The origin of the climbOn Bar
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
Twenty five years of Polly's work on the product, from a kitchen formula to a brand owned by a public company.
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.
Source: Edible AustinPolly formulates the solid lotion bar that becomes the climbOn Bar. The brand's federal trademark filing lists October 1, 1996 as its first use.
Sources: climbOn, About · USPTO Reg. 4997015The product enters interstate commerce on January 1, 1998, according to the trademark record.
Source: USPTO Reg. 4997015climbOn is formally established as a brand for climbers and outdoor athletes.
Source: climbOn, AboutA parent company to house climbOn and its sister brands under one roof. The SKINourishment name is first used on November 29, 2012.
Sources: SGB Media · USPTO Reg. 4988254Tommy Caldwell completes the first free climb of the Dawn Wall on El Capitan, with climbOn in his kit.
Source: climbOn, AboutThe CLIMBON mark is registered on July 12, 2016. Polly's aromatherapeutic line, POLYN, is first used in May.
Sources: USPTO Reg. 4997015 · USPTO Reg. 5204477 · Eco ChickClarus 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.
Sources: SGB Media · Enterprise · Wimberley ViewIn September 2021, Polly steps away from the company, 25 years after she first formulated the bar.
Source: Polly GlasseThe 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.
Sources: Wimberley View · SA Mountain · TrailspaceFederal trademark registrations for the brands Polly built. Each one is filed under penalty of perjury and is public at the USPTO.
| Mark | Reg. no. | First use | Original registrant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLIMBON | 4997015 | Oct 1, 1996 | Climb On Products, Inc. | Registered |
| SKINOURISHMENT | 4988254 | Nov 29, 2012 | SKINourishment, Inc. | Registered |
| CROSSFIXE | 4671457 | Jan 1, 2011 | SKINourishment, Inc. | Cancelled 2025 |
| POLYN | 5204477 | May 1, 2016 | SKINourishment, Inc. | Cancelled 2023 |
All four marks were assigned to SKINourishment, LLC after the 2018 acquisition. Status as shown on the USPTO's records in October 2026.