The Sound of Setting

One of the many reasons I love working at a climbing gym is having the opportunity to route set!  Again, if you’re unfamiliar with the sport, there are a variety of different ROUTES on any wall of any climbing gym.  It is NOT just a random bunch of holds thrown onto the wall in whatever fashion (and God forbid you even consider that possibility!).  Route setting is a process that requires a considerable amount of thought, organization, determination, creativity, and expertise.  Here’s a fancy clip that briefly touches on what that might look like, along with some insight involving the construction of a really awesome climbing gym.

In order to keep things fresh and to prevent climbers from getting sick of climbing the same old stuff, route setting is a necessary procedure.  Ah, I can vividly remember my first experience with route setting…  It was a complete freaking disaster!  And, if there’s one thing I’ve gained from that experience, it’s an incredible amount of RESPECT for the guys who do it professionally.  Thankfully, I’ve gained some experience since then, but there is still so much that I want to learn and so much exciting theory to be had about forcing movement or about which methods are the most efficient.  Maybe I’ll go into the actual process some other time or recount my devastating experience, but for now I’d like to leave you with a brief and shameless allegory concerning this matter:

GOD is the route setter of our lives.  He not only sets our course, but also determines our final destination.  And, while this is so, He has delegated to us a certain degree of responsibility over the steps we take and the sequences we tackle.  He presides sovereignly over our every struggle and is with us every step of the way.  And, it is only by His grace that HE is our goal.

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