Understanding How Route Setters Do their Job

Climbing indoors means depending on the route setters putting up plastic puzzles. Route setters let climbers try new moves, challenge themselves, and climb with friends indoors. But, routes are gym elements that constantly change. If you want to engage yourself in climbing montreal, you will want to know more about the route setting process.

What’s the Process Like

When setting routes, setters will usually begin at the bottom and make their way up move by move. In some cases, they have a certain move they want to incorporate into the route, although they often let the route take shape while they set.

Climbing gyms often have a formula for the percentage of routes at specific grades and the route styles they wish to offer. Some router setters prefer to maintain a combination of resistance routes for training strength and endurance as well as technical routes for making climbers stop and think.

What is a Good Route?

An excellent route has reach, flow, and consistency. The reach must be acceptable for most sizes while maintaining a sequence. Also, they ensure that every move flows into the next one in some way. Finally, they look for consistency which means when setting a 5.11, they will keep it consistently. These elements help the setter decide if the route is a technical route or a resistance climb.

How to Set Routes for Auto Belay

Climbing gyms are increasingly investing in auto belays. This is because more and more people are asking about this piece of equipment. Although setters still make use of the same principles for setting auto belay routes, they must keep in mind some things such as:

  • Setting various routes for various climbers. Some route setters set 3-4 routes under every auto belay, ensuring there is an easy, medium, and difficult route.
  • Keeping the starting holds behind the belay gate. With the belay gate, climbers are reminded to clip into the auto belay device.
  • Setting boundaries to ensure climbers are always in line. Route setters put tape boundaries to the side every auto belay. This helps climbers stay in the proper climbing lane.
  • Thinking of the climbing lane for auto belays as a triangle. Although the bottom can be wider, ever route on auto belays must end with the climber directly under the device.
  • Minimising the possibility of big swings. Setters keep the route in the climbing lane for auto belays and ensure it does not wander too far left or right.

Comments are closed.