Words like “data” and “analytics” can sometimes feel out of place in such an artistic, physical craft like routesetting. Yet as the profession becomes more modernized—trading the wild west days for elevated standards, increased safety measures and an improved customer experience—the use of statistics is becoming ingrained in our day-to-day work and another essential tool to metaphorically add on the toolbelt.
Some routesetting trends from 2025, it should be said, require little quantification. Our 2024 Routesetting Trends report identified rising professionalism within the field as the number one trend last year, and that progress took a big step forward this year with the launch of the Climbing Wall Association’s Professional Routesetting Certification Program (PRS)—the first of its kind in North America geared specifically toward commercial setting.
Other new developments of late, like the introduction of climb tracking cameras fueled by artificial intelligence, fall squarely on the road where statistics and setting merge. For years, setters have been logging route turnover, grade distributions and other basic figures, first on paper, then on spreadsheets, and today in dedicated routesetting management platforms. Just how ubiquitous more advanced technology will become is yet to be seen, but the technology is out there and is certainly being talked about in 2025.
What other happenings have routesetters around the industry been noticing? Below are five takeaways we had after surveying over 300 setters—predominately from North America (57%) or Europe (35%)—and crunching the numbers. Professional development and safety patterns, popular movement styles, route density and turnover spreads, the new equipment and holds that setters have been talking about most…we discuss it all in this year’s Routesetting Trends report, and the charts with the full results can be found at the end of the article.
Thank you to all the routesetters who helped expand our collective knowledge and drive the industry forward by taking the survey!
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