Dear Mr. Routesetter,

Is it common for route setters to start off as volunteers? If so, how long before one is hired with compensation?

I have to admit that volunteering my time has always meant for charity, or a good cause. Spending 4 hours putting up a route, so that my local gym can then sell this product to others… it really bothers me.

I understand wanting to train new blood for route setting, and my routes are probably not the best yet, but I think that any business should compensate those who make its product.

I mean could you imagine McDonald’s telling the new employee “Well, we don’t know if you can take orders yet, so the first few weeks are on a volunteer basis.”?

Thanks in advance,
Anonymous, N. America.

While I wouldn’t put anything past McDonald’s, climbing gyms should be above this type of corporate scheming.

I agree that putting your personal effort into creating an original product for someone else to sell puts a bee in my bonnet too. But historically, climbing gyms have relied on volunteer setters to keep their walls climbable.

I’m sure this practice came from the good ol’ days of home woodies and buddies donating their time so they would have a place to climb. This mentality has carried over to the commercial and even recreational climbing gyms across the country.

But in today’s market it doesn’t make sense, nor is it ethical to ask customers to spend time making the very product they’re going to use while someone else reaps the rewards.

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