Impact Route Setting

Intro+ Course // Bristol
Thu, 24 Apr
Flashpoint Bristol
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Commercial Course // Bristol
Fri, 25 Apr
Flashpoint Bristol
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Intro+ Course // Sheffield
Wed, 11 Jun
The Foundry Climbing Centre
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Advanced Course // Sheffield
Thu, 12 Jun
The Foundry Climbing Centre
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Commercial Course // Sheffield
Fri, 13 Jun
The Foundry Climbing Centre
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UPCOMING COURSES

START YOUR IMPACT ROUTE SETTING JOURNEY TODAY

IMPACT GIFT CARDS

GIVE THE GIFT OF ROUTE SETTING

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WHAT'S NEW

WE ARE NOW ACCREDITED

Our online course, Route Setting Essentials is now accredited by the ABC (Association of British Climbing Walls) forming the introductory part of their Route Setting Development Pathway, gaining students a nationally recognised certification.

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HOW CAN WE HELP?

Book a FREE 15 min consultation using the link below and find out how IMPACT can help you or your wall.

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IMPACT BLOGS

READ OUR LATEST POSTS

Essential Route Setting Education: Techniques for Engaging Climbing Routes

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WE'VE GOT A DISCORD

We are excited to welcome you to our brand new setting community on Discord. This is a place where we can share ideas, inspiration and catch up about all things climbing and route setting. It's totally FREE so join up now and have your say.

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@impact_routesetting

We're back at INDIROCK and psyched to be running another round of route-setting courses for the people of South-End! 💪🔥

Huge thanks to the team for having us—looking forward to another session of learning, creativity, and dialling in those skills on the wall.

There's still space on the Advanced course tomorrow... so to book this or check out our other courses, use the link in our bio!

@thenorthfaceuk @tenayaclimbing

#routesetting #routesetter #climbing #training #routesettingeducation #IndoorClimbing #SportClimbing #BoulderingLife #GymClimbing #ClimbingRoutes #RouteSetter #RouteSettingLife #ClimbingCommunity #ClimbingTraining #RoutesForDays #ClimbingCulture #SettingGoals #GripStrength #ClimbingWorld #RockClimbingGym #RoutesettersOfInstagram #BoulderProblem #HoldSelection #SetterLife #ClimbingMovement #ClimbingInnovation #Impact

MOTIF HAS LANDED 💥

Wow, this stuff is SICK! Our demo holds to be added to our loan set of holds arrived today from @motifclimbinggrips and wow, they look incredible.

It’s hard not to imagine the moves that you can create when looking through these shapes, so well thought out and designed for route setters.

Available to order through us in the UK, or get in touch to book these and the rest of our Loan set for your event.

Physical, Coordinated or Complex?

Of course a great round of competition boulders needs to test as many skills as possible, but there are some areas where we can focus as setters when setting events.

One of our favourite ways to test climbers in comps is to crank up the complexity. This provides an opportunity for those with high climbing IQ to shine and lessens the importance of a climbers physical strength or power.

By creating complex, intricate and difficult to read sequences we add in an element of problem solving and reward those with great route reading skills. This means moving away from the more ‘conventional’ sequences that climbers will often have encountered before and trying to find something more unusual.

This bloc for the recent @blokfestuk Quali round at @volume1climbing started out much more basic, but morphed into something that felt quite improbable and bizarre that overall fit the requirements of the round much better. Going through this process of experimenting away from the original idea can be one of the best ways of finding the more unusual sequences and often created the little moment of magic in a boulder which is so hard to replicate.

Why not try it next time you’re setting. Take a boulder and move away from the initial intention. Embrace your favourite parts of the sequence and amplify them, but don’t cling too closely to the original plan. You never know, you may find some magic 🪄

KNOWING WHEN TO QUIT

Social media often shows the outcome of route setting through rose tinted glasses, but sometimes things don’t go to plan.

