Hi!
Wanted to know if any routesetters out there had ever consulted on building a climbing wall and climbing gym during the design phase. Somebody at RockClimbing.com mentioned:
"If you build a gym setters like to set in, the routes will most likely come out better, and the climbers will like to climb there."
Would you routesetters out there agree with the statement?
Thanks for any input!
-Aspiring Climbing Gym Owner
Not necessarily the statement, but the concept I definitely agree with. Seasoned setters will have insights into wall design that pretty much everyone else in the climbing industry will not. Setting gives you a different perspective on what works and what doesn't work, and I'd definitely recommend getting a few different opinions from setters before you start your design and also as it progresses.
Christian Griffith is one past setter with great design skills who has designed some very successful climbing facilities, including the infamous hanging prow in the bouldering area of Berkeley Ironworks. Definitely consider him as a consultant.
as a setter i definatly would appreciate being asked more about the design of the walls before, rather than have to complain about them afterwards. I second jackalope comments, with an ephasis on 'seasoned setter'. Christian would be a good consultant, yes.
and on the topic of walls, a question : in france where i live and in most european countries, walls are generally just plywood with texture or moulded panels made of resin (like certain Pyramid or EP walls). However in the US many walls I have seen are covered in cement which always seemed like a lot of trouble. Why is this? is less costly? more rocklike? more durable?
I am a "seasoned setter" and have designed several walls both big and small.
Designed first with the end user in mind (angles and complexity)
and secondly for the service provider (owner, setters). Having had experience in both realms was very helpful.
So to answer the OPs question... yes, sort of ...
Setters with better tools and materials will produce a better product.
However that's only one part of many things that will make a gym successful. You could have the best terrain with the best setters and that alone will certainly not ensure success.
tonde .. I don't know... I think it was simply a "trend" to more easily hide uneven seems while making the walls more "rocklike".
I don't care for setting on these kinds of walls.
Walls where I have been involved in design and construction have all been angular plywood panels with loads of t-nuts. Love setting on these! :-)
I brought Chris Danielson in as a consultant to review the design of our gym. It was convenient since he was in Boulder, and could drop in on the gang at Eldorado Climbing Walls easily. I wanted his input as an experienced setter.
John Gross
Owner, True North Climbing
I've been involved in the design (and design/build) of many climbing gyms.
Regardless of who you end up hiring as a designer (or design review consultant), it's important that they have some familiarity with what makes for good setting and climbing terrain. There are a lot of facilities out there that are visually appealing, but don't climb as well as they look like they would. Knowing how to meet both needs is an important part of gym design.
I like Vincent's idea of looking at design from the perspective of the End User AND Service Provider. Although there will sometimes be a conflict between the ideals of the two, there is lots to be learned from both groups which will create an successful facility.
This all makes me think of a kitchen my father worked it (he's a chef)...
After spending many thousands of dollars on remodeling/expanding/upgrading their kitchen, the owners hired my father. Although the kitchen was a marvel of modern equipment and looked very nice there were numerous problems for anyone having to actually work there. My dad ended up spending many more thousands of dollars to rework what had been done.
This falls right in line with the OP's topic. The kitchen was designed by those who were thinking of the customer only (the visual appel, the departmentalized structure, etc) when instead they needed to get input from a chef or cook (our humble service provider) to understand what needs come from their end.
I think that NOT taking to an experienced setter would be a critical error in wall design. Whether it's a formal consulting gig or just going out and buying the him/her dinner and couple beers and picking their brain, you will end up with a better product without the risk of having to make costly modifications in the future.
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Hi..
I am on the verge of setting up of my own gym. Almost all the work is done just few finishings required. I got some very good and interesting fats from you post.It may help in future. Will surely share my experiences in future.
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Definitly get a setter to help design the walls. Lots of good reasons mentioned above.
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