund actual climbing-specific nutrition research down the line, which involves hiring a diverse team (scientists, trainers, statisticians, etc.) at often great cost.
Beyond the projects, the funding will also go towards supporting me and my wife. I currently work on Climbing Nutrition in my free time, which is enough to write an article every week or two and perform general site maintenance. But the more I can support myself and my family with Climbing Nutrition, the more time I’ll be able to free up to write and improve the site—which means more articles, more projects, and more information.
If you can’t help fund Climbing Nutrition (or don’t want to), then don’t worry: Climbing Nutrition is, and always will be, a free resource. Even if I receive no funding from anyone, I’ll continue writing my weekly/biweekly articles; I’m not asking for funding because I cannot run this website without it, but rather because I know it can be even better if I can spend more time and money on it.
I do hope you’ll choose to support me, though. I know how easy it can be to pass over a campaign like this as “something for someone else to worry about”, but every little bit helps—even a $1 a month, less than most climbers spend on chalk. Regardless of size, your contribution will be hugely meaningful and make a major impact on the future of Climbing Nutrition
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter; I promise not to be overly persistent about Patreon beyond this point. Whether you choose to support me or not, I want you to know how glad I am you’re here, and I hope that Climbing Nutrition continues to be a valuable resource for you.
Yours Sincerely,
Brian Rigby, MS, CISSN
How to Fund Climbing Nutrition through Patreon
If you’re ready to make a pledge to Climbing Nutrition, all you need to do is follow this link and follow the instructions.
If you’d like additional information about Climbing Nutrition’s campaign, then you can read more on Climbing Nutrition’s Patreon page.
