From Professional Climber to Digital Influencer

Magnus Midtbø has established himself as one of the most prominent figures in the climbing community, successfully transitioning from a competitive climbing career to becoming a leading content creator in the sport. The Norwegian athlete, who once competed at the highest levels of climbing, has built an impressive digital presence that continues to grow in 2025.^[1] ^[5]

With a background that includes climbing achievements up to 5.15b grade and being an 11-time Norwegian champion, Midtbø retired from professional competitions in 2017 to focus on content creation and entrepreneurial ventures.^[5] This career pivot has proven extraordinarily successful, as his channel has become the most subscribed climbing-focused channel on YouTube.

YouTube Channel Growth and Metrics

As of May 10, 2025, Midtbø's YouTube channel boasts an impressive 2.86 million subscribers and over 536 million total video views across 441 videos.^[8] ^[2] This represents remarkable growth, considering he reached the 2 million subscriber milestone only recently, making his channel the first climbing-focused channel to achieve such numbers.^[3]

His channel, which was created on February 8, 2011, has seen particularly strong performance in recent months, with subscriber growth of 2.89% in the last 30 days alone.^[4] ^[8] According to analytics platforms, his estimated monthly earnings range from $22,300 to $35,700, with yearly projections between $268,000 and $460,000.^[4] ^[8]

Content Strategy and Audience Engagement

Midtbø's content primarily focuses on rock climbing, fitness, and adventure, with videos that combine entertainment value with educational components.^[6] His channel is known for training tips, climbing techniques, and documenting climbing expeditions around the world. With an average video length of 26.35 minutes, his content offers substantial value to viewers, exceeding the duration of similar channels in his category.^[8]

The engagement on his channel remains strong, with his recent video "My best competition in YEARS" garnering 1.9 million views and 81,200 likes within two weeks of publication.^[8] This demonstrates his ability to maintain audience interest despite uploading at a relatively modest frequency of approximately one video per week.^[8]

Business Ventures and Brand Partnerships

Beyond content creation, Midtbø has leveraged his influence to build a diverse portfolio of business ventures. After retiring from competitions, he invested his savings into opening Oslo Klatresenter, his first climbing gym, and has since expanded to own multiple facilities.^[7] ^[5]

His entrepreneurial spirit has led to the creation of an apparel and chalk company, as well as the launch of Altitude Climbing in early 2024, an online coaching platform co-founded with Till Gross.^[5] This platform features courses from world-class climbers including Adam Ondra, Daniel Woods, Hazel Findlay, Dave MacLeod, and Alex Megos.

Midtbø has also built successful relationships with major brands, securing sponsorships with companies including NordVPN, RedBull, Shopify, AthleticGreens, and EpidemicSound.^[6] These partnerships further diversify his revenue streams beyond YouTube ad income.

Impact on the Climbing Community

Midtbø's influence extends far beyond metrics and business success. As noted by one commenter, "Magnus has done more for popularizing climbing than the olympics did. This means more new gyms, more new brands, and more new established crags."^[7] His ability to make climbing accessible and engaging to a broad audience has contributed significantly to the sport's growth.

His channel is ranked #208 in the Health category on YouTube and #18 among all Norwegian creators, demonstrating his reach beyond the climbing niche.^[8] Through his content and business ventures, Midtbø continues to elevate climbing's profile and inspire new generations of climbers.

From Professional Climber to Digital Influencer

YouTube Channel Growth and Metrics

Content Strategy and Audience Engagement

Business Ventures and Brand Partnerships

Impact on the Climbing Community

References

Magnus Midtbø

Magnus Midtbø

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