I work at a university rock wall, so we are a bit behind on setting practices. The setters are fully aware of the benefits of using set screws, but the higher ups are adamant that using set screws will destroy the wall and make it look ugly. They are also against, slightly less so, jibbing onto other holds for fear of cracking the holds, reducing the structural integrity, and leaving large holes in them when the jib hold is removed.

Can anyone please provide some data and or arguments that may help convince our boss to let us use set screws?

I know it's pretty foolish to look for medical advice here, but it's time to be taking grain-of-salt advice.

Head routesetter here. I have been a climber since 2018, and I really enjoyed the sport because it has been relatively low impact on my joints as compared with my former sports of running and powerlifting.

I would have chronic pain while working out in a few areas, but this is new. I joined on with a gym at the beginning of the summer, and from the onset my elbow started hurting. I was also playing rec dodgeball so I attributed it to the combination of throwing with my right and jugging/using the drill with my right. I've tried to figure out best methods on how to avoid the stimulus and therefore pain, and I think I have it mitigated as best as I can, and symptoms are mostly subsided.

It has manifested as golfers some days and tennis on others, but the most concerning symptom I've noticed is that when I feel my two elbows it feels like there's a triangular chunk taken right out of the top of my ulna*. Right at the point of the elbow. This could be two things - 1. I bailed a lot on this elbow back in my teens when I was a skater. But when bones chip, I understand that chunks stay and there's no "chunk". Or 2. A reversible bone spur that could possibly give the illusion that a chunk is missing, but it just protrudes.

Have any of you had these symptoms? I know there's people in here who want to tell me to go to the doctor. I will, but I thought I would reach out to the community to find anything out in the meantime

Hey i work on a bouldering wall and recently our chief routestter got replaced and the new guy has experience gathered from setting all over the world so he knows how to set well, but so far the way he communicates with the team is lacking and he seems to think we are subpar ( which might be the case) so he didn't start on a strong foot with us.

So i was wondering how people feel about what qualities are important to be a good chief setter?

I go to a gym called Blochaus in Australia and every set day theres always at least one setter wearing vans and I’m just curious why. I see this in other gyms too.

Hey everyone!

I’ve been route setting for a while now, and as you probably know, it can be really hard to find great places to improve your skills (unless you’re lucky enough to work with other great setters). I was finding myself stuck in a bit of a rut and wanted to take things to the next level. I started looking around for resources to improve my setting, so I wanted to share some of my favourites with you as I think they can help others too!

Movement for Climbers Insta Page: A really cool resource for breaking down lots of climbing movement stuff that applies directly to route setting too!

https://www.instagram.com/movement.for.climbers?igsh=NzY4ODk5Nm1jc25r

Impact Route Setting Online Course: This is a super comprehensive dive into all of the route setting essential skills (like attaching holds, hold selection, using tools and loads more). I wasn’t sure if this would be worthwhile for me as I have been setting for a little while but I actually learnt loads and really enjoyed it. You also get a qualification to prove your knowledge which is pretty cool.

https://www.impactroutesetting.co.uk/online-courses

Beta Route Setting YouTube: Some really cool behind the scenes content exploring all sorts of stuff, but the main thing I enjoyed were the behind the scenes of setting for the world cups and other big comps!

https://youtube.com/@betaroutesetting?si=saOJ_mmR9gGIO_Cb

Does anyone else have any resources they’ve found useful? Would be cool if this could turn into a list of everyone’s favourite stuff!

This is mainly a question for when you grade lead routes, but how do you take the complexity of the route into consideration when grading?

At my gym we currently have a route hanging, that has sparked this debate. The first many attempts it feels like a 6c/+, but if you really climb it a lot, and really get to know every single sequence by heart, it suddenly feels like a 6b.

How would you grade a climb like this?

So I got one of these for my Tree Work and it's great for carrying my rope, harness and other gear.

Can see it being handy down at the wall too;

It's something a bit different and it's incredibly durable, has plenty of pockets and attachments, plus is made using bits recycled from landfill!

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/710519017/arborist35-or-arborist70-two-sizes

I’m looking for a new routesetting bucket. After a lot of use mine is old, broken and has holes in it.

I’m interested in smth like the beal genius. Not too big. Not too small. Some extra pouches for foothplds bolts screws etc would be nice. And I really like to have a ring on the bottom so you can flip m upside down when stripping.

Any recommendations?

I'm looking for a new Tool-Belt for setting boulders, does anyone have a recommendation ?

TLDR: I feel like I'm doing the head setters job and feel totally unappreciated

The head setter at my gym has basically given up on training, and it feels like he really phones it in during our setting days. Over the past few years he has gone from solidly a v8 climber to barely being able to get up v5s.

I know that being strong doesn't make you a good setter and I know there are plenty of incredible setters that don't climb very hard. He is neither strong, nor very concerned with improving as a setter. He basically got defaulted the job through seniority when the last head setter left.

My issue is that I am put into a position on the setting team where I am solely expected to set all of the hardest climbs in the gym with no help on running or tweaking from anyone else. Most weeks he won't even pull on to half of the climbs that I set. He pretty much taps out around v5 and then silently just expects me to climb and tweak everything after that, which I do because I take pride in doing a good job as a setting team.

We aren't a huge gym, but there are more than a few double digit boulderers that climb here, so it feels like a tall task to be setting multiple boulders at my limit every week. By the time I am done setting and for running these boulders alone I am absolutely thrashed which makes me feel like I'm wasting two training days a week because I need to rest the day before and the day after we set.

