tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77357226444849903262024-02-06T22:00:22.203-08:00Route Setting Tips and TechniquesRoute setting tips, techniques and thoughts for route setters of any level. Learn how to set better, more interesting routes safely and efficiently.RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-23493602041926243432012-10-08T14:48:00.003-07:002012-10-08T16:04:00.753-07:00Defining Body TensionI've been absolutely swamped by "real work" for some time now, and, like many of the blog authors out there frequently lament, the fun stuff has been shoved aside temporarily.
However, I did have a minute to respond to a post on the Self-Coached Climber blog a few days ago. The SCC was one of my first training books and helped me to really gain an understanding for how to not just suffer throughRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-57542225513464548292012-04-25T13:44:00.000-07:002012-04-25T13:44:47.480-07:00Coping with Comp Week: Basic Tips for Roped Setting on a ScheduleWith local SCS comps well underway, I thought it would be good to go over some basics for roped setting. Setting 50 routes in a sprint is a lot to deal with. Starting with the general:
Have a plan. Re-setting most of the gym is a huge task, and one that shouldn't be played by ear. If you don't have one, designate a head routesetter to take responsibility for final decision-making. Take an hour RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-35220000935568277242012-02-12T14:54:00.000-08:002012-02-20T17:46:53.006-08:00Movement Analysis: Gecko Assis Swinging HeelThe first time I saw this problem was in Between the Trees. Ty Landman makes short work of it, though not quite as short as Adam Ondra's recent flash ascent.The problem links some interesting and difficult climbing into the 8A+ stand start. The swinging heel is what I find most interesting, because it bridges between two otherwise basic body positions. Also, dynamic foot movements are RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-71849244061354785462012-02-12T13:46:00.000-08:002012-02-13T08:32:18.619-08:00Ergonomics, Part 2: Movement and LeversThis is a lot more specific than the first post on ergonomics. Before I get into this post, please note that I am not a medical professional. This is a basic overview of climbing movement as it relates to ergonomics; it's not a complete list, just food for thought.In the last ergonomics post, we talked about pressure. Well, it's time for another physics lesson. This one's about levers. A lever isRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-2406302176738545852012-01-23T09:06:00.000-08:002012-01-23T09:27:54.153-08:00Rotation in Dynamic MovesThe entire idea of movement in climbing revolves around moving from one body position to the next. Knowing that it's more of a gradient rather than a binary concept, let's quickly look at the two main types of movement:In more static climbing, a climber uses the holds they have to move comfortably into a body position where they are ready to change to the next hold. Examples of this might be RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-61375268445413814882012-01-09T12:24:00.000-08:002012-01-10T10:06:49.539-08:00Quality AssuranceWhat do newspapers, websites, household goods, food, computers, cars, and virtually every other consumable product have in common that routesetting often lacks? QA.What is QA for routesetting?Good forerunning - ego at the door; objectivity; fair, concise and constructive communication. No one should be exempt from having their routes forerun.A plan for improvement - if you have too many of a RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-49143683977625194332012-01-03T22:06:00.000-08:002012-01-04T10:22:00.972-08:00Ergonomics of Setting, Part 1This is a concept I've been wanting to get to for a while. Most recently a nagging finger injury brought it to the front of my mind, as the gym I train at most frequently has a bad habit. I've covered this problem in this blog before: who cares about the V0 climbers when you climb V10? A jug is a jug is a jug, right? Unfortunately, basic physics interferes with this notion:Force / Area = RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-40019769829516392372012-01-03T10:03:00.000-08:002012-01-03T10:07:48.002-08:00An Easily Avoidable Trap"Feet outside suck. People need to learn how to smear better.""Outside, the holds are not always comfortable.""Well, Problem X at our local crag has this huge move in it that no girl can do. This move is just like that one."Yep. Sometimes, outdoor climbing is unfair, sharp, and miserable.It also rains outside, but I don't see anyone trying to patent a climbing gym weather system.The bonus of RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-24095600463130460502011-12-09T13:22:00.000-08:002011-12-09T14:17:03.170-08:00Movement Analysis: Hulk-esque Foot CutsOne of my favorite boulder problems ever is The Hulk, in the Happies. My first trip to Bishop, I gleefully ran laps on it. Feel free to google it - as you can tell from the results, it's a very popular problem.What makes the Hulk so classic is its uniqueness. It's rare that a combination of holds creates such an intriguing sequence for human physiology. And, while there are multiple ways to go RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-64914372937346544082011-06-06T10:59:00.000-07:002011-06-06T11:43:00.323-07:00Forerunning, Part I: Guidelines & BasicsOne topic crucial to routesetting that hasn't been very well covered in this blog is forerunning. Forerunning is a hard job. Competitors are prepared, well-rested and psyched, dealing with one problem at a time. Forerunners are often tired, stressed, working on multiple problems or routes near their limit at once. Taking the physical and emotional stresses of comp organization into account, it's RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-87299197801228621602011-05-30T09:05:00.000-07:002011-05-30T09:05:00.078-07:00Difficulty Analysis: The Ingredients of Movement"That hold is tweaky.""That foot is too high.""That move is huge."Is it so simple? What makes movement hard? It's easy to try a move, "feel" how hard it is, and simply end your analysis there. However, climbing is a technical activity, and the levels of complexity are almost endless. Many of the best routesetters simply intuitively know what's hard about a move, and over time that skill can be RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-22134202231282773432011-05-23T09:00:00.000-07:002011-05-23T09:15:58.696-07:00Aesthetics in Routesetting: a Design PrimerOur job as routesetters is to set the stage for a relationship between a climber and the wall. That relationship is the foundation of the rock climbing experience, whether it's indoors or outdoors, boulder or route. Every sensory element in the equation has potential to affect the climber's experience: the fingertips feeling texture, the ears hearing belayer calls or the cheering crowd, and, RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-81452845994458628602011-03-19T17:51:00.000-07:002011-03-19T18:24:41.595-07:00Movement Analysis: The Frog PinchThe frog pinch is a pretty specific move, so I thought it would make an excellent candidate for my next movement analysis. I set this move on accident a few times, but the first time I forced it was at the level 2 USAC clinic, with E-Grips' Myorcan Tufapinch. I was somewhat on the spot, since I was setting it specifically for Chris Danielson himself. However, I didn't struggle with it and RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-91723559001161812192011-03-03T10:19:00.000-08:002011-03-03T17:09:39.502-08:00Hold Review - Atomik Font PinchesI had the pleasure of reviewing the Atomik Font Pinches recently. Here's a primer on how I review holds.Set Overview / SummaryTwo small yellow bubble pinches (quite poor) - I mostly used these as bumps. They'd make for great technical holds on a vertical wall.One red blob edge - A great directional slimper, great smear foot when used directionally. The most directional of the bunch, and probably RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-86030892671069199982011-02-09T13:15:00.000-08:002011-02-09T13:49:03.251-08:00What Makes a Good Hold?"Which holds should I buy?" - in a flooded market, this is a common question.There are plenty of sites and magazines reviewing climbing holds. From the perspective of a climber buying the holds, that's great. People can pick up a copy of Climbing mag or browse the web and figure out which holds are the most ergonomic. Or which holds have the best texture. Some sites cover how the holds were RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-62504329933441791972011-02-05T12:50:00.001-08:002011-02-05T13:00:07.128-08:00The Very Basics: 10 Tips for Efficient SettingOne of the fundamentals of being a good routesetter is being efficient. Efficiency can be a fluid term depending on your setting environment, so for the purposes of this post, let's define being an efficient routesetter as striking a balance between the physical rigors and time constraints of setting, while meeting your specific setting goals.If your gym has a steep lead wall, you've RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-26774911263186442332010-12-23T13:05:00.000-08:002010-12-23T12:45:40.515-08:00What do you get a routesetter for Christmas?Warning: This post contains opinions. If you're allergic to these, proceed at your own discretion.Well I haven't done it yet, so I figured I'd do a post on holds. Since