THiNKING BEYOND FORM VS FUNCTION
BY JACK MASEL
In 2024 I continue to hear setters confidently pronounce something akin to 'We don't compromise on movement.' when attempting to justify the seemingly random scatter of holds and volumes across the walls at their gym.
I hear this even at gyms that set with such a high density, that holds surely must go on the wall where they can fit just as often as they go where would theoretically make the most sense and then again, in gyms that bolt holds on more commonly than they use screws! I'm certain they must not be aware of how contradictory their statement is.
I'm not here to demonise gyms who choose to set in a high density style, gyms who only set in single hold 'families' or even gyms who opt to almost exclusively bolt holds on. We're all making decisions based on what we believe serves our communities and our gyms best, just please don't pretend that we're not all compromising on something almost all of the time when we make decisions about our setting policies and procedures.
I think in 2024, it's time that discussions about aesthetics in route setting finally move past being presented as though it's simply some binary choice between either form or function.
We should at the very least, be willing to engage in some meaningful dialogue about why it might be beneficial to pay attention to the way our boulders are presented visually on the wall and to what extent we're really compromising to do so.
In the midst of the COVID shut-downs in 2020, a major Australian gym chain sent out a survey to their customers to gain some insights into what drove customer behaviour. In the survey, one question asked respondents to choose 'What they were looking for most, in terms of boulders?' from the following options.
Visually appealing climbs (5.7%)
A variety of all climbing styles (44.5%)
Grade consistency in the route setting (24.3%)
Something different/ Unique movement (21.5%)
As you can see above, how visually appealing a climb was, ranked lowest of the options in terms of desirability. Understandably, this data alone might lead you to believe that the aesthetics of boulders should NOT be a focus or a priority for your route setters. I however, would like to offer a different perspective and explain why I believe that we should still choose to view it as a valid and important inclusion as one of many components vital to offering an optimal gym experience.
Although having visually appealing climbs was reported as lower in importance compared with the other options provided, that alone does not mean that the aesthetics of a boulder or the visual appeal of the route setting in general is not still important. It would be similar to how when evaluating a restaurant's food, you'd likely report how the food tastes, the variety of options on the menu or using fresh ingredients as all more important than how the food is presented. Yet restaurant's still go to great lengths to ensure meals are presented in a desirable way. Similarly, when buying a new car, you'd probably report that the reliability of the car, how fuel economical it was or the performance of the car as more important than how it looked, however, how a car looks will very likely have a strong influence on your decision.
Allow me give you one final analogy... this time to the humble cup of coffee. The appearance of the latte art on your coffee has almost zero bearing on the taste of the coffee. However, quality latte art would be an indication that the person behind the coffee machine is a professional, or at the very least, that they have attained a certain level of competency as a barista. I'd be far more likely to visit the coffee shop with good latte art than one without.
I see the willingness and ability to account for aesthetics in route setting in a similar way. It's in many cases an indication to me that the setter in question, has moved past the rudimentary level of having solely the necessary understanding of climbing movement to be a setter but has now began to integrate and focus on bringing together many of the other skills required to create an environment for optimal customer experience.
Many climbers, myself included, have been inspired in some cases almost exclusively by the aesthetics of a particular route or boulder and been drawn to want to climb it.
It's possible that at that time, the climb in question could even be beyond what we're capable of and serves as extra motivation for us to want to improve as climbers. Motivation as a climber naturally ebbs and flows and isn't always easy to come by. I don't believe that aesthetics in route setting as a potential avenue to boost motivation for our members should be dismissed or discounted as unimportant.
When we talk about boulders outdoors and more specifically about the star system used in guidebooks, it's broadly agreed upon globally that one of the contributing factors for maximum stars; an analog for quality, is how a boulder looks. I don't see why indoor boulders should be judged any differently, nor why there still seems to be a stigma amongst some people in valuing the aesthetics of boulders indoors?
From a business and marketing perspective there's a lot to be said for the overall presentation of your gym too. Potential clients who see content from your business online are typically judging the gym and getting first impressions based primarily on how it looks. If we want to maximise the amount of new customers coming through our doors, it pays to focus on how the gym looks, and a huge part of how a climbing gym looks is what's on it's walls.
None of the above is to say that I think how a boulder climbs still isn't the most important thing, because I agree, it is. I'm merely attempting to highlight a few of the many potential upsides of setting something that looks visually appealing.
I think part of the issue when attempting to discuss aesthetics in setting is that 'aesthetics' can mean such a big range of different things to different people and like anything, can be done well or done poorly. To me, the simplest way I can think to explain what I think is aesthetic in a climbing gym, is that the less it looks as though what's been put on the wall could have been put there randomly or accidentally, the better.
I want sections of wall to have character, be recognisable, spark curiosity and to inspire before the climber even gets on the wall.
In my dream scenario, I want the setting we do to visually convey intention, care and a level of craftsmanship. I want climbers at my gym to be imbued with a sense of confidence and a belief that the setters who work here are skilled, considerate and passionate about the work they do.
I know being a route setter is hard enough work as it is without the added stress of trying to make our boulders look some kind of way. But, in my opinion, it,s at the least, something worth considering and at most, hopefully something more and more setters start valuing as one of the many important skills necessary to become masters of our craft.