Ep. 11: Confessions of a Routesetter (feat. Ryan Smith)

The routesetter is simultaneously the subject of climbers' reverence and disdain; a puppeteer and a punching bag; a figure both removed from and essential to the climbing experience. In this episode, we peer into the mind of one routesetter - Ryan Smith, head routesetter at Central Rock Gym Manhattan. Incredibly articulate and genuinely thoughtful, Ryan shares how he became a setter, his personal routesetting principles (keyword: "athletic empathy"), his frustrations with the role, as well as candid views on his career in the short and long term. He sets the record straight that routesetters are - despite what you might think about the pink route in the corner - actually not out to get you.