The Climbing Business Journal has launched a new resource directory that will provide a comprehensive listing of all vendors in the climbing industry, as well as some helpful tips and FAQ’s for each category.
The first category to be completed is for Wall Builders. This resource page lists all the professional climbing wall builders, as well as an FAQ and guidance document listing the top Do’s and Don’ts for climbing wall design.
Other categories in the directory include suppliers for Padded Flooring, Holds & Volumes, Ropes & Autobelays, Insurance and Software. There is also an interactive map that displays all commercial climbing gyms in the USA.
We hope this will be a useful resource for new and existing climbing gym owners. We welcome your feedback and suggestions as to how it can be improved — drop us a note.
Louie Anderson
The Art of Coursesetting, by Louie Anderson, first came out in 2004 and at the time was the only written instruction book for routesetters. The book covered all aspects of routesetting and was geared to helping novices improve their craft. Earlier this month Anderson quietly put out an updated version of AoC, now called The Fundamentals of Routesetting. This new book is still aimed at new routesetters, but has some additional topics and guest essays that are sure to inspire setters of all levels.
Anderson’s book is, ten years later, still the only written resource for routesetters. In honor of the release of the Fundamentals of Routesetting, we chatted with Anderson to talk about the new book and his predictions for the future of the climbing gym industry.
The original setting book came out in 2004. Why did you feel now was the time to write an updated version?
To be honest, I was almost out of stock on the original print run of books. I suppose I could have just printed more of those, but it seemed like taking the time to update it and improve the overall appearance and quality of the book was the right thing to do.
Who is the book intended for?
I would hope that the book would be of value to anyone interested in setting, regardless of their experience. The entire book was written to present the fundamental approaches to many different aspects of setting, while leaving a lot of room for personal interpretation and exploration of each of them.
I don’t think that certain aspects of setting can be taught, so I intentionally did not get too detailed in my writing. I think that once setters have an understanding of things generally, that they need to spend time setting – working with others and exploring variations in their own setting in order to truly develop and be all that they can be as setters.
I expect that newer setters and those that have had limited exposure to the activity would benefit the most from reading it, but I also believe that it’s good for more experienced setters to constantly seek input on how to be better at what they already do. Whether the book actually teaches them anything new, or just reinforces what they may already be doing; I think it would have value to them as well.
Fundamentals of RoutesettingWhat are some of the topics that you added to the new version and why?
There were no great areas of modification or addition. It was more a matter of minor tweaks and edits to keep things consistent with the current face of setting. For instance: more people are using impacts these days, volumes are far more commonly used, competitions and the style in which we set for them and organize them have changed. I basically opened the text on my computer and re-read the entire book, making changes and adding new content where it made sense to me as I went along.
I also wanted to contact a new group of route setters for the essays in this new edition. I realized that many of the people that purchased this book, may own or have read the original and I wanted to make sure there was something of more significance for them aside from the other revisions. This also gave me a selfish opportunity to solicit the opinions of several of the people I look up to in the setting world. After all, at the end of the day, I’m just another setter looking to get better and understand this whole pursuit better myself.
In your opinion has setting changed that much in 10 years?
I think a lot of things are the same, but there have been enough minor changes to how we set that this was a good opportunity to revisit things and update them as needed [in the book]. There are a lot more gyms being built these days and a lot more hold companies on the market. With these additions come new ideas and ways of doing things. To some degree, I think routesetting in general will always be evolving.
Are climbing gyms taking route setting more seriously than in the past?
I certainly hope so. I know that many of the larger and newer facilities definitely are. I see them actively pursuing notable setters to run their programs, and I see a lot more emphasis on them developing professional setting procedures. More and more, gyms are realizing that the product they are selling to the public is a direct result of three things: The layout and design of their walls, their hold selection, and the routesetting that puts the two together.
I’d like to think that this trend will continue, and I hope to see some of the older gyms following suit. Everyone who owns or manages a commercial climbing facility owes it to their member base to offer the best product that they can. I think that many of the older gyms realize this more these days, as competing gyms open up in their market. What worked 15-20 years ago is no longer enough.
Looking into your crystal ball what is the future for climbing gyms and route setters?
That’s a big one. Here’s a few predictions:
We’re starting to see this already, but I would expect that we will see an even greater divide in facility types. Bouldering only gyms will continue to open and prosper. I expect also that we may see some gyms that focus almost exclusively on roped climbing, especially if they are sharing a market with a good bouldering facility. I could also see some operators opening a gym of each type in the same market, instead of building a blended gym that offers both. More and more, climbers tend to focus on one pursuit or the other. I expect that this specialization will occur more as the industry moves forward.
