Out Now: The Art & Science of Setting Routes
Hey hey!
Long time, no talk. Over the past month, I’ve been in and out of town and cranking on some fun work projects, so the blog hasn’t gotten much love.
To make it up to you, though, I just released a new independent story — The Art & Science of Setting Routes.
When I started climbing in November, I became curious pretty quickly (as I do) about how routes were set, and by who. The gym staff and setters were incredibly generous with their time and thoughts when I started asking questions, and eventually, those conversations led to this piece.
I got to know bits and pieces of each setter’s story — and there were some incredible ones — and originally planned on following one of their personal and career journeys while weaving in others’ and explaining the setting process a bit more. As I talked to each of them, though, the thing I kept returning to was just how creative the setting process was. Every time one of the setters mentioned a parallel to music, or writing, or cooking, I was totally delighted. It elevated the process to something so incredibly beautiful for me — and so similar to what I do, myself. I hope, whether or not you climb, you’ll connect with that piece of it on some level.
Give it a read, let me know what you think, and please — if you enjoy it at all, pass it along to someone else. I write these purely for the fun of it, but it’s always nice to make some connections for new stories through it. If you think, “so-and-so would love this,” send it their way!
