At Rock Mill, our goal is to set fun and unique boulders in a variety of styles and difficulties with the intent to help the Rock Mill climbing community learn climbing movement and develop climbing-specific strengths.
MEET OUR ROUTE SETTERS
Dave Schultz
Age: 33
Number of years setting: 11 Years
What is your favorite style of route to set and why? My favorite style of route to set is one that requires someone to maintain body tension throughout the entire route.
What kind of holds are your favorite to set with and why? I don’t have a favorite set or style of hold to use, I just want the holds in routes to match one another and look aesthetic.
What first drew your interest to setting? Ultimately it was a selfish endeavor, I started to set so that I would have new difficult routes for myself. It soon blossomed into a full fledged hobby where I started setting for others to be able to enjoy climbs of all levels.
Andrew Foster
Age: 31
Number of years setting: 2.5
What is your favorite style of route to set and why?
I love setting anything that requires interesting body positions. That can be anything from stemming to dynos to foot jams.
What kind of holds are your favorite to set with and why?
I like big holds because they can look so nice on the wall…and my fingers are weak so I struggle with crimps.
What first drew your interest to setting?
I coach parkour and movement classes and I found climbing and parkour overlap in many interesting ways. Having the opportunity to set allows me to explore movement in new ways. I love the challenge of understanding body position and movement that comes with setting climbs.
Nickolas Kawecki
Age: 21
Number of years setting: 3
What is your favorite style of route to set and why?
I tend to enjoy throwy, thuggy power routes. The feeling of swinging (and then holding the swings!) is always fun for me. It almost feels like flying in some ways, especially in an overhang!
What kind of holds are your favorite to set with and why?
I really like “positive” slopers. I find them super comfy and satisfying to hold, and they tend to fit power-style problems (my favorite!) very well.
What first drew your interest to setting?
The idea of giving people fun things to do has always been appealing. I also consider myself to be a creative person (dabbling in music and other art in my free time), and route setting is a fun means to interact and play around with ideas in a tangible/physical way. Finally, climbing (and Rock Mill in particular) has had a profound effect on my life. So it feels cool to be able to “give back” to it. I like to think that us as setters are helping (along with the Rock Mill staff and community) to inspire others, who just might take up climbing long-term as a result!
Abbygael Cancian
Age: 21
Number of years setting: 6
What is your favorite style of route to set and why?
Tricky competition style boulders – I like to make people think about body position and movement.
What kind of holds are your favorite to set with and why?
Crimps and ledges – Both can be used directionally to force specific movement.
What first drew your interest to setting?
My coach suggested I try it. Once I got the opportunity to set for the first time I was in love. I like creating puzzles, joy, frustration, projects, etc. for people who love climbing as much as I do.
