Christine Deyo is a professional route setter, and the former head route setter at the Austin Bouldering Project. We talked about Christine’s path to route setting, learning to be creative, setting challenges and games, the Fontainebleau circuit system, the responsibility of route setters, competitions, the role of diversity in setting, and the future of the climbing industry.
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Show Notes:
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/christine-deyo
Nuggets:
2:30 – Christine’s dad, and falling in love with bouldering
4:44 – Why Oregon?
6:02 – Studying biochemistry, unemployment, and discovering route setting
9:38 – The Nightly Business Report on PBS
11:58 – Christine’s early route setting education
14:26 – How route setting qualifications have evolved, and what Christine looks for when hiring a route setter
18:57 – Three notable chapters in Christine’s evolution as a route setter
28:36 – What makes a good setter?
34:33 – The circuit system at the Bouldering Projects
36:33 – How circuits work in Fontainebleau
41:22 – How grades work within circuits
44:23 – Combining the circuit system with the training boards, and improving at climbing aside from strength
47:10 – How Christine uses the circuit system for training purposes
50:45 – Patron question from Tyler: What are your thoughts on parkour-style setting and balancing that with movement found on real rock?
58:16 – Patron question from Joe: Are there ways to get setters around the world to collaborate more?
1:03:17 – Patron question from Tim: Where do you draw inspiration from when setting routes? (Christine’s collection of note cards.)
1:07:30 – Creativity can be learned, creating constraints, and route setting challenges/games
1:13:01 – Tonde’s email, the responsibility of setters, and the role of diversity in route setting
1:20:31 – Questions from Tonde: What value do female setters bring to a setting team? Why bother with diversity?
1:26:28 – More questions from Tonde: Is setting art? Where is setting going? The future of setting for competitions?
1:30:45 – The role route setters play in competitions
1:44:52 – What is the value of route setters in the climbing industry?
1:47:50 – Safety in route setting
1:53:06 – Setter salaries, ages, and turnover
1:56:54 – How we move setting forward as a profession
2:02:03 – Christine’s tips for taking care of yourself as a route set
2:09:04 – Christine’s career, and what’s next
2:14:19 – Learning to set dynos
2:19:55 – Gratitude
EP 206: Building a Perfect Replica of ‘The Big Island’ V15, Training on Your Projects, and the Ideal Circuit — Charlie Schreiber Returns
SEND ALERT: Kai Lightner — ‘Life of Villains’ 9a, Not Rushing the Process, and Building Jamaica’s First Climbing Wall
EP 205: Adrian Vanoni — Finger Crack Wizardry, Blue Collar Sending, and Lucid Dreams About Beta
EP 204: Anak Verhoeven — How to Build 9a Endurance, Why Motivation Trumps Fancy Facilities, and Being Public About Her Faith
EP 203: Jakob Schubert — World Champion to 9c and 9A, Adam Ondra’s Risky and Efficient Style, and Failing on ‘Sleepwalker’
SEND ALERT: Jon Cardwell — Establishing ‘Wind Up Bird’ 5.15b, and Uphill Athlete Training
EP 202: Tyler Nelson Returns — How to Get Stronger Fingers, Habits to Prevent Injuries, and Why Climbers Shouldn’t Train Like Gymnasts
EP 201: James Pearson — The Full Redemption Story, Proposing the Mythical Grade of E12, and Climbing Harder After Kids
EP 200: Brooke Raboutou — An Olympian’s Mindset, Dancing on the Wall, and Competing Against Your Friends
EP 199: Will Anglin & Matt Jones — A Masterclass in How to Progress Your Climbing
EP 198: Travis Tameirao — The Day His Life Changed Forever, Climbing V10+ With an Artificial Knee, and Taking the Wheel
EP 197: Melina Costanza Returns — Harnessing the Power of Nerves, Praising Your Effort, and Choosing Good Over Perfect
EP 196: Pete Whittaker — Chasing the Hardest Cracks in the World, Embracing the Suck, and Futuristic Desert Projects
EP 195: Matt Segal Returns — The Recipe for a Peak Year, Cooking Tips, and High Summits and Higher Grades
EP 194: Will Anglin — Why We Should Treat Climbing Like Baseball, and the #1 Thing All Climbers Should Do
EP 193: Mat Wright — Risking It All to Send, The Power of Specific Goals, and Relaxing Hard to Climb Harder
EP 192: Alex Biale — Bootlegging Wine, Training With Ollie Torr, and the Keys to a Balanced Life
EP 191: Jesse Firestone Returns — Finding Silver Linings, How to Move Like Adam Ondra, and Key Benefits of Visualization
EP 190: Josh Champion — Quitting After Sending V13, and Reengaging With Climbing in a Healthier Way
Follow-Up: Martin Keller — Sending V16 at Age 45, Getting More Out of Less, and the Skill of Delayed Gratification (Teaser)
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