I love setting, and I love the community of climbers that all frequent our gym, but I feel unappreciated by the head setter, and I feel a bit taken advantage of.

Should I just take a break from setting and focus on my own climbing goals for a while? The main reason I haven't stopped already is because a good portion of those strong climbers at our gym are my friends and they depend on me to set hard boulders every week.

I don't want to come off super negative in this post because despite how frustrated I am with the situation, I can still recognize how lucky I am to have a creative and physical job that I love. Advice is welcome

I'm guessing people typically start out setting at their local gyms, but how do you actively improve your setting skills and how do you get your name out there to start comp. setting locally (but then eventually regionally/nationally, etc.)?

I'm curious to know how you indoor routesetters come up with ideas for your climbs? Also, when you have specific ideas of what holds you want to use in the gym if you record your ideas somehow?

Do you think downclimbing jugs must allow for two hands easliy or is a large "one handed" jug enough?

What’re y’all’s processes like and how do you stay inspired? I’ve been feeling like my sets have been a bit stale lately and looking for some different perspectives.

So I’ve got a question, it’s very simple. Should a route be graded by its crux or by the route as a whole?

By that I mean, if there’s a 100ft route and the crux is near the bottom, do you still grade it a 10a even though you may be too pumped to complete the rest of the route, or do you grade it 11a because the pump is way too much by the time you get to the top?

Also, does anyone grade their routes based on their clientele’s ability?

Whats up yall,

After 5 passionate years of climbing/front desk I secured an interview/forerunning session for a setting position at my gym.

I'm confident in my skill and technique but am nervously regardless because I understand there is a major difference between simply climbing and actually creating the routes.

I have done setting clinics before so I do have some hands on experience with the role, but reaching out here to quell some nerves. Every gym is different, but some general questions or discussion points I would like to chat about:

-Does your gym have certain grades where a specific technique takes place? (looking at my gyms routes, directional pulls seem to begin at V1)

-Any general rules of thumb (example: setting hands before feet, x number of cruxs on a route, etc)

-How does someone set above their grade level?

Any advice or info you have is much appreciated!

I know there are some volumes that do, but it seems like they are disappearing. I was just in the cave and I had to rig three trax to hold a big volume in place to screw it in. I can only imagine how much easier it would have been if it had one pilot hole for a bolt that I could have pivoted it around to find the optimal position out of the rope lines. Free idea for volume makers, one bolt hole and the rest screws.

Soooo I'm about to give the most controversial viewpoint. I've been routesetting as a lead route setter in my gym for 14 years... I have yet to climb my own routes.

So feel free to say what you want or judge me how you want. Something I take pride in is knowing I never set for my own abilities (I don't climb sooo), my gym has been up and running for 30 years... Anniversary was in June... So understand I'm in it deep.

We are definitely more static style climbing with a lot of old school holds. We are a bit far from the cookie cutter gym that is the same moves and same lay out... I say this with a bit of spite due to how gate keepy those gyms tend to be. (Needing to spend money to learn how to belay, when you already bought a day pass is gate keeping... But that's besides the point).

Point being looking at certifications to set and needing to actually climb is a bit alien to me...

Curious to hear any thoughts... I'll try not to be defensive and answer as best I can on how I operate.

just wondering if you all have had any similar issues. after some reading, it seems like climbing + vibratory tools (impact) can be a dastardly mix.

would love to hear any thoughts / advice / your experiences. this is something totally new for me, and it's definitely got me a bit spooked.

I started a routesetting apprenticeship recently, and I am wondering how it compares to others. For context, I am not completely without experience (I attended a routesetting clinic that they hosted last fall that lead me to set at this same gym last summer one day a week for a few months).

For the duration of this apprenticeship, I am allowed a maximum of 8 hours per week. For my first 60 days (at a minimum), I am to only wash holds and forerun without providing feedback (don’t speak unless spoken to). After that, I will have a minimum of 90 days to assist the routesetters with setting up their station, stripping, and replacing t-nuts. It’s unclear whether or not I will be able to set during this period. Additionally, I will only be allowed to assist 2-4 times a month, or once every 1-2 weeks. After those 150 minimum days, if I have done well, I might be offered a beginning routesetting position.

While I understand that I have to earn the privilege of routesetting, I feel a little confused, as it seems that this is an apprenticeship to become a route setting apprentice. Is this typical to other programs and the training other people have received?

i've washed and reset a moonboard before but those boards have a fraction of the holds and the positioning is a little more obvious. just wondering if anyone can share some tips for the Kilter board. i've already ticked all the holds.

thanks in advance!

Are any of you working in gyms refurbishing your volumes or holds in house? If so what are some of the things you can share about it that makes the process effective. Do you apply the paint with texture mixed in? What do you use to apply it. Any other suggestions? Same for holds? We’d like to keep our holds out of the land fill for as long as possible. Some of the shapes are cool but the texture is not after many years. Thanks in advance.

We recently built a new slightly overhung bouldering wall, but we've had issues a few times where bolts get stuck in the T-nuts especially once the holds have been climbed on several times. The nuts seem to still be attached to the wood in the back, but the bolts can't be loosened or tightened significantly. This has happened on both holds we've tightened with an impact driver and ones we've tightened by hand. Does anyone have insight on good ways to prevent this from happening / get the holds off the wall?