Basics Setting Clinic with Steve

Today, we were lucky enough to have Steve Wong come in to teach the basic setting clinic. Steve is a level 2 USAC certified routesetter with a bouldering endorsement and his routes are also really fun. Check out his website here: Awkward Beta

The basic setting clinic went over some of the basics of setting. Steve covered some examples of climbing movements like, downpulls, underclings, sidepulls, gaston, flagging, deadpoints, dynos, etc. For those of you who think basics is really simple and easy, don't. It's still a pretty challenging, but fun clinic. 

After going over the basics, and by that I mean what I just mentioned in the two sentence paragraph above, we went straight into setting. Steve assigned each of us some pretty fun challenges. We were split into three groups. 

Group A: Will and Dan - No hands move

Group B: Mak and Ian - Bicycle

Group C: Me - At least five moves within a single cluster of 3-4 holds

Here what my route ended up looking like:

I'd hoped to force four or five moves off of what we call the grapes (it's named Big Egg  by So Ill Holds). No complaints about this hold because I kind of love it. It's really versatile, but the hold was way too good to force the move I wanted. I wanted a reachy-balancey reaching up followed by some footwork and a move up to something higher on the hold. From there it was pretty simple pinch, sloper, finish. This was a really cool challenge. I'm definitely going to go back to it and we how many moves I can draw out of a set of holds. 

After we set the route, no climbing allowed until forerunning time, we foreran the routes and gave feedback. We all agreed, my route is pretty smooth and flowy, but I didn't force the intended beta especially not for tall people.

For the next route, we got the following challenges and we had to set solo.

Ian: 20 moves crimps only

Will: Two heel hooks or toe hooks for movements or balance

Mak: Slopers or Pinches and butterfly moves (full wingspan, but for who?)

Dan: Start under the boob and end in the middle of the wall

Me: Force two campus moves V3 or under. 

Part way through setting, maybe fifteen minutes in, Steve added in a "mandatory-optional" 360 during the campus section. I added that in because why not. Later on during setting drop knee was mentioned, so I added that in. I set it as a comp style finish. Here it is:

It starts on the left, and works right in an arc. The start I set was a little too hard, so I swapped it out for a better hold, but I really like this route. It turned out quite well, unfortunately, for those with amazing core and awesome roof climbing abilities, you can avoid the campus, but it is not necessarily easier than a V3. 

I actually participated in this clinic before and while I've been setting a lot since then it really doesn't hurt to take it again. I definitely cut down my setting time by a bit since the last clinic and I feel like I've improved on foot placement (always a difficulty). Somethings I want to improve on over the next month until the clinic are setting routes with more complicated beta and provide more useful feedback after forerunning. I'm looking forward to the extended basics clinic and then the advanced clinic the week after. It'll be a hectic time, but I'm looking forward to it. 

Questions, comments, etc. Below!