Breakdown

Climber/Routesetter: Patrick Mrozek 6’0”/+4.5

Wall angle: Flat > 15° Overhang > Flat

Holds: Blocz Smoovies, Teknik Standing Wave, Teknik No Shadow Tip Toes, MW Volumes  

RIC: Risk 3, Intensity 3, Complexity 3

• The assigned objective of this boulder was to create an aesthetic line. However, this aesthetic base favored itself to a well-rounded experience. Risk is present because of the dynamic jump at the start of the boulder, and because of the delicate foot placements spread throughout. While the slopers and shoulder intensive pressing movements add a building element of intensity. complexity is achieved by presenting climbers with multiple difficult body positions to work through.

Influence/Aesthetic:

• Approaching routesetting from the frame of functional movement is most common. However, an aesthetic lens can help to create a product that will draw climbers in, as well as derive new ways to look at potential movement. This was achieved by grouping volumes along distinct wall angles, using the white fibgerglass holds to fill the spaces between, and leaving empty spaces for dissonance. This created a “skeleton” for the boulder that was adjusted during the forerunning (testing) process.

Hold Selection:

• One of the goals of this assignment was to think of the holds and volumes in a non-traditional manner; using the holds to fill the provided space instead of setting specific movements can be one way to accomplish this. This boulder is standalone so space needs to be filled accordingly. Spreading holds throughout the zone is important, as focusing too much on one area can create odd visual and functional focal points.

Walk it Out

• Patrick begins the boulder by pressing up into the start volume. This creates tension between his hands and his feet and prevents his body from falling away from the wall.

• He is able to maintain this opposition by continually moving his hands and feet acoss, repeating this process until his hands can no longer reach the volumes.

Face the Crowd

• The holds on the steeper section of the wall are unable to be weighted from underneath, prompting Patrick to press them.

• Patrick is able to turn himself around to provide an unobstructed path to the next hold, but is unable to reach it with static movement.

• Although unable to pull with his arms, Patrick generates momentum with his legs to jump to the third hold in the line.

Shifting Gears

• The next 3 hands are all left-facing, causing Patrick to be slightly off-balance when he grabs the first one.

• As he works his way through these, he continually walks his feet leftwards to keep his weight leaning rightwards, against the leftward direction of the holds.

Trusting Feet

• Patrick reaches his foot to the far edge of the first volume but, at this point, he is unable to make any more forward progress by pulling with his hands.

• He is able to shift his body farther into the corner by flipping his right hand and pressing; this opens forward progress for his feet.

Keep Pressing

• Patrick walks his feet to the second volume, but is unable to move again because the tension between his arms and legs is too great.

• He uses the next highest fiberglass holds to press his hands higher, which allows his body to be in a more upright position and his weight able to be shifted.

Taking the Top

• Patrick adjusts his feet on the volumes so his body is squared under the finish, but there is no grabbable surface on the hold to maintain tension.

• Bringing his right foot up to the handholds on the steeper surface allows him to press his feet between the two angles, making the small ledge his left foot is on more positive.

• Fully weighting his feet allows Patrick to move his hands freely and match the finish.

Final Thoughts

This boulder was set as part of a workshop to educate our new routesetting trainees on how to be more adventurous with volumes and fiberglass holds. This newfound creativity was subject to feedback and tweaking from senior members of our team. Although it often is easiest to tell a trainee what you would like to see out of their boulder, it is paramount to ask what they want out of their boulder. Questions don’t always have an answer, but getting the gears turning can offer more meaningful learning experiences and create an engaging working environment.