Having wanted to try and set this sequence for a long time I thought it could work as a perfect finale for this year’s Bristol BOFF at @flashpointbristol. I spent a few hours playing with the boulder to make the sequence work, then some more time to make sure it was really hard to cheat. The team then joined for testing.

After a few goes I managed to put the sequence together and it worked great. Hard to execute and super exciting for the crowd, but we were concerned about safety.

The sequence required this large ledge feature on the side wall to land on, but this also created a real falling hazard. We tried the move a few times and discussed whether we thought it was unsafe. I pulled on one more time to try and repeat the sequence and make a final decision as to whether we needed to change it. Things didn’t go as smoothly this go, resulting in this wild fall! This was enough to make up our mind and change the sequence entirely for the event.

Although frustrating at the time, it was a really good lesson in balancing the extreme nature of comp setting and safety concerns and I’m really happy we made the decision that we did. In the end, the show for the spectators is important, but the safety of the competitors is always number one.

Three days later I’ve still got a pretty sore neck from this one and maybe got away lightly. There’s changes that can be made to the sequence to make it work in a less dangerous way, so maybe something to explore again in the future.

#climbing #bouldering #routesetting

Build the Feature.

Climb the Feature.

As setters were used to working towards a prescribed sequence, trying to ‘force’ certain methods and avoid ‘cheats’. But there’s other approaches that work great too.

This boulder started with building a feature from some of our favourite macros, the @unit_holds Batwings, then using the testing and tweaking process to try and maximise the ways in which we can encourage the climber to interact with it.

This method of setting can help us move away from the defined feel in indoor climbing and move more towards the essence of outdoors, with problem solving around features and multiple sequences.

What’s your favourite way of setting? Drop a 🔥 in the comments below for forcing specific sequences and a 🧊 for building features.

#routesetting #climbing #bouldering

Jug Ladders are DEAD ☠️

For too long we’ve relied on lines of jugs to create easy climbs. Repetitive sequences with limited interest or creativity.

But easy boulders don’t have to be like this. Climbing technique and experience is broad, and the features we can create for easy movement are endless.

So let’s look to other sources of inspiration. Look to the outside for huge features and notice the lack of jugs on easier climbs.

Setting easy boulders doesn’t have to be repetitive and uninspiring. With the right tools and mindset we can create boulders than inspire movement and introduce new sequences to beginners.

This one from @geometricsetting is probably the easiest boulder we’ve had at @flashpointswansea and not a jug in site!

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ROUTE SETTING

Find out more about our Comprehensive & Flexible route setting services, opening sets, and how can transform the setting at your wall.

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EDUCATION

Find out more about our online & in-person route setting courses, in-house team training & mentorship programs.

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HOLDS, MACROS & VOLUMES

Did you know we act as UK distributors for EP Holds, Snap Holds, UNIT, SUPR, Unleashed, Ava volumes & more.

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UPCOMING COURSES

START YOUR IMPACT ROUTE SETTING JOURNEY TODAY

IMPACT GIFT CARDS

GIVE THE GIFT OF ROUTE SETTING

WHAT'S NEW

WE ARE NOW ACCREDITED

HOW CAN WE HELP?

IMPACT BLOGS

READ OUR LATEST POSTS

Essential Route Setting Education: Techniques for Engaging Climbing Routes

Setter Series: Rosalind Beveridge

The New Setter Series: Hold Selection

GET INVOLVED

WE'VE GOT A DISCORD

Our Products

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM

ROUTE SETTING

EDUCATION

HOLDS, MACROS & VOLUMES

UPCOMING COURSES

START YOUR IMPACT ROUTE SETTING JOURNEY TODAY

IMPACT GIFT CARDS

GIVE THE GIFT OF ROUTE SETTING

WHAT'S NEW

WE ARE NOW ACCREDITED

HOW CAN WE HELP?

IMPACT BLOGS

READ OUR LATEST POSTS

GET INVOLVED

WE'VE GOT A DISCORD

Our Products

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM

​

ROUTE SETTING

EDUCATION

HOLDS, MACROS & VOLUMES