Likewise, I see route setters specializing. As the single focus climbing gyms open, their setting teams will become more specialized as a result. To a large degree we see this already with competition setters, and I think it will become more common in commercial setting as well.
The volume revolution has already infiltrated the US, but I think it will continue to take hold. With the big, open planes and large wall panels found in modern climbing gyms, volumes help to change the flavor of the climbing and are an easily modified component of the climbing terrain. I expect that we will see many more volume companies popping up and that we will see larger and larger volumes, with better and easier mounting options in the very near future. We will also see an increased amount of setting being done using the volumes themselves as holds, instead of piggybacking others onto them.
One other thing that I think will become more common is setting by hold color. This has always been my preference, and I’m happy to see that the majority of new gyms have made the commitment to go in this direction. Likewise, several older gyms are experimenting with making the change as well. With hold companies making efforts to standardize their color offerings, things are going to match better and be easier to decipher on gym walls, eliminating many of the arguments against this style of setting.
I expect also that we will see more bouldering facilities setting with colored circuits. In other parts of the world, this has been done with great success and it’s starting to be done more here in the States. While it takes a good hold inventory, and some forethought when ordering, to do well – I think the final result is worth the effort. In fact, this is something I’m considering for my own gym.
What’s next for you?
I like to stay busy, and the immediate future will be no different. I have two more climbing guidebook projects that I hope to finish in the next 18 months. There are always new shapes in the works. I have a number of gym designs and projects on the calendar. The next event of my Setter Showdown circuit [a reincarnation of the Kingdom Games] has been booked and will be announced in a few weeks. Finally, my bouldering gym, The Factory, is always evolving as I try to make it the best that it can possibly be.
Keeping true to form, Anderson is handling most of the book sales and fulfillment himself. To facilitate this process, CBJ has created a simple order form that will connect you to Anderson’s PayPal account. Order your copy now.
Press Release:
Boulder, CO – June 23, 2014
Kynan Waggoner. Photo: www.coloradodaily.com
USA Climbing, the National Governing Body for Competition Climbing, is proud to announce that Kynan Waggoner has been named the Chief Executive Officer of the organization. Waggoner has been involved with USA Climbing since 2001 as a volunteer and since 2006 as a staff member. He has served the organization as a National Chief Routesetter, US Team Coach, Event Organizer, and as the Director of Operations since 2008. Under his management, USA Climbing has seen significant growth in its membership numbers, sponsorship revenue and in the production, quality, and execution of its marquee events.
Prior to joining USA Climbing, Waggoner was Head Routesetter and General Manager at X-treme Rock Climbing in Miami, FL. He earned his undergraduate degree from University of Miami and currently resides in Boulder, Colorado.
“Kynan brings a tremendous amount of operational experience to USA Climbing and has been involved with the organization at every level” said Daron Pair, USA Climbing Board of Directors President. “We are excited to have Kynan as our new CEO and look forward to the continued growth of competitive climbing under his leadership.”
“I am honored and humbled to be taking over the reins of the organization in which I so strongly believe,” said Waggoner. “I look forward to working closely with all of USA Climbing’s stakeholders in order to continue to strategically drive our mission statement: To grow the sport of climbing.”
This past March, Planet Granite posted a job announcement on their website (and CBJ) looking for a new head setter for their three bay-area climbing gyms. It did not take long for Renee DeAngelis, CEO, and Stephanie Pound, Sr. Director of Bay Area & Marketing, to see their inbox filling up with applications.
Landing a job at one of the US’s premier climbing gyms would be a dream come true for one lucky setter. But it wasn’t luck that ultimately won the day. It was skill and professionalism.
After a long search the interview team whittled down a very talented pool of setters to five people for a second round of interviews. This second round included four US and one international candidate. But it was Bret Johnston, a 25 year old National Chief Setter from Seattle, Washington that got the job.
Ever since his Dad opened the first climbing gym in America, Vertical World, Johnston has been immersed in the business and the culture of climbing gyms. Johnston has been climbing, competing, coaching and setting longer than most setters have been turning wrenches.
For the last few years Johnston has been quickly moving up the ranks of USAC pro-setters to become the youngest National Chief in USAC history. So it’s no surprise that he has been tapped to lead the Planet Granite route setting program.
When asked about why Johnston was selected, Pound said, “He absolutely impressed us with his initiative and insight.”
