Polly Glasse created the original climbOn lotion bar in 1996, built the brand that carried it to climbers in dozens of countries, and led its product development through the company's sale in 2018 until she left in 2021. This page sets out that history in order, with a public source for every entry.
“In her kitchen she cooked up the solid lotion stick that was to become her signature product, the climbOn bar.”
Wimberley View, 2018
Polly Glasse pouring a batch.
Timeline
Twenty five years of Polly's work on the product, from a kitchen formula to a brand owned by a public company.
1995
Ivy's Herbal Delights
After a house fire takes her home and her cat Ivy, Polly turns her interest in herbs and aromatherapy into a product line named in Ivy's honor.
Clarus Corporation, parent of Black Diamond, buys the company's assets. By then its products sell in 37 countries. Polly stays on to lead product innovation.
In September 2021, Polly steps away from the company, 25 years after she first formulated the bar.
Source: Polly Glasse
What's in the bar
The climbOn Bar was built on one rule: if you can't eat it, don't put it on your skin. The formula has no water, no alcohol and no synthetics, just beeswax, plant oils and essential oils.
The Wimberley View described climbOn as the first solid lotion bar on the market. In 2018 the paper reported a single delivery of 7,000 pounds of unrefined beeswax from a local farmer.
All four marks were assigned to SKINourishment, LLC after the 2018 acquisition. Status as shown on the USPTO's records in October 2026.
Common questions
Who invented the climbOn Bar?
Polly Glasse formulated the original climbOn lotion bar in 1996, according to the climbOn brand's own published history. The Wimberley View reported in 2018 that she made it in her kitchen.
When was climbOn created?
The formula dates to 1996. The climbOn brand was formally established in 2000, and the CLIMBON trademark lists October 1, 1996 as its first use.
What is in a climbOn Bar?
Unrefined yellow beeswax, apricot kernel oil, grapeseed oil, virgin wheat germ oil, essential oils of lavender and lemon, and vitamin E. The formula contains no water, alcohol or synthetic ingredients.
Who owns climbOn now?
Clarus Corporation, the parent company of Black Diamond, acquired SKINourishment and the climbOn brand in 2018. The CLIMBON trademark registration is held by SKINourishment, LLC.
Where was climbOn made?
climbOn was made by Climb On! Products and later SKINourishment in Wimberley, Texas, where the company opened its headquarters and retail store in 2007.
Andrew Bisharat's piece on the Dawn Wall climb, with a Corey Rich photograph of Tommy Caldwell working climbOn, the beeswax and oil salve, into his fingers after a day on the wall.
The Wall Street Journal · November 16, 2019
Take Your Skin Care to New Heights
Matthew Kitchen's look at how climbers care for their hands. Most of the creams and salves in Tommy Caldwell's kit came from climbOn, the brand he worked with on Ridiculous!, a formula made for Yosemite's dry climate. Print edition.
