My name is Michael, and this is my first ever 5.10 blog post! Hello! So, the SCS regionals at Triangle Rock Club in North Carolina was an amazing competition with some great routes, but the really impressive thing was the setting behind the scenes. Me and a few others fore ran routes ranging from 5.10 to 5.12 to give the setters feedback and see if the routes need tweaking. Walking into TRC as they were setting was awe inspiring, it looked like a jungle of ladders stretching floor to ceiling.There was the constant clicking of impact drivers and the occasional slam of a hold tossed from atop a ladder. I know most of the setters there, so I was able to talk to them and pick their brain as they set. During the bulk of the setting entire areas were closed off with the floor littered with holds and bolts. The amount of work and tweaks put into climbs was admirable, as routes changed to in ways that made them almost unrecognizable as setters tried to force movements. There was a crew of around three setters with others who helped with things like stripping the walls and taping.

With roughly six-teen routes set it's incredible how consistently good and high quality they all were. I want to extend a thank you to the fantastic job done by the route setters. Whats more, during the competition there was but one technical, which was not a spinning hold, but a safety knot getting stuck by accident. This shows how thorough the setters were to prevent spinners or technical falls. Well, that's about all I have to say about the competition besides INCREDIBLE, and if anyone has comments or questions let me know. If there is a desire for it(Comment to let me know) I could try and get an interview with the head route setter. Thanks, and climb on!!!