Setting The Norm: Exploring The Lack Of Standardization In The Management Of Route Setting Teams In The Climbing Wall Industry

This Honors Project is intended to highlight certain institutional weaknesses within the climbing gym industry as a whole and to spark a dialogue therein. Specifically, it is meant to highlight the need for standardization within the management of a route setting team in order to help the industry to become more standardized--especially in safety practices. In addition to this philosophical perspective aimed at igniting a dialogue in the climbing wall industry, a survey was conducted in order to identify and to highlight certain necessary standards (staff training practices, such as having a manual, for example) and to analyze if there is ideal number of setters for climbing walls of different sizes. Lastly, this project contains resources (such as a glossary of setting-specific terms), gives concrete examples of sections of a hypothetical staff manual, and shows other examples of standardizing practices that could be tailored by a manager or even implemented as is.