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
Follow-Up: Hazel Findlay — Top 3 Performance Hacks (Teaser)
EP 173: Louis Parkinson — How to Break Down Dynamic Movements, the Benefits of Indoor Climbing, and Cultivating Confidence
EP 172: Brittany Leavitt — Seeking Change in Climbing, Unmasking, and Top Lessons From Teaching Kids
EP 171: Leo Houlding — A Life of Adventure, Climbing Big Walls With Kids, and Epic Stories From El Cap
BONUS: Ron Kauk — Spiritual Revolution for Evolution
EP 170: Karly Rager & Casey Elliott — What the Data Says About Weight, Height, and Ape Index, and Which Metrics Matter for Climbing Performance
Follow-Up: Steve Bechtel — Active Recovery: Everything You Need to Know (Teaser)
EP 169: Scott Johnston — A Masterclass in Training Principles, and Why Boulderers Should Train Their Aerobic System
EP 168: Don McGrath — Rewriting Unhelpful Scripts, How to Tackle Fear of Falling, and Playing as We Age
Climbing Gold — Hot Henry
EP 167: Alex Honnold — Epic Solos That Nobody Heard About, Near Misses, and Sh*tting His Pants While Free Soloing
EP 166: Will Bosi — Sending ‘Burden of Dreams’ V17, Dream Projects, and Functional Finger Strength vs. Party Tricks
Follow-Up: Katie Lamb — Sending ‘Spectre’ V14, and Breaking Down Crux Moves (Teaser)
EP 165: Charlie Schreiber — Asking "Why", Squeezing Lemons, and How to Have a Good Poop in the Morning, Every Time
EP 164: Melina Costanza — Why Eating Food Makes You Awesome, Competing to Win vs. Not Lose, and Fun Facts With Melina
Follow-Up: Matt Heyliger — How I Rehabbed My Bicep Tendon Injury, and How to Make the Transition From Rehab Back to Training (Teaser)
EP 163: Johnny Dawes — Legendary No-Hands Climbs, How to Master Footwork, and Life Lessons From Omelets to Icebergs
EP 162: Fundamentals — How to Structure Your Climbing Year
Follow-Up: Emil Abrahamsson — Gaining Weight to Climb His First V15, Overhauling His Training, and Thinking Long-Term With Projects (Teaser)
EP 161: Sam Stroh — Botching It and Sending Anyway, and Biggest Lessons from Hard Boulders to Free Climbs on El Cap
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