CWA Blog Archive-Commercial Gyms Need Chief Routesetters

Commercial Gyms Need Chief Routesetters

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This article argues for investing in chief routesetters, drawing insight from IFSC chief routesetter Jamie Cassidy, interviewed at the IFSC World Cup in Salt Lake City in May 2021. Cassidy opens with a telling observation about climber behavior: it's hard to make someone climb exactly the way you want, because climbers always pick the most simple and secure method, even if it's ten grades harder. That insight into how people actually climb underpins his perspective on setting and on why skilled setting matters. Cassidy has been setting since he was twelve. A freelance setter in his native England, he bounced between gyms and then between countries, his natural talent and creativity, I get geeky about it, propelling him up the international ranks, and he's been setting World Cups since 2002. The article draws a sharp distinction between competition and commercial setting. For competition, you're not trying to make a pleasant thing for people to climb on, you're trying to get most of them to fall off, and Cassidy's number one priority in that context is fairness. Commercial setting, by contrast, aims to create enjoyable experiences for members. The interview gives insight into routesetting, indoor climbing's future, and why investing in routesetters is crucial for members. The throughline is that skilled chief routesetters are a worthwhile investment for commercial gyms because setting quality directly shapes the member experience, and expertise like Cassidy's, understanding how climbers actually move, balancing difficulty and enjoyment, brings real craft to the wall. While Cassidy's world-class experience is rooted in competition, where the goal is fairness and making climbers fall, the article extends his authority to make the case that commercial gyms, whose goal is member enjoyment rather than elimination, equally benefit from investing in high-level setting leadership. His observation that climbers gravitate to the simplest method even when harder reflects the deep understanding of movement that skilled setters bring. For operators, the piece argues that a chief routesetter isn't a luxury but a crucial investment, since the person shaping how routes climb shapes whether members keep coming back.

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This piece argues commercial gyms should invest in chief routesetters, drawing on IFSC chief setter Jamie Cassidy. He notes climbers always pick the simplest method even if far harder, insight reflecting deep movement understanding. Distinguishing competition setting (making climbers fall, prioritizing fairness) from commercial setting (member enjoyment), it frames skilled setting leadership as crucial to retention.