CWA Blog Archive-Routesetters Working With Coaches Part 1

Routesetters Working With Coaches Part 1

Pdf Summary

Andrew Carter Smith opens his cross-departmental series by laying out the core challenge routesetters face: accommodating the diverse needs of every climber in the gym. Members use the gym in fundamentally different ways, some treat it as their crag or train for outdoor climbing, while setters simultaneously try to push limits with modern movement, hold competitions, and set routes for competitive athletes. Balancing these varied and sometimes conflicting needs is a daunting task, and it's the foundation for understanding why coach-setter collaboration matters. A major complicating factor is limited real estate. Most gyms have finite wall space, and setting style directly affects how much of it a route consumes. Commercial gyms can set more outdoorsy or old-school moves with a denser hold spread, fitting more routes in a lane, whereas macro-heavy hold sets or comp-style movement require lower density, resulting in fewer routes in the same space. This tradeoff means every setting decision has an opportunity cost, and satisfying one member group can crowd out another. Smith argues this balancing act requires careful planning and collaboration between routesetters, stakeholders, managers, and coaches rather than setters working in isolation. Among the practical approaches he raises is building a variety of styles into each set, so a single reset serves multiple member interests at once instead of catering to just one. Written for routesetters, routesetting managers, coaches, and program staff, this first installment establishes the problem the series will solve: with finite wall space and diverse climbers to serve, setting is inherently a negotiation. The throughline is that good setting isn't just creative, it's a resource-allocation challenge best navigated through cross-departmental collaboration, and coaches are key stakeholders whose input helps setters serve the full range of climbers competing for the same walls.

Asset Caption

Andrew Carter Smith's series opener frames routesetting as a negotiation: setters must serve outdoor trainers, casual members, and competitors at once, all within limited wall space where denser or comp-style setting means fewer routes. The solution is careful planning and collaboration among setters, managers, and coaches, with varied styles per set.