Setter Summit

PRS Level 1 is a single day course intended for learners with little to no prior routesetting experience, and prepares successful candidates for an entry level role on a routesetting team. As a foundational course, it focuses on the basics of movement and industry best practices.
The PRS Level 1 course assesses candidates' ability to:

• Identify common risks in a bouldering environment
• Properly use basic routesetting tools and equipment and securely attach holds
• Set foundational movement, as defined in the PRS Student Manual
• Forerun, assess, and edit boulders to meet intended difficulty and risk for the designated audience under the guidance of more experienced setters

PRS Level 2 is a single day course designed for routesetters with some prior experience (200+ hours), and prepares the successful candidate for a role as a professional routesetter at a bouldering climbing facility. It emphasizes adaptable setting for a broad audience and expands upon the industry standards introduced in PRS Level 1.
Level 2 Routesetters with their Bouldering certification are responsible for performing regular routesetting operations within a bouldering-only recreational climbing facility.
The PRS Level 2 Boulder course assesses the candidate's ability to:

• Work as part of a profession routesetting team for a recreational climbing facility
• Identify, assess, and act to control or eliminate risks present in a bouldering environment, executing sound judgement
• Identify equipment misuse and perform inspections in accordance with facility and manufacturer’s guidelines
• Securely handle and attach macros and volumes
• Set complete boulders within an allotted time
• Forerun, assess, and edit boulders to meet intended difficulty, risk, function, and target for the designated audience

• PRS Level 1

PRS Level 2 Ropes is a 2 day course that integrates the routesetting skills covered in PRS Level 2 Boulders with the technical skills taught in the CWA Work At Height Level 1 course. This certification prepares the successful candidate for a role as a professional routesetter at a full-service climbing facility.
Routesetters with their Level 2 Ropes Certification are responsible for performing regular routesetting operations within a full-service recreational climbing facility.
The PRS Level 2 Ropes course assesses the candidates ability to:

• Perform routesetting operations while in suspension in compliance with the CWA WAH Standard
• Set, forerun, assess and edit routes efficiently on rope systems
• Identify and manage predictable hazards executing sound judgement
• Identify and control predictable hazards unique to routesetting on rope systems, executing sound judgement
• Assist in rescue activities as directed

The WAH Level 1 course assesses candidates ability to:

• Conduct work at height tasks
• Assist in rescue activities as directed
• Identify and avoid hazards
• Follow the guidance of more experienced WAH workers

• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older
• Complete the CWA Foundations course
• Have current first aid certification
• Can climb 5.9 on lead
• Can lift 50 pounds

The WAH Level 2 course assesses the candidates ability to:

• Establish working lines behind the wall
• Enact rescues, both accompanied and unaccompanied
• Identify and manage predictable hazards executing sound judgement
• Supervise work at height activities, providing effective feedback

• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older
• Completed WAH Level 1 successfully

Day 1: Participants will explore form-based routesetting and practice design rooted in play, expression, exploration. The setting day will begin with a classroom discussion and off-the-wall creative exercises. Once on the wall, participants will explore various approaches to routesetting intended to promote creativity and provide freedoms from constraints - all in the pursuit of creating on-the-wall experiences that may not have been discoverable using traditional setting methods. Day 1 will encourage setters to think outside the box, and potentially step outside of their comfort zone, while we try to discover new movements and inspirations. The day will conclude with an analysis of the processes practiced and the potential impacts those processes may have on setting teams and communities.

Day 2: Participants will swing the pendulum in the opposite direction as heavy constraints are applied to the setting process in an attempt to hone individual skills. This day will also begin and end with a classroom discussion. The bulk of the day will consist of group climbing and individual routesetting challenges. The "function" day of the clinic will explore tools for routesetting team and personal development - building skillsets that act as the catalyst for heightened creativity and play.

Participants will leave with the two day clinic with a new perspective on and approach to the setting process and its impact on themselves, their teams, and their climbing communities.

Our multi-day paraclimbing setting clinic is a unique educational opportunity for both athletes and setters to get more exposure to the innerworkings of para-routesetting! Through this event, we hope to make an impact in improving our para routes and service to the wider adaptive community. This will also serve as a valuable steppingstone for setters that could lead to future participation in national and international competitions.

• Prior rope setting experience is required

If you are a routesetter seeking to develop skills and increase understanding of high-level competition routesetting, this workshop is for you! Join USAC L5 National Head Routesetters Cody Grodzki and Jeremy Ho for two days of experiential learning, one-on-one instruction, and constructive feedback through mock rounds of competition setting. We will be exploring what it takes to routeset for bouldering competitions such as the North American Cup Series, Elite (Open) Bouldering National Championship, and IFSC Bouldering World Cup. To top it off, we are pairing it with a "capstone experience" of collaborating with professional athletes Charlie Baron, Carly Alba, Anna Kelly, and more as they climb through the simulated competition round.

A note from the instructors: The recommended experience level has been put into place to elevate the workshop curriculum for all those in attendance. That said, there are folks who may have the skill sets needed to join as a full-value participant without necessarily fulfilling the outlined recommendations. In this case, please feel free to reach out directly to Cody at info@syndicateroutesetting.com to help answer any questions you might have. Looking forward to working with you!

*This workshop is neither sanctioned nor endorsed by USA Climbing.

Recommended Experience Level: USAC Level 2+ or Assistant Routesetter at 3 at least 3 USAC Championship Bouldering Events 

In this clinic, participants will focus on movement and how to create competition-style moves and boulders that still feel approachable and engaging for the regular gym climber. We’ll also explore the important question: “Do your members actually want this?”—and work through what that really means in the context of setting and overall member experience.
Topics covered during the clinic include:

• Intelligent hold selection to support the movement you’re trying to create
• Reinforcing the idea that one solution isn’t always the best solution
• Setting with the intention of allowing climbers to express themselves on the wall
• Introducing complex and risky movements at lower grades in ways that are appropriate and inclusive

This session is designed to help setters think critically and creatively about how to bring modern movement into the gym in a way that enables innovative setting while prioritizing the member experience.