Route setter

A route setter is a person who designs artificial rock climbing wall routes, or problems. Also known as "setters", these professionals combine technical craft with an artistic representation of real rock climbing moves. They do this with modular resin holds or "grips" that mimic real rock features. These routes are used by a rock climber to get to the top of a climbing wall.

A “setter” can set routes in many ways, some examples being bouldering, top roping, lead climbing, among other types of climbing. Someone wishing to get training as a route setter can simply take a short workshop in a specific climbing gym and learn the basics in order to set in that particular gym. The limitation is that his/her skills will only be recognized by that climbing gym only. If he/she wants to route set elsewhere, however, the person may register to a route setter certification workshop where, depending on the applicant's abilities, one of five grades of route setting can be attained. Usually, the more complex routes the applicant can make, the higher the level of certification.http://www.usacsetting.net/certification/

The simplest ways on how to set an indoor route are to decide by placement, rocks, and/or themes. Setters tend to stay away from miscellaneous rocks placed randomly on a wall that are not one of the previously mentioned categories. This is because they are difficult to climb, not very enjoyable and is aesthetically unpleasing. Placement is where there is a specific part of the artificial wall the setter wants to work on. This wall could have ‘natural’ features or arêtes that the setter wants to be used when someone works on this route. When the setter chooses by rocks, he/she might have a specific boulder or boulders that he/she wants to base the route on. Occasionally these specific boulders are the crux of the route. Lastly the setter can base a bouldering route on theme. A themed boulder route is when the setter uses only boulders of one type such as crimp, sloper, jugs, pocket, etc. The setter can also base the theme on one specific coloring or a brand or anything else that can be common among all boulders the setter chooses. When the setter plans a route make sure that it is in his/her skill level otherwise he/she cannot test his/her own route and possibly not be able to finish setting it. In addition, the router setter must make sure to communicate with the gym manager because they often will need more routes of a specific difficulty or type. Route setting can be done solo or in groups of route setters. The advantage of having more setters is that each setter will climb differently, can be used to test the route, have different arm spans, different strengths and weaknesses with climbing. The problem about having more people is there can be a clash of ideas and efficiency can go down because of this.

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