About us

160 Years of EDELRID
Climbing History made in Germany

In the meantime, 160 years have passed from the founding date in June 1863 to the present day. In the early days, Schachenmayer & Cie manufactured only strands and cords. Today, EDELRID is a global manufacturer of climbing ropes, mountaineering and work safety equipment. For 160 years the company experienced continuous ups and downs - at one moment the development of the kernmantle rope caused a revolution in mountaineering, only a few years later almost the entire production was destroyed in a major fire. In the 1970s, the seat climbing harness developed by EDELRID paved new paths in the climbing world, only a few years later a second fire ravaged the company building. Thus, disasters and successes alternated and contributed their part to the fact that EDELRID has become the company you know today.

 

To celebrate our anniversary, we set out to find more detailed information about the beginnings of EDELRID. We have compiled our discoveries from archives, interviews with contemporary witnesses and research beyond the country's borders for you.

What happened in 160 years of EDELRID

This is what we are, this is what we live

Climbing is in our genes, whether at the crag, in the gym, in snow and ice, in trees, or at industrial structures. For 160 years, we have believed that it is important to push boundaries, remain inquisitive and share the joy of our vertical world.

  • That's why we are constantly developing our products and solutions, from climbing equipment in mountain sports and indoor climbing to personal protective equipment (PPE) for professional applications.

  • As a manufacturer rooted in the Allgäu region, we produce our complete portfolio of mountain sports ropes, static ropes, accessory cords, and lines for paragliders and many other industrial applications in our rope factory.

Our vision

We make ideas come to life that enable free movement in a vertical world

We want every user of an EDELRID product to have the pleasure and freedom of moving vertically. This is where our history, our expertise, and our passion for the future lie. This is what we are passionate about: whether at the crag, in a climbing gym, working at height, or in tree care—we share our knowledge, experience, and ideas with everyone who wants to experience the joy of free movement at height.

Our mission

Our mission is to understand every detail about the development, the use and the impact of our products and make it publicly available.

We use and share our knowledge to make the best product, reduce its environmental impact and help climbers* to consciously assess their risks.

*Climbers are all persons that move in the vertical space

We are motivated by our need to understand our own products down to the last details and thus become better and better—when using the materials, through the application to durability and sustainability. This enables all users of our products to better assess the risks of their actions and thus to move more freely in the vertical. 

As a manufacturing company, we see it as our responsibility to share our knowledge and wealth of experience. This is who we are, and we have enshrined it in our mission.

Our values

We have a long history, a character of our own, many ideas, and great goals—we have something that defines us as EDELRID and sets us apart from others. Of course, this is a feeling of belonging, mindset, and shared values. We took a good look, twisted and turned things around, to finally put into words what we live every day—in our interactions with each other, with our customers, and with our business partners—our values:

  • We are a colorful bunch—a group of individuals with different characters, origins, and experiences.
  • We are a rope team—we trust one another and are one big, happy family both within and outside the workplace.
  • We are inventors—we have an inquisitive nature and strong motivation to develop, use, and share our knowledge.
  • We are sincere—we are true to our word and work openly and honestly.
  • We are thinkers and doers—we understand our trade and live for it.
  • We have the drive—we achieve improvements by being passionate about our products, technology, and practical experiences.
  • We bear responsibility—we use knowledge to make what we do sustainable.

Sustainability and innovative products

We produce several million meters of climbing rope each year and can proudly say that each of them is bluesign® certified for maximum protection of the environment and resources. In addition to ropes, EDELRID has been developing everything the climbing enthusiast desires—for decades with distinction.

We started with cords and fishing lines—today EDELRID is one of the most advanced mountain sports companies in the world.

    SPORT & PROFESSIONAL

    Our origins and passion lie in mountain sports. These drive us to reach new heights and keep us grounded. The expertise that we have gained through decades of experience in the field of mountain sports also benefits our Professional business area. We create synergies through knowledge transfer by intelligently networking specialists from the various user fields—for even better products and even more satisfied customers.

    • The Professional business area includes the strategic business fields of Work Safety, Adventure Parks, and Customer Solutions. It offers commercial users PPE products that have been specially developed for use in their segment.
    • Professionals in the field of work safety benefit from our knowledge of the vertical world. The EDELRID Work Safety products are specifically tailored to the challenges of industrial climbing and tree care, as well as mountain and height rescue.

    We also apply our knowledge from mountain sports in the Adventure Park division, where the products have been specially developed for high ropes courses, aerial forest parks, and adventure parks.

    • The Customer Solutions division is an expression of our textile expertise and has been part of EDELRID ever since our establishment. This division targets companies that need a strong partner for the supply of textile braids for industrial uses and the development of customer-specific products for the field of PPE. The products extend from lines for paragliders, kites, and parachutes through technical lines used in the automotive industry to customized solutions for various drive technologies, as well as rescue and working methods.

    Since 1863, we have not only been growing locally, but also beyond the borders of Isny. Whether in Germany or elsewhere in the world, we uphold the same production, safety, and quality standards. At the same time, we are still family-run as an independent business within the VAUDE Group.

    This is EDELRID in a nutshell.

    Facts and figures

    • Number of employees: approx. 220
    • Board of Directors: Albrecht von Dewitz, Vitus Wuhrer and Markus Wanner
    • Business areas: Sports, Work Safety, Customer Solutions and Adventure Parks.
    • The brands Red Chili and ABS belong to the EDELRID Group.
    • "Made in Germany": part of the production, e.g. all ropes and lines, are made in Germany - in total about 60% of the EDELRID value chain.