Breakdown

Routesetting is a creative outlet that has been evolving a great deal over the past decade. Originally, creative value was derived from movement. The best routesetters were pushing the boundaries of what was possible to execute on the wall. While movement is still a principal ingredient, there is an aesthetic wave cresting in the setting community right now. If boulders can climb well, why can’t they look good too? The advent of the Instagram setting age has allowed different aesthetic styles to be shared across the world which has improved the direction of what can look appealing on the wall. A few of my favorite setters to gain aesthetic inspiration from are Ryan Henderson (@ryan___henderson), Ivan Vargas (@ivancitovargas), Yossi Sundakov-Krumins (@yossiclimbs), and Kai (@gambakai). Aesthetic styles can vary greatly but exposure to different types can help setters develop their own personal style. The following sections will contain further explanations of some techniques I use to approach wall composition.

Clusters

Clustering holds is a useful tool to emphasize sections of the wall. “Eye candy” is an important tool to draw climbers in with questions. What is that? How does it climb? Does that even work? Striking groups of holds can help get initial thoughts running. This can be further emphasized by direction. An example is all of the yellow holds facing downward. Clusters can be big, small, or anywhere in between. However, the intent is key. Too many holds can appear cluttered, uneven spacing of holds can look messy, and odd groupings tend to be more pleasing than even. Experimentation is paramount in finding what can be appealing to the eye.

Empty Space

The space between the lines is just as important as the lines themselves. Negative space helps to give the wall breathing room. Being conscious of where the climbs are running can prevent them from entangling in detrimental ways. Emptiness draws the climber’s focus to areas of interest and prevents the wall from becoming overwhelming. If there are so many holds that the lines can’t be distinguished, it becomes difficult to choose one that feels right. Cleanliness gives breathing room and offers a contrast to saturated space.

Lines

Lines are prominent everywhere in climbing. A line is historically used to describe the path a climb takes up the wall. Lines help to give the wall definition and direction. They can fill horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or curved spaces. When setting it is important to consider how lines divide the wall. Spacing and threading lines freely divide the wall into unique sections. Conversely, uniform spacing creates a more rigid structure that employs a concrete theme. Lines are a dominant factor in defining the canvas.

Color Mapping

Modern gyms usually have a standardized hold color system. This makes it easy to utilize colors for an aesthetic advantage. Generally, combining complimentary colors is a safe tactic for a set that is easy on the eyes. Primary and secondary colors can also create some visual unity. In this example blue and yellow are combined as (almost) complimentary colors and green and yellow are paired as primary/secondary colors. Additionally, white can offer high contrast when placed with red, blue or green, while black pairs well with yellow, pink and orange. Placement of too many similar colors together can cause the wall to look muddy and take away from the definition created from the previous categories.

Final Thoughts

This hopefully provides a bit of a primer to the aesthetic side of routesetting. As the field grows I think that personal setting style will become more of a factor in what separates exceptional routesetters from the pack. Visually striking boulders are memorable in a commercial environment and in competition; movement is now only half of the battle.