The Background
Before the position was even announced, PG management went to the setting crew and asked them what they wanted in someone who would lead setting operations at all of their locations.
“We asked our setting crew what they wanted, what they were looking for in terms of guidance and structure for their setting process,” said Pound. “We took what they said and made that the foundation for what we would look for in this new role as Director of Setting.”
In the past, numerous setters have filled the position of Head Setter, but it was not a salaried position or part of the official management team. By creating the Director of Setting position, PG is elevating the role of setting within their facilities.
With three San Francisco area gyms and another to open later this year in Portland, Oregon, the PG company is growing fast. When their Portland location comes online they will be the 4th largest gym developer in the US based on the total climbing wall area in operation, with 94,284 square feet of climbing surface (they will be tied for 4th with five other companies based on the number of locations).
They also recently attempted to open their first location in the Los Angeles area but ran into problems with the former ice rink they hoped to convert; the facility had a small but vocal support group that objected to the project and dug up some arcane zoning documents at the city that essentially killed the deal for PG.
With all this development DeAngelis and her crew knew they needed to “put more structure to [the setting program] as we’ve grown,” said Pound.
Johnston setting at SCS Open Nationals
The Hiring Process
PG put their candidates through a very rigorous process that, for Johnston, included multiple phone and Skype interviews. Then after checking his references they flew him out to San Francisco for two days of setting and working with the PG crew. This also included both an in-person formal and informal interview. Then to finish off the process, Johnston had a Skype interview with Micky Lloyd, owner of Planet Granite.
For Johnston, the rigorous interview process seemed warranted. “I think this process was so in depth because they wanted to make the right decision,” Johnston told CBJ. “I was always impressed by their professionalism throughout the process.”
From PG’s perspective, the interviews allowed them to find the best fit from a group of very qualified candidates. By the end, they felt confident that Johnston was the right candidate. “During the whole process Bret rose to the top … with his personality … and with what he brought to the table in terms of his initiative,” said Pound in an interview with CBJ.
“It is a really fine balance in the setting world to find someone who is creative and excited about the process but can also manage the business side of things. That was something he really acutely understood. His understanding of that at a mature level was really important to us.”
The Candidates
Johnston was up against some of the best setters in the country including several National level route setters. For Pound the process of narrowing down the initial pool of about ten applicants was challenging simply because of the diversity of resumes.
“Really every person was very different,” she said. “It wasn’t like taking three people that were exactly the same and one rose above. It was multiple people with a wide variety of backgrounds and finding what would be the best fit for the team.”
The applicants were from all over the country, and had a variety of backgrounds. “We had competitive setting experience, competitive climbing experience, and commercial setting experience. We had head setters, non head setters … all brought unique perspectives to the table. We really wanted to give our team someone that they would both respect and be motivated by, challenged by and grow under,” Pound said.
New Development Program
PG is not just hiring a new Director of Setting, they are also creating a program to bring new setters into the fold and to develop their existing routesetters. Long time PG setter and National setter, Max Zolotukhin, will jump into the role of Head of Setter Development and Training.
According to Zolotukhin, in this new role he will be “overseeing route setter development and mentorship, helping to train new setting hires and people we enroll in our apprenticeship program, as well as overall quality control with what is being put on the wall.”
This new apprenticeship program will be a first for PG and is still in the development stages; only one person has gone through the program so far.
“Basically [we] take a pool of qualified candidates from the front desk who are interested in setting but have no experience, and pick the most qualified one through interviews/light setting tryouts (unpaid),” said Zolotukhin. “This person is then trained (paid) once every week or two by myself or assistant head setter over the course of a few months. If they are then deemed qualified to join the crew, they come on for one day a week as a setter.”
With PG’s current and planned facilities, it’s certain that both Johnston and Zolotukhin will stay busy.
The Climbing Business Journal has launched a new resource directory that will provide a comprehensive listing of all vendors in the climbing industry, as well as some helpful tips and FAQ’s for each category.
The first category to be completed is for Wall Builders. This resource page lists all the professional climbing wall builders, as well as an FAQ and guidance document listing the top Do’s and Don’ts for climbing wall design.
Other categories in the directory include suppliers for Padded Flooring, Holds & Volumes, Ropes & Autobelays, Insurance and Software. There is also an interactive map that displays all commercial climbing gyms in the USA.
We hope this will be a useful resource for new and existing climbing gym owners. We welcome your feedback and suggestions as to how it can be improved — drop us a note. 
