Advocating for Routesetting Budgets
Routesetting is a foundational element of the climbing wall industry experience. Thoughtfully designed and well-maintained routes contribute to climber satisfaction, risk management, skill progression, and community engagement. As climbing gyms expand, age, and adapt to the ever-changing industry landscape, conversations about routesetting budgets arise more frequently. This article aims to provide a framework for discussing routesetting budgets with management in a professional, constructive, and aligned-with-company-goals manner.
Article At A Glance |
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The purpose is not to criticize existing practices, but to outline how routesetting investments can be evaluated, communicated, and aligned with broader business objectives.
Understanding the Role of Routesetting
Routesetting is the backbone of an indoor climbing gym. It influences many aspects of a gym’s operations—from member engagement and retention to programming, competitions, and events.
Factors such as amenities, pricing, cleanliness, customer service, and programming all contribute meaningfully to the overall environment. All these things help shape first impressions and enhance customer experience. At the same time, however, climbing itself remains the core product. A climber’s experience begins and ends on the wall, and the routes themselves largely shape the quality of that experience.
In competitive markets, routesetting can be an important distinction between gyms. Route variety, creativity, and flow, reset frequency, and even the condition of the climbing holds all play a role in the climbing experience. For some climbers, a gym’s routesetting can be the deciding factor when it comes to choosing to invest in membership.
Recognizing routesetting as both a creative practice and an operational function helps place it within the broader context of business goals and long-term gym sustainability.
Why Invest in Routesetting?
When routesetters feel supported, that support is often reflected in the climbing. Routes tend to be more creative, intentional, and consistent. Staff who feel supported are less likely to experience burnout or leave, which reduces turnover and the time and resources spent training new employees.
Routesetting is sometimes viewed as a cost center. Unlike classes or youth programming, it does not have a direct revenue stream, making it easier to overlook or under-fund when budgets are tight.
However, the absence of a measurable revenue stream does not diminish its value. Routesetting impacts nearly every aspect of the business—from membership satisfaction and member retention to programs, events, staff development, and community engagement. It functions as connective infrastructure within the gym, and budget decisions should reflect its strategic importance and long-term value.
Two Sides of Routesetting Investment
Routesetting budgets can be broken into two distinct (but interconnected) buckets:
- Investing in the people (routesetters)
- Investing in the product (climbing)
Investing in Routesetters
Routesetters are craftspeople—equal parts artist and engineer. The work is physically demanding, mentally challenging, and carries a real risk of injury. It also requires ongoing creativity, learning, adaptation, and hands-on climbing.
Investment in routesetters begins with fair, competitive pay—but it extends beyond compensation. Sustainable routesetting programs might include access to PTO, healthcare, paid training, and professional development.
Financially supporting routesetters with job-related gear, PPE, and tools is another way climbing gyms can invest in the routesetters themselves.
Routesetting can be a legitimate career path, but only if incentives and support exist. From free online webinars to Work at Height (WAH) and Professional Routesetting (PRS) Certifications, the CWA offers many opportunities and resources for the professional development of routesetters.
Interested in CWA Certifications?
Partially funding or supporting outdoor climbing opportunities can help deepen a routesetter’s understanding of movement, grading, and style—only making them better at their job.
Without financial stability and professional growth opportunities, climbing gyms risk losing experienced routesetters, which can have a potentially negative impact on the facility. Investing in routesetters can lead to staff retention, reducing turnover and preserving the knowledge, expertise, and route consistency that members of a climbing community have come to expect.
Investing in Climbing Itself
Climbing holds depreciate over time—it’s the reality of climbing on plastic. Textures are smooth, volumes and holds crack, bolts get stripped, and screws break. Budgeting for maintenance and replacement is essential. Without consistent funding, the indoor climbing terrain can get stale, risk management issues can emerge, and the quality of the climbing might decline. Members notice when these things happen, which can lead to complaints, negative reviews, and even criticism on social media platforms. These all eventually, if unchecked, lead to membership retention issues, which have a real budgetary impact.
Not All Climbing Gyms are Created Equal
It’s important to recognize that climbing gyms vary widely in terms of size, revenue, membership base, and operational flexibility. Some gyms have larger budgets, more staffing resources, and the flexibility to invest heavily in both routesetters and climbing infrastructure. Others may face tighter constraints and need to prioritize investments strategically.
Budget proposals need to be realistic, but they can still be optimistic. In some cases, incremental investments or phased improvements can provide a meaningful impact without exceeding available resources. Moreover, these moments of financial constraint can inspire creativity, encouraging setters and management to find innovative solutions and unique approaches to building routes within limited resources.
Conclusion
Investing in both the people who create the routes and the climbing infrastructure itself can be viewed as a strategic investment in the gym’s long-term success. Supporting setters through fair compensation, professional development, and other retention strategies ensures consistency, creativity, and quality in the climbing experience. Similarly, maintaining and updating holds and wall infrastructure preserves and protects the gym’s core product—the climbing!
By framing routesetting as a critical component of member satisfaction and operational excellence, gym management can make informed budgeting decisions that support both staff and members. Thoughtful investment in routesetting ultimately strengthens the climbing gym’s reputation, promotes a thriving climbing community, and ensures sustainability for years to come.
About the Author
Ashley Routson is the General Manager of Planet Rock Climbing Gyms in Madison Heights, MI. She is a proud graduate of THE Ohio State University, where she was a member of both the varsity swimming team and varsity rowing team. Ashley came to the indoor climbing industry after nearly two decades of working in the restaurant and craft beer industries. She is also the author of The Beer Wench's Guide to Beer--a comprehensive book detailing all things craft beer. When she isn't pulling on plastic rocks in the gym, Ashley loves moderate trad and sport climbing in the great outdoors.