From Elite Competition Climber to Global Bouldering Influencer
Magnus Midtbø is a Norwegian climber, former professional competitor, and one of the most influential climbing content creators on the internet. His journey from youth champion to elite athlete and then to YouTube personality has helped bring bouldering and climbing culture to millions of followers worldwide.
Early Life and Competitive Career
Magnus Rognan Midtbø was born on 18 September 1988 in Bergen, Norway. He began climbing at age 12 and quickly showed national promise, winning youth championships within a year of starting the sport. He moved to Innsbruck, Austria to train with the european climbing elite among them Jakob Schubert.
Midtbø’s early success continued as he transitioned to international competition, notably:
- Winning the World Youth Championships in lead climbing in 2005 in china.
- Competing extensively on the IFSC Climbing World Cup circuit, where he finished in the top ranks and secured two podiums (2 bronze).
- Retiring from international competition in May 2017 after more than a decade at the highest level.
Rock Climbing and Outdoor Achievements
Beyond competition, Midtbø has established himself as a hard trad and sport climber. Highlights include:
- At the age of 14 he climbed his first 8a Øgletryne – Sageveggen rock wall, Bergen
- Climbing “Ali Hulk sit-start extension” (initially graded 9b) in Rodellar, Spain—one of the world’s hardest sport routes at the time.
- Onsighting an 8c+ (5.14c) route in Spain in 2013, a rare achievement at that grade.
- Sending Papichulo (9a+) in Oliana, Spain in 2015.
These outdoor accomplishments demonstrate Midtbø’s versatility across climbing disciplines, including technical movement and high-end strength that easily translates to bouldering performance.
YouTube and Digital Influence
Since 2011, Magnus has developed a large online audience through his YouTube channel, @magmidt. His content blends entertainment, training insight, challenges, and climbing lifestyle videos, frequently featuring gym sessions, technique experiments, and high-profile collaborations. He has climbed and filmed with many of the world’s most influential climbers, including Adam Ondra, Alex Honnold, Alex Megos, Tomoa Narasaki, as well as Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker of the Wide Boyz. In addition, he regularly collaborates with elite athletes from outside climbing—such as gymnasts, parkour practitioners, and strength specialists—further reinforcing his position at the intersection of elite performance and accessible climbing media.
Notable milestones include:
- Becoming the first climber on YouTube to reach one million subscribers.
- Growing past 2 million subscribers and accruing hundreds of millions of views on climbing-related content.
Midtbø’s influence extends well beyond typical climbing media; his channel exposes bouldering and climbing culture to mainstream audiences and encourages participation in strength training, technique sessions, and outdoor projects.
Role in Boulder Culture
Although Midtbø’s competitive background is in sport climbing, bouldering features prominently in his media and training content. His gym sessions, tests of strength and technique, and collaborations with strong boulderers are frequently among his most watched videos.
For many newer climbers, his approachable style and high-production content serve as an entry point into bouldering and climbing progression online.
Magnus Midtbø’s Ventures Beyond YouTube
While Magnus Midtbø is best known for his YouTube channel, his influence on modern climbing extends well beyond content creation. Over the past decade, he has built a small but strategically aligned portfolio of ventures that reflect his long-term commitment to climbing as both a sport and an industry.
YouTube as the Foundation
Midtbø’s primary platform remains his YouTube channel, which has grown into the largest climbing-focused channel in the world, surpassing two million subscribers (YouTube – Magnus Midtbø). What distinguishes his channel is not only its reach, but its positioning: a blend of elite performance, transparent training metrics, and accessible entertainment. This visibility has enabled Magnus to transition from professional athlete to full-time climbing entrepreneur.
Rungne: Climbing Equipment and Apparel
One of Magnus Midtbø’s most visible business ventures is Rungne, a climbing brand specializing in chalk, apparel, and accessories. Unlike generic lifestyle merchandise, Rungne positions itself squarely within performance climbing culture, emphasizing functional design and durability.
Magnus is directly involved in the brand’s promotion and product testing, frequently using Rungne gear in his videos. The brand benefits from his credibility as a former World Cup climber, while reinforcing his image as an athlete who remains deeply connected to day-to-day climbing practice.
Altitude Climbing: Digital Training and Education
Magnus is also a co-founder of Altitude Climbing, an online training and education platform aimed at climbers seeking structured improvement. The platform focuses on training plans, instructional content, and long-term progression rather than short-term “quick fixes.”
Altitude reflects a broader trend in modern bouldering: the move toward data-informed, coach-led training, delivered digitally to a global audience. Magnus’s involvement lends both visibility and legitimacy, particularly among intermediate climbers transitioning into more serious training.
Involvement in Climbing Gyms
In addition to digital and product ventures, Magnus Midtbø is publicly associated with several climbing gyms in Norway, particularly in Oslo and Bergen. While exact ownership structures are not always disclosed, he is widely reported to have ownership or co-ownership stakes and is closely linked to these facilities through long-term involvement and frequent use.
Gyms commonly associated with Magnus include:
- Oslo Klatresenter (Oslo Climbing Center), Oslo, Norway
This is widely cited as a gym Magnus helped found after retiring from competition climbing and remains associated with him. He has featured it in many of his climbing videos and it is commonly referred to as his gym. - Høyt Under Taket, Bergen, Norway
Several climbing and community reports indicate that Magnus is involved with or owns Høyt Under Taket in Bergen. While exact ownership percentages aren’t public, this facility is frequently referenced in connection with him. - Gneis Lilleaker, Oslo, Norway (Partial Ownership)
Community sources and climber reports indicate that Gneis Lilleaker—a newer climbing gym in Oslo—is one where Magnus has ownership or part-ownership involvement, and he appears in videos filmed there. Direct official records on his stake are not publicly available, but multiple user references point to this association.
Magnus frequently films training sessions and challenges in these gyms, reinforcing their status as high-level training environments. His involvement reflects a broader commitment to infrastructure development within the climbing community, particularly in Scandinavia.
Why Magnus Midtbø Matters to Boulderers
Magnus Midtbø matters to the global bouldering community because he has:
- Provided broad visibility for climbing online
- Created content that blends technical training with sport culture
- Inspired climbers of all levels to pursue strength, movement fluency, and adventure
His reach—especially through video content—has helped demystify climbing progression and motivated countless people to begin or deepen their bouldering practice.
Sources
Magnus Midtbø – Wikipedia (bio and climbing career)
https://www.youtube.com/@magmidt
rungne.com
altitudeclimbing.com
https://thehangboard.com/blogs/famous-rock-climbers/magnus-midtbo
https://indianaindependent.com/magnus-midtbo-net-worth/