it's the holidays anyways, I figured I might as well do a "fun" post. These are some of my favorites/obsessions right now. I am not sponsored or paid by any hold companies and profit from mentioning them in no way whatsoever. But RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-7299778648258886572010-12-21T12:59:00.000-08:002010-12-21T13:00:26.435-08:00Movement Analysis: The Drive By(While I finish up some posts in progress about the "routesetting biz", here's a post I wrote this summer. An ode to a move..)I've been thinking a lot about the drive-by. It's been popular lately on the competition circuit:Battle in the Bubble (3:30)Teva Games 2009 (0:28 / deeplinked)World Cup Vail 2010 (4:45)Recently, I set a route up the front 45' of our boulder that featured a big drive-by RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-6436027416902010682010-12-06T11:26:00.000-08:002010-12-06T11:53:53.065-08:00Clinics, Getting Hired, and Staying FreshAn unfortunate side effect of the symbiosis between climbing and routesetting is that it's hard not to drift between focusing on one or the other. I spent a good chunk of this year traveling and climbing, with most of my actual setting during that time being a week here and a week there for competitions. There's nothing wrong with setting for comps - but it's hard not to get a bit rusty when RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-6853936043008140802010-10-26T10:30:00.000-07:002010-10-26T10:54:41.086-07:00Let Your Setters Inspiration FlowDear Gym Managers,This is what it looks like when you let your setters go nuts: Spot setting blog.Seems to me like they afford their setters (and community) complete creative control over the entire experience. This is probably one of the most interesting, unique and exciting competitions in the country.I very much doubt it's a coincidence that it has massive attendance and community support. RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-34364510471397030732010-10-12T16:04:00.000-07:002010-10-12T16:27:46.869-07:00Thoughts on BalanceI read an interesting climbing physiology article that made a distinction between dynamic and static balance. This got me thinking quite a bit about balance, both in general, and as an aspect of climbing.Having good balance seems like it can be distilled down to these concepts pretty easy. Imagine a guy on a highline. While he's making slow, gentle foot movements, he's maintaining good RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-22085656597448540292010-10-09T12:16:00.000-07:002010-10-09T12:30:22.971-07:00Just Another Climber, Just Another RouteI've been following around my "other" job lately, and I haven't had a ton of time to set routes. While this can be frustrating, the upshot is that I've had plenty of time to actually go climbing. Here in the PNW, the weather in October can be less than forgiving, so most of that time has been spent indoors.Actually, in my climbing career this is the first time I've regularly trained at a gym awayRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-74510386807351938162010-09-01T19:36:00.000-07:002010-09-01T20:28:36.723-07:00Imitation is Flattery: Setting "Trainers"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or so they say.I recently returned from a multi-week bouldering trip. Our local member's party was coming up and I planned on setting for it. I had just experienced a few new outdoor areas for the first time - including the stunning granite paradise of central Washington. I was more than ready to put brush to canvas, as it were.I was especially eager RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-16107598016194819142010-06-11T22:38:00.001-07:002010-06-11T22:40:38.130-07:00USAC ClinicI'm up in Portland for the USAC level 1 clinic. So psyched to set on new terrain, with new holds, in a new gym! It's run by Molly Beard and being held at ClubSport in Tigard. Should be a blast. I'll post updates on the whole shebang as it occurs.Not much else to report - setting some more dynamic hard routes in the gym lately, which is good. Always nice to see climbers forcing themselves to RChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735722644484990326.post-62183688501459364062010-05-27T09:50:00.000-07:002010-05-27T10:09:52.849-07:00Video Inspiration #1A lot of the time, it doesn't take much to spark inspiration for setting. I get a lot of my inspiration from watching other climbers - through media, in person outside, or playing add-on in the gym. In that spirit, I'll be uploading videos of routes in our gym(s) here, that have fun or noteworthy moves. I'll try to include one harder move and one easier move in these kind of videos.Here's a videoRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17404426342876959330noreply@blogger.com1