On this episode of The Impact Driver Podcast, host Holly Chen interviews Andy Nelson. Andy has been climbing since 1998, and he became the first paid routesetter at Vertical Endeavors in Minnesota around the mid 2000s. In the routesetting arena, he’s done it all, from commercial setting and running a setting crew to comps all the way up to the divisional level. He worked for Nicros Volumes for a while and then, in his words, “went rogue” and “started shaping for everybody and their brother.” Andy has also seen every part of the hold manufacturing process, from being on the ground in a factory while pouring holds to design and branding work. Now, Andy owns and operates Method Grips.

Andy and Holly start by diving into his memories of the good old days—or maybe the dark ages, some might say; a time when routesetters were paid by route and members did not have the luxury of choosing between gyms. They also talked about how Andy has witnessed the industry change over the years, some of the shifts that have allowed setters to do their job more safely and sustainably, and the potential of more oversight from government agencies in the future. Holly and Andy debated about whether routesetting is an art, and they got into some of the nitty-gritty details of holds, shaping materials, and the “evolutionary arms race” between routesetters and hold shapers.

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