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1. Ryan Jones
   Member

   1. When you guys stick up a boulder problem or route how do you rate it? We label everything with white tape with the setters name, date set, route name, and grade.
   Once i set a route or problem i stick a small piece of tape under the label with a "Suggested Rating". After a day or so i go back after getting feed back from the members or a "Rate a Route" dry erase board that we have. It seems to work really well and has worked really well for 8 or 9 years now. My problem now is, as i keep getting stronger as a climber and setter im having a hard time really knowing what cretin grades fell like anymore. I'm at the point were i can usually flash a 5.12 or v5. I fell like i have a hard time really knowing what 5.10d through 5.11d (Just an example) feels like or a v3 through v5. Im not sure if that makes since to you guys but im having a hard time rating stuff lately.

   2. What do you do as far as labeling and rating goes?
   3. Does this or has this happened to you guys?
   4. Whats up with all the damn spam!

   Thanks and Cheers, Ryan!

   Posted 1 year ago #

2. Jbrunson
   Member

   I have the same problem with beginner routes (5.6-5.9)
   One idea is to handicap yourself somehow. Wear a 30 pound vest or climb in street shoes. This will help you feel what somebody with poor lockoff strength or bad footwork would feel.

   The enclosure in Jackson WY puts a clipboard below their new routes for customers to vote on the grade. They get 10-20 votes and take an average. We do a similar thing on a whiteboard in our bouldering area. It works for us quite well.

   Posted 1 year ago #

3. Donovan Craig
   Member

   Interesting.

   1: I think as a good routesetter you should consistently be familiarizing yourself with all grades not just the ones that you prefer to pursue. When climbing outside, I deliberately climb multiple ‘lower’ grades as to keep myself well informed and accurately grading my problems/routes. I think this is paramount to setting the one V10 in the gym as the bulk of your customers are probably at those grades.
   I don’t think the weight vest or tennis shoes are a good litmus test to lower grades as this can just confuse the situation more. Rather, go climb a 5.6 TRAD route and remind yourself what its like to be wearing brown pants.
   There was a great article on this sight (probably still is) called… [something about the singles] it had to do with setting easier routes and was informative. Take a look and give it a read. EDIT: Found it....www.routesetter.com/2007/10/15/the-secret-of-the-singles/#more-110

   2: Im a huge advocate of the laminated paper that displays all the pertinent information, slide up under the start hold of every route/problem. You can print on paper the same colour as your tape (or holds, however you do it) and then just reuse the same tag over and over again. Good use of our resources and an advocate for the planet. Remember your customers are very ‘green’ conscious and may like this.

   3: Yes, and above is how I curb my tendency to become a better setter.

   4: I have no problem with MEAT-IN-A-CAN.

   Posted 1 year ago #

4. Steve W.
   Member

   Very good topic here. It's true that the stronger you get, the harder it is to determine the difference between grades on the lower end. That's why for me it's so important to continue to climb problems/routes of all grades, indoor and out, for the main purpose of keeping that grade difference and mindset fresh. It's essential as a setter to do so.

   What I do for my gym is that I keep my boulder problems set (at the beginning of the week) and tagged with the name of the problem, setter, date, and station filled out, but keep the grade blank. This works very well in that 1. it gets people curious and to try out the problems without the subject of grades shying them away and therefore 2. get a lot of general consensus on the actual grade. By the end of the week, I would have gotten a lot of feedback on the problems and can put up a pretty solid grade agreed upon by many.

   Posted 1 year ago #

5. Aidas Rygelis
   Member

   For routes and problems, we always have a target grade, but when they go up the grade is blank. We consult the regular members who are in everyday and the staff and come up with a consensus grade. The grade signs or routes are on a piece of paper behind a plexiglass disc bolted onto the wall. For boulder problems we've adopted the dot system ( . v0-v2, .. v2-4, ... v4-6, ....v6-8, etc...)
   Every routes and problem is numbered and recorded in a binder with date, setter, grade, color. We dont display setters names on the routes themselves as there are only a couple of us doing all the setting.

   As for easy routes...like everyone else says, the best way to be familiar with easy grades is to climb them. Good setting isn't about difficulty, make beautiful movement.

   Posted 1 year ago #

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