Team – Routesetting Symposium

FREDDY
ÖFFENTLICHKEITSARBEIT

"I have been on the rock, as well as on the artificial wall for several years looking for interesting movements and shared experiences. That's how I got to routesetting and lit a flame that wants to burn much, much brighter. However, there is clearly a lack of diversity in this profession and a lack of opportunity for everyone to gain a foothold in it. It's time to change that ...!"

LAURA
DESIGN & WEBSITE

Whether bouldering or route setting - for me it’s a curse for the ego and a fireworks display for the soul. But everything is just better when shared, I started the routesetting collective “Maquinas” with two other women. It’s important to me to break up this oh-so-efficient, elbow-jostling society with support and fistubmps, and to leave no room for sexism or racism."

MIRIAM
PROGRAMM & FINANZEN

“In addition to my studies, I love working as a routesetter. More than anything, I like the creative play with movements and to see how other people have fun with and are challenged by my boulders.

I started bouldering 8 years ago in a small bouldering shed, where I was soon able to create my own routes. From the start, bouldering and routesetting has meant for me: being alone among men, mostly. Despite many positive experiences, I would have liked to have had more female role models and fellow campaigners. I am therefore looking forward to the exchange of ideas with you and I hope that the Routesetting Symposium will inspire many FLINT + people to start routesetting!"

LENA
FINANZEN & SPONSORING

"It was more of a coincidence. But bouldering has not only become a hobby I love with my heart and soul for over 4 years, but has also become a part of the center of my life. I can be found on the wall almost every day, squeezing and tinkering around with the calendar of the rest of my days to make it work Even if it's only an hour, climbing brings out my energy and a greater sense for my body and mind. It’s on the wall where I can also see the great potential of this symposium, namely to pass this feeling on and to make the field of climbing/bouldering even more diverse. This includes finally integrating people who are often discriminated against or overlooked in the climbing world, and giving them an equal foot(hold) to stand on. It is my wish that bouldering is not only seen as an individual sport, but also uses the empowering forces of like-minded people to finally to spice up the current conditions together. Of course, you never stop learning how to boulder (luckily)! And it's one of my top goals to finally learn more about routesetting.

That’s why: My excitement for the upcoming symposium can hardly be contained. YIPPIE."

STEFFI
FINANZEN & SPONSORING

"In the beginning they were “only” colorful holds that fascinated me - but in the end they were so much more: Lots of people, their stories and more and more obstacles in their way. My passion for bouldering gave rise to the idea of a documentary film project about FINTA * people and routesetting. That's how I ended up at the symposium. I am constantly learning from the community, which is very inspiring for me. It is important to me to create creative spaces for FINTA * people to exchange ideas and to make these people visible and tangible."

ELA
PROGRAM

"Many years ago, when I stood in a bouldering hall for the first time, my first thought was a sullen "No, this is really not for me!" But I (re-)discovered bouldering about 3 years ago and discovered that it is particularly useful for coping with chronic pain and depression.

After getting sufficiently familiar with the sport, I started looking into the issue of discrimination in climbing. No bouldering session goes by in which I am not confronted with situations in which I or other FINTA * are disadvantaged due to their appearance or gender identity or feel discomfort at how they are treated. I see the Routesetting Symposium as a fantastic opportunity to make such problems visible and to support the idea of mutual empowerment - and to get a taste for routesetting myself."

NORA

ÖFFENTLICHKEITSARBEIT, PROGRAMM, PROJEKTORGANISATION

"Climbing and bouldering have been with me half my life and I’m noticing that the community that goes with it is becoming more and more diverse. In routesetting, in which I've been active since circa 2016, there is definitely still a lot of room for improvement in terms of diversity, though.

As a self-employed routesetter and filmmaker, I am unfortunately rarely surrounded by FINTA * people in my work environment. I notice time and time again just how difficult it is for them to gain a foothold in professions that are mainly dominated by men.

To pave the way for the next generation to grow up in a diverse society in which gender no longer plays a role and absolute equality and normality prevail, I am passionately involved in the work of the Routesetting Symposium."

ANNIE
ÖFFENTLICHKEITSARBEIT

"The name’s Annie, and I’m a climber, endurance athlete, adventure writer, and (neuro)scientist. I believe that in the fledgling profession of routesetting, we are in the unique position to level the playing field before the gender disparities have become encrusted into the system.

When I see routesetting teams, I want to see the diversity that exists in the climbing community reflected in them, too. That means empowering FINTA+ routesetters to dare to take on this profession, and giving them the confidence to excel, too. People achieve, create, think of, and do so many incredible things all the time - routes being just one of them. It’s time we allow everyone’s abilities and achievements to shine, regardless of who they are. – unabhängig davon, wer sie sind.

Let’s start with routesetting."

CARO
PROGRAM

"Climbing and bouldering, and the increasing amount of time I spend with the two, have led to an unlikely uptick of questions popping up in my head: Why are people irritated when I arrive at the crag with my partner and I climb the first route? Why don't I feel like jumping into the fray of the front row when a new area in the bouldering gym has been freshly set?

What I've been missing is this: People who ask themselves similar questions and want to tackle these questions. That is why I am incredibly happy to be part of the Routesetting Symposium and to consider what gender equality and diversity sport needs and what we can do for it together."

LUCY
ORGANIZATION & PUBLIC RELATIONS

„Nur wenige Jahre nachdem ich meinen ersten Boulder angefasst hatte, begann auch meine Reise als Schrauberin. In den knapp neun Jahren, in denen ich dieser Tätigkeit nun nachgegangen bin, hat sich rund um den Boulder als solches einiges getan: coolere Volumen, ausgefallenere Griffsets, athletischere Bewegungen usw. Die wichtigste Veränderung allerdings sehe ich bei den Personen, die diese Boulder erschaffen: Langsam, aber sicher steigt die Diversität in Teams, in Hallen und am Fels. Und warum sollte man diesen Vorgang nicht beschleunigen, wenn er doch zu so viel mehr spannendem Austausch und großartigen Bouldersessions führt?“

SANDRA
FINANCE & SPONSORING, MAIN ORGANIZATION

Bouldering and climbing are two of my passions, which I prefer to pursue outdoors. I've wanted to recreate the most beautiful projects every now and then, but the result is often something completely different. I think it's great that you have something very specific in mind in this sport and that you can look forward to all possible paths and detours in the process. Speaking of paths, when it comes to equality and participation, the path to routesetting definitely needs to be leveled a bit. I think the Routesetting Symposium is the ideal medium to achieve that!

INGA
PROJEKT-& TEAMORGANISATION, FINANZEN

"I have been a routesetter and trainer with heart and soul since 2013, working at KOSMOS in Leipzig. I missed the FINTA * people in the business and so I thought that more attention and awareness were exactly the right thing to change this situation. That’s how the 2019 symposium came to be.

We must work together and actively in our immediate surroundings to create a future in which equality and careful cooperation are not an exception, but a constant,

To achieve a sustainable change in the routesetting profession, I want to: remove obstacles, recognize discrimination, reject said discrimination, encrouage others to stand up for one another, enable further training, and strengthen conversation around these topics."

Einen unglaublich großen Dank und Liebe geht dabei auch an Sann, Vera, Elke, Padideh, Emma die uns ebenfalls tatkräftig auf dem bisherigen Weg beiseite standen.