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Do you know who are behind the problems at Boulderkeskus? BK's talented routesetting team is responsible for setting inspiring movements and challenging top quality boulder problems weekly. In this series we introduce you to these wizards behind the magic one by one.
Say hello to Antero!
How did you first start climbing?
A friend, who had recently started climbing himself, took me climbing outside on the shore of Saimaa. He lent me a pair of climbing shoes which were a couple of sizes too big for me and I tried to get up the rock with them. I instantly fell in love with the sport! A week later I found myself in Camu buying a pair of shoes that were too small.
How did this progress into routesetting?
It took many years for it to become more professional. When I started climbing, commercial climbing gyms were just emerging. Then we used to climb in gyms, where were used to create our own problems on spray walls alone or in a group. Later, at BK, I started setting routes part-time.
What are your favorite types of problems to set? // What’s your favorite climbing style?
I would say that my specialty are delicate problems that require good body positioning and are core intensive :). Slopers and pinches are usually pretty nice :).
What do you love the most about routesetting?
When you manage to create something on the wall that brings joy and makes someone try/climb the problem over and over again, you've already come a long way! The work itself is a nice combination of creativity and manual work where you get to see the result quite concretely right away. Routesetting is essentially teamwork. The contribution of each routesetter has a significant part in the final result of each setting.
What’s your process when you go to set?
I don't always have a clear vision of what's going to go on the wall. The materials and profiles in use determine quite a lot when routesetting. Usually I choose some kind of theme for the problem and start implementing it. However, sometimes the over-thought-out problem is not the best working one. Sometimes just "throwing" holds on the wall in 5 minutes based on your feeling can produce quite a lot of fun climbing! It's important to strive to create problems that work for the target group.
What do you find hardest when routesetting?
As in many other jobs, it's relatively easy to get stuck in a rut :). Setting problems that are truly varied stylistically is sometimes challenging. Scheduling and planning also require further development :).
What is your favorite climbing area/problem/route outdoors?
I don't really have a favorite in either one. Generally speaking, visiting new areas and seeing new routes is always refreshing. The best feelings are usually produced by a combination of many factors. When climbing in a group or even alone you can find the perfect climbing moment in a lot of places, when the route, company and surroundings meet in just the right way :).
Watch a snippet of Antero's interview on our Instagram @boulderkeskus