Route Setter - Southampton

Urban Ascent; Southampton; On-site; GBP 6,500 - 7,400; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Climbing access for you and family

28 days leave pro rata

Training and development

Employee assistance programme

Climbing shoe allowance

Retail and cafe discounts

Referral scheme

Long-service recognition

Job summary

The Climbing Hangar Southampton is seeking a creative, collaborative route setter for a part-time permanent position. You will set engaging routes, vary movements, and work with the team to keep walls fresh while installing holds safely and following safety standards.

You’ll engage with customers, participate in safety training, and support youth programmes, competitions and events. Benefits include climbing access, paid leave pro rata, and staff discounts.

Qualifications

• Experience in route setting or climbing instruction is beneficial.
• Ability to assess and adjust routes to a brief for different abilities.
• Strong understanding of movement and climbing styles.

Responsibilities

• Set engaging bouldering problems for all ability levels.
• Vary movement styles and holds to meet the brief and schedule.
• Work with the route-setting team to balance zones and refresh walls.
• Install holds safely and perform fall-zone checks.
• Keep setting areas organised and complete safety training on time.
• Respond to feedback and adjust routes for flow and safety.
• Support inspections, maintenance, and youth/competition events.
• Engage with customers and provide feedback to senior setters.

Skills

Creative thinking

Collaborative

Attention to detail

Customer engagement

Climbing proficient

Job description

The NEED-TO-KNOW INFO

Where: The Climbing Hangar Southampton - Third Ave, Southampton SO15 0LD

Contract: Part-time permanent

Hours: 10 hours per week

Pay: £6895 (pro rata)

Working days: Monday

Positions available: 1

Apply by: 10th November 2026

What You'll Do

• Set engaging bouldering problems for all ability levels, from first-time climbers to performance athletes.
• Create variety in movement styles, hold types and difficulty, while setting accurately to the agreed brief, grades and schedule.
• Work collaboratively with the route-setting team to deliver balanced zones and keep the walls fresh.
• Install holds safely, inspect equipment and wall surfaces, complete fall-zone checks and test climbs, and follow all working-at-height and PPE requirements.
• Keep setting areas organised and clean, and complete required safety training within deadlines.
• Respond positively to feedback, tweak routes to improve flow, grade accuracy or safety, and elevate concerns where appropriate.
• Support inspections, basic maintenance and administration, attend setter meetings, and help deliver routes for youth programmes, competitions and special events.
• Engage with customers, answer questions and share useful feedback with the Head or Senior Route Setter.

What’s in it for you?

• Free climbing for you, your dependent children under 18 and a plus one.
• 28 days’ annual leave per year, pro rata and inclusive of bank holidays.
• Training and development opportunities.
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme, an on-site Mental Health First Aider and counselling services.
• A climbing shoe allowance.
• Discounted gear from our retail range, plus discounts on food and drinks from our café.
• An employee referral scheme and long-service recognition.

Who We’re Looking For

We’re looking for a creative, collaborative route setter who is passionate about climbing and helping others succeed. You’ll have:

• A good range of climbing ability across different angles and styles, with a strong understanding of movement.
• A minimum consistent climbing ability of Hangar Red/V4 across a range of styles.
• The attention to detail and grade awareness needed to set consistently and accurately to an agreed brief for customers of different abilities.
• An understanding of how route setting supports customer experience, climber progression and the success of a commercial climbing facility.
• The ability to receive constructive feedback, adapt your approach and contribute positively within a high-performing team.
• The confidence to set independently and work safely in a physically demanding environment, including lifting and carrying hold buckets up to 20kg, crouching and working at height using ladders.

It’s not essential, but it’s also nice if you:

• Have experience supporting colleagues or offering peer feedback in a route-setting environment.
• Have competition-setting experience.
• Have coaching experience.

Who are we?

Our Story Started In a Warehouse In Liverpool Back In 2011, When Our Founder Wanted a New Place To Climb With His Mates. What Started Out As a Simple Project Grew Into An Important Mission

To inspire bolder living through indoor climbing.

These days, we care more about how our members’ climbing journey nourishes and connects them than what that journey is. Climb up, fall off, spend more time on the mats with your mates. It doesn’t matter to us because finding joy in how they do something is more important than what they do – and all of us find joy in play.

Play is a secret superpower in climbing and in life. And, at The Climbing Hangar, play is what we do best.

We’re now an open, trusted and welcoming space where old-school climbing and new-to-climbing coexist.

We’re a place for everybody and people tell us that they feel like they belong here. That’s the whole point.

Equal Opportunities Statement

We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to ensuring equality for all. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. All employment decisions are made based on merit, skills and experience.