Friday 11/21/2025
11:15 am
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11:45 am
Climbing grades are intended to provide guidance – they should motivate, challenge and also warn of difficulties. But in reality, they are often a source of frustration, discussion and misunderstanding. This is because ratings are never neutral. They reflect not only difficulty, but also expectations, norms – and ‘climbing hall politics’.
In this lecture, we take a look at the origins and significance of difficulty grades – and how they influence our climbing experience. How are ratings actually created? Why are they so crucial for the sport and for us as climbers? A single grade represents more than just a numerical code: fun, self-confidence, belonging – and yes, even the economic success of a climbing gym.
We show why ratings can never be completely objective and how they have historically been shaped by normative ideas about the body. What impact does it have on us when a route is rated differently depending on the assessment? Which grading systems are currently used in your gyms? We show why fair, transparent and advanced grading systems are not just nice to have, but essential – for motivation, for inclusion and for real climbing fun.
Because one thing is clear – research and our own experience show: grades matter.
Speaker: Christopher Igel, Routenbauzentrale
Presentation, Climbing & bouldering
