Whether you’ve just built your home climbing wall or you’re looking to level up your training, route setting is key to improving your climbing skills. Setting routes that are challenging, engaging, and tailored to your goals can push your abilities to new heights. In this guide, we’ll show you how to create climbing routes that suit any skill level—from beginner to pro—so you can keep your training fresh and fun.
1. The Basics of Route Setting
Before diving into advanced techniques, it’s important to understand the basics of setting routes. Here are a few foundational tips:
- Start with a goal: Each route should have a purpose, whether it’s improving grip strength, working on footwork, or building endurance. Keep this in mind when setting.
- Use a variety of holds: A mix of holds (jugs, crimps, slopers, pinches) will make your routes more interesting and can focus on different skills.
- Think about movement: Route setting is not just about getting from point A to point B. Consider how the climber will move between holds, encouraging dynamic or technical movement.
Once you have these basics down, you can start creating routes that challenge every level.
2. Setting Beginner-Friendly Routes
When setting routes for beginners, focus on creating paths that are approachable and build confidence. Here’s how:
- Use larger holds: For new climbers, start with bigger, easy-to-grip holds like jugs. These allow climbers to focus on learning technique without worrying too much about grip strength.
- Create balance-focused moves: Instead of requiring a lot of strength, use holds that teach beginners to balance and shift their weight. Low-angle or vertical walls are ideal for these types of routes.
- Easy-to-see holds: Set routes where the holds are clearly visible, and try using one or two colors to mark the path. This helps climbers follow the route without feeling overwhelmed by options.
A fun beginner route might include a lot of jugs for handholds and bigger foot chips to encourage smooth, easy movement. Try our climbing hold collections designed for everyone to start building easy, enjoyable routes.
3. Intermediate Route Setting for Climbers Looking to Improve
Once a climber has developed the basics, it’s time to increase the difficulty. Intermediate routes should challenge their strength, flexibility, and technique:
- Smaller holds and crimps: Introduce holds like crimps, pinches, and slopers to challenge grip strength. While these are harder to hold, they improve finger strength and body tension.
- Incorporate dynamic movement: Add moves that require climbers to use momentum, such as small dynos (jumps) or big reaches. These dynamic movements help improve coordination and control.
- Mix foot placements: Include routes where climbers need to use precise footwork. Place smaller foot chips that force climbers to be deliberate about their movements.
Intermediate routes can be set with holds that require body tension and balance, like crimps, or by adding steep sections of the wall that require more power to climb.
4. Advanced Route Setting for Pro-Level Climbers
For advanced climbers, your routes need to push the limits of strength, technique, and problem-solving. Here’s how to set routes that challenge even the pros:
- Use bad holds in tough spots: Set crimps or slopers in awkward positions that require serious body positioning or finger strength. The goal is to force climbers to work for each hold.
- Steep overhangs: Add overhung sections to your wall for pro routes. Steep angles force climbers to rely on upper body and core strength, making it much more challenging than vertical climbs.
- Technical sequences: Set sequences that require a combination of precise footwork, body tension, and dynamic moves. Routes that force climbers to make big moves between bad holds will truly test their limits.
- Set longer problems: For endurance, create circuits or long traverses that push stamina. Combining a long series of challenging moves will force climbers to maintain strength and technique over a longer period.
Use our climbing holds collections to find pinches, crimps, and slopers that can make your routes more difficult and engaging for high-level climbers.
5. Tips for Keeping Your Routes Fresh
Route setting isn’t a one-time deal. Regularly changing up your routes is the best way to keep your climbing wall engaging and help you continue to improve. Here’s how to keep your climbs fresh:
- Rotate holds: You don’t need to reset the entire wall every time—just rearrange some holds. This creates new challenges while saving time.
- Change angles: If you have an adjustable wall or freestanding panels, play around with the angles. An easy vertical route can become much harder with a slight overhang.
- Add volumes: Volumes are large, geometric shapes that can be added to the wall to change the terrain and add interest. Attaching holds to volumes can give climbers new challenges, forcing them to rethink their approach.
By regularly updating routes and making small changes, you can keep your training fresh and challenging no matter your skill level.
6. Key Concepts for Setting Engaging Routes
No matter the difficulty level, setting engaging routes is all about creativity and flow. Here are a few key concepts to think about when designing your routes:
- Route flow: A good route has a natural rhythm, moving smoothly from one hold to the next. Avoid awkward, unbalanced moves unless you’re intentionally setting a technical problem.
- Body positioning: Think about how each hold will make the climber position their body. Setting holds that force climbers to twist, stretch, or pull dynamically makes routes more engaging and tests different skills.
- Crux points: Build in a “crux,” or the hardest part of the route, that challenges climbers in terms of strength or technique. The crux should stand out as the most difficult part of the climb.
- Problem-solving: Make sure your routes encourage climbers to think. Set moves that require creative solutions, like using a sloper or an awkward pinch in an unexpected way.
7. Get the Gear You Need for Creative Route Setting
Ready to start setting your own routes? Browse our climbing hold collections to find everything you need, from beginner jugs to advanced crimps and pinches. We offer a wide range of hold types and sizes to keep your wall engaging and challenging for climbers of all levels.
Setting routes on your climbing wall is both an art and a science. With the right mix of holds and creativity, you can design routes that help beginners build confidence, challenge intermediates, and push pros to their limits. Explore our climbing hold collections today and start setting routes that take your climbing to the next level!