Challenges of the Week #16, #17, #18

I missed a bunch. Let's get caught up:

#16 Take no more than 15 minutes to pick holds, set the route, and tape it. Hints: Monochromatic routes will allow to to only need to tape the start and finish. Try to use holds you are more familiar with.

#17 Set a route that does not require the use of holds that you need to set for the hands.

#18 Climb a tree and set a route based on the moves you used to climb the tree.

I'm back!

When I first started this blog, I really pushed myself to produce regular posts and be good about that, but between this being summer, the internet never working on Mondays and the event I've been planning for the WPI Outing Club, I just haven't really felt like the most important thing I needed to do was write another blog post, but a lot has happened this summer and I feel like I should catch everyone up.

1. I started setting at Rock Spot every other week (except for this one because I'm sick).
1. I set my first lead/top rope route and I got compliments on it.
2. I set a second route and it's really hard for me to set an exciting 5.8 without a lot of holds
2. Ian got me a crash pad for my birthday/graduation and I haven't gotten to use it. Lincoln Woods anyone?
3. I just signed up for a Level 1 Clinic in NY I really really hope I can manage to pass. I think I can do it, but who knows what will happen. I am terrified. 
4. I just bought an impact driver! FINALLY! I'm really excited and will probably devote an entire blog post to that an my other new setting tools! 
5. I've been planning a month long event for the WPI Outing club and it's really very exciting. I hope it works out. I'm terrified that there won't be enough advertising. 

I will probably elaborate on all of these things separately, but for now I'm probably just going to continue to enjoy the summer. 

Awesome News

I actually have a bunch of awesome news and I'm not sure which news to start with. I've known this news for a bit now, but I honestly couldn't believe either of the things that happened were "for realsies." I'm so glad to be able to share this with you all.


Awesome news # 1:
I've known this for about a month, but I finally feel like it's set in stone enough to say it in a more official way. I'M GOING TO SET FOR THE HEIST! I just got one more out of probably three or so emails and talks in person to confirm that I'll be setting for The Heist.

For those of you who didn't know, I got super serious about setting at the end of my Junior year of college. Over the summer with no gym to climb at, I spend my days training on rock rings and focusing on the movements I saw at climbing comps I watched on my computer. Side-note Psicocomp is extra inspirational when you're still loopy from getting your wisdom teeth out. When I found out about the Heist, I decided I was going to climb in it even though I really wanted to set for it. Over the last year, I've really pushed to hone my setting skills. I organized a bunch of setting clinics and practiced a lot over the year trying to set everything I could. I tackled my weaknesses as a setter and a climber and it's paying off. I'm really proud of myself. Ian's also really proud of me and I can tell because he told all of our friends that I was setting for The Heist even before I really believed it was official.


I'm not head setter or anything like that, I'm just volunteering, but I just know I'm going to get a lot out of it. I've never set with other female setters with significantly more experience than me - except for of course that time I started learning to set. Not only that, but this is the first time in my life that I can set for a group of people who aren't on average 6 feet tall. I'll be almost average height.

"AAAAAAAHHHH OH MY GOD OH MY GOD YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!! *HAPPY DANCE* ALL OF THE EXCITEMENT!"

I encourage all of the female climbers to compete in this comp. If you thought you knew how supportive climbers could be of each other even at comps, you'll be surprised. When I competed last year, I was floored by the amount of women cheering other people they didn't know that they were also competing against on. For the male climbers, if you're thinking, what is this? What is the point of this competition? Well, these things probably have not been an issue for you. I've had guy setters leave feet out because, "I wouldn't have been able to climb it anyway." If you're a male climber that already understands that these problems do exist, don't feel awkward about coming to support your female climbing buddies.

Awesome News # 2:

Two Fridays ago, I interviewed/tried out at rock spot in Kingston to be a setter. I set top rope and lead for the first time and I got the job! I'll be learning to set more routes and while I'm looking forward to setting some hard stuff, I definitely want to get better at setting fun easy routes. Sometimes a 5.7 is just kind of boring and straightforward, but I don't think it has to be. One of my routes the 5.10a on top rope/lead has gotten me a lot of compliments. I'll be putting the video up once I can edit it all together (it took my climber a few tries since the moves weren't always incredibly obvious).

Challenge of the Week #15

Go to the gym and watch some newer climbers climb. The "noobier" the better. Once you get an idea of the kinds of mistakes that new make, set a route that they won't be able to send without fixing those small mistakes, but still make it a route that any climber should be able to climb after a few helpful tips on the same day.