The Art of Route Setting: An Exercise in Empathy
One of the most common questions I receive from people new the our gym is “how do you know where to put the holds on the wall?” The short version is that we often don’t know where to put them until we’re right in front of the wall with the holds at our feet or in our hands. Essentially, this is the art of setting: the ability to take the static and rigid plastic forms and turn them into something greater than the sum of their parts with our experience and imagination. It takes a lot of practice, patience, and persistence to perfect the art. Most importantly, it takes empathy.
Many people ask me if the walls come with instructions or computer programs telling me where to put the holds. It turns out that they do not. To be honest though, even if they did I’m not sure how useful any such program could be. The success of a climb is largely determined by the goal for that problem, and that goal is going to change depending on the type of climber the climb is intended to please. A successful climb for me then, is largely determined by how well the setter was able to position the holds to achieve the desired outcome. Consequently, the absolute difficulty of the movements is not necessarily the most important determining factor when deciding which hold to put on the wall or where to put it.
As an example, for some climbs the setter may be aiming to create a feeling of surprise. The climb may be harder than it looks, because the holds are positive, but finding the correct body position might not be so simple. Alternatively, the climb may be easier than it looks because while the holds may not be positive or even comfortable to grab, finding the correct body position to maintain proper balance may end up being relatively simple. Regardless of the difficulty, both of the above climbs would likely be considered a success as long as they provided a high level of enjoyment for the type of climber they were intended to challenge.
Determining where to put this large black hold was not an easy task. For this climb, it had to be close enough to make a dynamic, but possible jump for shorter climbers. It also needed to be far enough away to make it difficult to reach statically for taller climbers.
In the end, while being physically strong and powerful, can be useful in determining whether or not a move is possible, it is rarely the most important skill to possess in order to become a great setter. Ultimately, it is the ability to imagine how a climber of a size/strength/skill level different to yours will react to the positions in to which your problem will likely put them that helps you create great routes. Our best setters have practiced so much, they can do this without even putting on their climbing shoes.
Morgen (above) is one of our most experienced setters. She has spent many years honing her craft. Because of her ability to imagine the feelings of others when climbing her problems, she is often able to successfully set excellent problems well above or below her ability level, even if she is not able to fully test them herself.
With all of this said, one of the things that make setting at Hangout unique, is that we welcome climbers of all ability levels to try their hand at setting with us. No prior experience is necessary, we will teach you the basic technical aspects if you have the ability to humble yourself and the persistence to try again and again. The rewards can be numerous, including an improved ability to figure out the best sequence in your own climbing, and also a sense of pride in creating something that brings joy to others.
If you would like to try out setting, and you are a member at Hangout (or frequent the gym often), find/talk to me (Dave) or use the e-mail form on the website to send me a message (mention how you read the blog article and want to know more about how to become a setter). We’ll try and find a date/time that works well and creates a positive experience for everyone.
About The Author
David Murray has been coaching climbing for more than 19 years. He has helped over 5000 new and experienced climbers become more efficient and have more fun. David is currently a co-owner of The Hangout Climbing Centre in Duncan, British Columbia, Canada.