Boulder Bash X

I find it hard to believe that I have been doing this for 10 years. That's nearly a quarter of my life I have been running a climbing gym. And today is the 10th Boulder Bash competition that we have hosted. The first comp we held was only three months after we opened. We had to pull holds off of routes just to have enough to set the competition problems that first year. And we really didn't have any idea what we were doing at the time. Warren Hulsey was our strongest setter, and we probably stayed at the gym until 4 a.m. finishing the problems and getting everything prepared. But every year it has gotten a little quicker and a little easier. Our planning has improved and the setting has gotten better. We finish earlier every year with a better set of more consistent boulder problems. That is not to say that we've got it perfected. Far from it. It seems there is always something that gets missed or overlooked. And some years the setting has fallen on just a few folks. I remember one year that I set all of the problems V3 and below. Probably half of the competition problems! But this year we have an experienced staff that has just gone through USA Climbing route setting certification. We've got a lot of problems that are pretty unique and a lot of thinking outside the box. I think everyone is going to have a good time. I can't wait to see it.