Future Risk Management in Sport Climbing

"You climb at your own risk" is a mantra that is used in climbing but clearly that does not include broken anchors or anything like that in an indoor gym. In Sweden, the Consumer Government Agency has said that if a club points out some specific routes that are good for beginners to start leading, this can only be done on well protected safe routes. If it turns out that the novice falls to the ground although the belayer did nothing wrong, the club can be held responsible. With the big increase of gym climbers who want to go out and try leading for the first time, it is important that the local clubs and communities can recommend some safe routes, especially for teenagers. It might have been that previously all outdoor beginners knew that, "You climb at your own risk" but in 2017, there are probably thousands of gym climbers who just assume that the beginner routes are safely protected like in the gym. Here are the 8a bolting recommendations for easier routes: #1 at 3 meters #2 at 4 meters #3 at 5.5 meters #4 at 7.5 meters #5 at 10 meters If we are talking about very hard routes with a relatively much easier start, it is normally OK with longer distance in between the bolts. When it comes to clipping positions and grades, on a 6a route the clipping positions should be adjusted to 160 cm climbers meanwhile on an 8a route, 170 cm could be applicable.