Route Setting Tips for Climbing

Intro by Holly Yu Tung Chen

Kenny Matys is the founder and president of Atomik Climbing Holds, a company he launched in 2002 after more than a decade of experience as a professional climber and nationally certified routesetter. His climbing career began in the late 1980s and quickly rose to the elite level, where he competed in IFSC World Cups, the X Games, and other top-tier events across North America. He trained in many storied gyms, such as Joe Rockhead’s and Gravity Vault in Canada, as well as Utah’s Rock Garden, The Quarry, and Momentum. Over the years, he established routes for more than 110 competitions and played a pivotal role in shaping the early days of indoor climbing in North America.

Before routesetting became professionalized, certified, and endlessly Instagrammed, it was passed hand-to-hand like a craft—learned on ladders, refined through failure, and shaped by observation. Kenny Matys’s essay, titled initially “Personal Insights,” is a window into that bygone era. While some references may feel dated (hello, 30-foot ladder), many of the lessons here are timeless: setting with intention, respecting all bodies, and always double-checking your backup.

It reminds us that setting is more than placing holds in a pattern; it’s about reading bodies, understanding movement, and setting with intention. The author shares not only practical advice but also a philosophy: routes should challenge and teach, while also welcoming and inspiring. It’s a belief in balance between fun and function, art and craft, safety and spontaneity. Some details, such as the 30-foot ladder on painted concrete, may feel like a relic, but the values they represent endure. In republishing this piece, we aim to honor the roots of our practice and reconnect with the creativity and care that lie at its core.

Today, Matys remains a hands-on leader at Atomik, actively involved in wall builds, hold design, and production. As the company’s current Production Manager, he ensures that every product meets the standard he envisioned as a young climber, back when the dream of a climbing life was just beginning.

Photo of Ken Matys, Circa 1990

Routesetting is not just bolting on holds in some random pattern. Also, being a great climber does not necessarily mean that you will be able to set quality routes. A routesetter is an artist. Their skills include being well-rounded in terms of footwork, movement, and, most importantly, creativity.

At one point in my career, onsighting was a weakness of mine. I saw routesetting as a means to educate myself on judging distances and determining sequences from the ground. Every good routesetter can usually see the secrets of a route from the ground.

Although I was certified by Tony Yaniro through the American League of Forerunners in the early 1990s, my indirect mentors were the climbers in our sport. It never mattered how good the climber was to learn from them. A five-year-old beginner can teach you just as much as a professional climber can. Routesetters work for the general public most of the time, so they should be watched equally as closely as the higher-end climbers. It is vital to have an understanding of the reach capabilities of all heights, sizes, and abilities.

A route should achieve three things: It should teach a lesson or test a skill, have flow in between moves, and be fair for all heights. Above all, it should be fun.

The lesson on a particular route should teach or test a wide range of skills, including foot or hand switching, cross-overs, flagging, dynos, and even power and endurance. The list is long. I try never to oversaturate the route with the lesson to teach. Few climbers want to get beaten down by the same move over and over. For instance, I always get a climber off the ground and into their rhythm before integrating a particular lesson. The length of your problem or route will determine where it should be. If you break the space available into fifths, the lesson will appear in section two, three, or four. Not many climbers enjoy having a difficult move right off the ground or at the very end.

Flow in a route can be achieved in several ways. Flow can only be understood and achieved by knowing how far your target group can reach. For example, it is unfair to place a small left-hand crimper next to a right-hand crimper, outside the reach of a smaller climber. Instead, I recommend putting a minimal intermediate hold partway through the move and bringing the far proper hold within the climber's extended reach. Yes, it will be a little harder for the climber with a shorter reach, but it is still possible. Being short is a fact of life. Super long, unreachable distances in routesetting should not be. Having fun on a route is of paramount importance. Even in a stressful competition environment, why not put a smile on the crowd's face as well as the competitor's? Short moves, long moves, flagging…mix it up!

When learning how to route set, I recommend the following steps: First, set your route with a clear intention. Choose your holds based on their purpose, not because they were at the top of the hold bin. It isn’t easy to set with holds that offer multiple ways to grab. Choose holds that can be rotated to make a move easier or harder.

Now that your route is set, climb it without hold buckets or haul bags (a set of wrenches and a few footholds in a small bag on your harness is a good idea). When you feel like there's a flow missing, add a foothold. A foothold is a hold small enough not to be used as a handhold, appropriate for the grade. If you make changes, such as turning a hold or adding a foot, re-climb the route. Once you are satisfied, place different-sized climbers on your route. Just watch. Don't yell out beta; see what they do. Observe, take note, and listen to what the climbers say about your route. Don't rationalize your actions. Many of the comments you will hear will be negative because your route may have taken advantage of the climber's weakness. Often, I go back up and add a foot or an intermediate because it is needed, not because someone can't do the move. Over time, you will have enough "engrams," or movement memories, in your routesetting library that you will automatically set with that extra foothold or intermediate before you ever climb the route yourself. Routesetting is a creative art. Take pride in what you are creating.

There are a few last points I would like to add. Twice in my career, I have had potential accidents while routesetting. I am grateful that I was appropriately trained to prepare myself for both. One time, I was on the very top of a 30-foot ladder, and it slipped out from under me. (The feet were on a painted concrete floor, and it was a humid day. If you have ever been on a 30-foot ladder, you know how much they bounce on the way up as well. I was attached to the wall with two separate points of protection, and aside from making an excellent crashing sound, all was well. I strongly recommend having a buddy keep their feet at the base of the ladder until you are clipped in.

The second time was while I was setting on very steep terrain. I was clipped into one bolt using a long sling and two oval carabiners. My back-up protection was a locking carabiner on my harness and an oval on the top of a daisy chain. As I was inverted and bolting on a jug, my twisting position caused my primary to unclip. I fell back on my backup protection, collected myself, and then checked my shorts. These two separate occurrences have refined safety rules that I never wander from, nor do my team. Always use locking carabiners on your harness, and always use two points of protection while routesetting.

Good luck, have fun, be creative, and always be safe.

Author Bio

Kenny Matys is the founder and president of Atomik Climbing Holds. Having started climbing in the 1980s, his competition career spans IFSC World Cups to X-Games. Matys is the current Production Manager at Atomik.

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