Behind the KARMAHanger

In retrospect, the collaboration was obvious – KARMA8A, the face of climbing’s rebellious side, and Nature Climbing, the brand that’s changing the rules of indoor climbing and training, seem in hindsight like a perfect match to take on the manufactured, polyurethane-based rigidity of climbing culture. 

But at the beginning, it didn’t seem to make sense. After all, K8A was created in the image of an urban street movement, while Nature is inspired by, well, nature. But under the surface, the two brands are siblings – inspired by the same counterculture, revolting against an approach to climbing in which one’s relationship with the rock is reduced to chasing numbers, training on plastic, and generally valuing performance above experience. 

Despite the seeming contradiction of the two brands, they fit together better than anyone could have imagined. Nature Climbing represents a physical return to the natural landscapes which created climbing as we know it – the stone, the trees, and the mountains. K8A represents a return to climbing’s inner nature – playfulness, rebellion, and passion. 

The result of this first collaboration is a unique training product encapsulating that yin/yang dynamic – the K8A StoneHanger, an artistic reimagination of the only portable training tool on the market that allows climbers to touch real rock. It fits the unique aspects of both brands together, combining a playful aesthetic inspired by the graffiti of city streets with the sustainable, minimalist practicality of Danish design. 

But it wasn’t as simple as printing the K8A logo on some Black Edition Stonehangers. First, K8A’s founder René Grincourt had to produce handwritten text designs to be engraved into the wood, and Nature Climbing founder Mads Bulow Duus had to install new tools and use a new technique called path printing to engrave the iconic K8A eyes into the Stonehanger. 

The result? 100 limited-edition Stonehangers, each engraved with their unique production number and a sense of the true nature of climbing – which comes from our connection to the stone and our connection to ourselves.

The success of the K8A Stonehanger tells us everything we need to know about how climbers feel in this moment. It’s time to embrace the lifestyle that makes climbers who they are. That means touching more rock, breaking more rules, and having more fun. This collaboration was one step in changing the culture – but Nature Climbing and KARMA8A are just getting started.