Application field: Route setting

Route Setting: Cool Routes, More Fun

Route Setting Combines Passion, Creativity, and Responsibility

In recent years, climbing and bouldering have evolved from minor niche sports with a dirtbag image to a genuine mass phenomenon. Multiple climbing and bouldering gyms have sprung up in big cities in particular. The small, dusty training rooms have turned into professional sports facilities with unique designs and concepts. Climbing has developed into a mass sport.

 

The people who attend the gyms want to have fun, train, switch off from everyday life, and be challenged by new and interesting problems. Varied, creative climbing routes and bouldering problems are the main product that gyms offer people. After all, the quality of the set lines ultimately plays a major role in determining whether they enjoy their time in the gym and keep coming back. This makes route setting one of the key pillars in a gym’s success.

Route setting is an extremely complex field of work that involves various elements of responsibility. Setting a route is not only about the aesthetic appeal of the movements, determining the right level of difficulty, and suitably setting clipping positions. With the boom of indoor climbing and bouldering, route setters are being placed under ever greater stress to set simple lines that are suitable for a mass sport. They also require a firm grasp of not only the hardware and tools, but also how to securely attach individual handholds, footholds, and volumes. From national and international competitions right through to the Olympic Games, route setters have a huge impact on how exciting events are.

In addition to the creative work, the continual development of new ideas, and athlete safety, the route setter’s own occupational safety is an important aspect of the job.

Anyone who works as a route setter should be trained in rope access so that they can install and confidently work with redundant safety systems.

EDELRID products for route setting in climbing facilities

We develop ergonomic, intuitive, and practical products that are specially tailored to route setting needs and make everyday work in this field simpler. Our new technical developments are always based on intensive dialog with experts to ensure we have a good understanding of expectations and can offer products that meet the different requirements.

  •
    sports professional
    SALATHE
    Versatile hybrid climbing helmet | extremely light and well ventilated
  •
    sports professional
    SETTER BAG
    Secure, practical bag for route setters
  •
    professional
    VECTOR X
    Light, modular harness for all work and movements at heights
  •
    professional
    FLASK
    Compact bag for storing small tools and valuables
  •
    sports professional
    HAND CRUISER LEFT
    Ergonomic hand ascender for comfortable rope ascents
  •
    professional
    GRIP GLOVE
    Versatile protective gloves | certified to EN 388
  •
    sports professional
    PROSTEP
    Length-adjustable, webbing foot loop ascender
  •
    sports professional
    TOOL SAFETY LEASH
    Elasticated lanyard for securing tools
  •
    sports professional
    AXIOM
    Innovative carabiner with a pulley | for optimum rope guidance
  •
    professional
    DEFUSER RESCUE L
    Shock absorber for user loads of up to 220 kg

    Route setting with lifting platforms

    Anyone with the opportunity to use a lifting platform can count themselves extremely lucky. Large and, above all, steep climbing walls can be quickly and conveniently set from the platform basket. But personal fall protection equipment also has to be used to prevent people from falling if catapulted or whipped out of the basket.

    Depending on the platform, such equipment can be a restraint system comprising a restraint harness and an adjustable lanyard or a fall arrest system comprising a full body harnesses and a lanyard with a shock absorber.

    •
      professional
      FLEX LITE
      Light, adjustable full body harness for fall protection
    •
      sports professional
      TOOL SAFETY LEASH
      Elasticated lanyard for securing tools

      Innovative solutions for wall construction: simple, comfortable, and safe

      We also offer innovative products for wall construction, such as our high-end top-rope anchor TOPPER STATION or our special quickdraws for gyms with robust steel carabiners and an impact guard to reduce noise.

      Find out more