Rock Haven’s route setters delight in crafting new puzzles

On a Tuesday afternoon a team of rock climbing route setters gazed up at their preliminary layouts in a Gresham gym.

Ben McMullen and Jason Harper, two thirds of Rock Haven Climbing Gym’s route setting team, were bouncing ideas off one another like only two passionate climbing wonks can.

“Do you think the hold is too wide in that section?” asked McMullen.

“I think it works, because it gets you to engage your legs,” answered Harper, who had just gotten done solving the route for the second time.

That weekly collaboration is what makes visiting a rock climbing gym so much fun. The walls are always changing — at the Gresham gym, 355 N.E. 223rd Ave., they create new challenges following the color scheme. That means there is always something new to explore, while not rotating too quickly to allow for everyone to tackle the routes.

“Every rock climb is a puzzle, so we need to refresh the gym so our members and visitors stay engaged,” McMullen said.

“We first create a skeleton of what we think is going to work, then we try it out to make those minor tweaks and adjustments to get everything perfect,” added Harper.

McMullen, Rock Haven’s lead route setter, fell in love with the sport accidently. He is a former youth pastor, and served as a belayer one evening during a lock-in at a Portland gym. Those two hours sparked an interest, and the next morning he was back to try it out himself.

“I had no idea climbing was a thing until I was in my 20s,” he said. “I love it because it is a bridge between staying healthy and strong, but also tickling my brain.”

Harper fell in love with the sport after his dad took him out as a 10 year old.

“I was hooked,” he said, bumming rides to the local gym as a teenager and then driving 5-6 days a week when he had his license. “I like the problem solving, the struggle, the achievement.”

While Rock Haven follows the color guide, with Red and Orange being easier and Black and White the most difficult, there is a gradient within that. Some routes may require certain skills, like leaping, which not everyone is equally adept at. Some have smaller holds, or include a steep roof, which require strength in different parts of the body.

“You can be so specialized in a certain aspect of climbing that different routes could be easier or more difficult,” Harper said.

“Because there are three of us, we bounce ideas off each other and all bring our different strengths and climbing styles,” McMullen added.

Climbing is a collaborative, supportive sport, with the common mindset being: “You against the wall.” But the fun part for the members is there is the secondary: “You against the route setters.”

While the Rock Haven team usually has a vision for how a new route should be taken on, there is never a “one size fits all” solution.

“A lot of the members like to try and beat us by doing the route in a different way,” McMullen laughed.

“That is what we love,” added Harper. “We could chat your ear off about climbing. Not all sports are as inclusive and caring.”

Anniversary celebration

The route setters are gearing up for a big anniversary in August.

Rock Haven Fest 2024 will be held all day Saturday, Aug. 24, at the gym as not just a community climbing competition, but also a block party celebration for its second anniversary.

There will be a makers market, vendors, a food cart, raffle, and lots of exciting new routes for the competitors across all skill levels.

“The community and festivities that day will suck people in, because it will be such a fun space to be around,” Harper said. “It will be very encouraging, not exclusive at all.”

The team will strip every section of the wall for the competition, putting up 50 climbing routes. The day includes:

Youth Rec Session, ages 7-12, from 9-10:30 a.m.Open Category, all ages, session one 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; session two 3-6 p.m.; finals at 7:30 p.m.Recreational/Intermediate/Advanced, all ages, session one 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; session two 3-6 p.m.

“The things these people in the finals can do will shock you,” Harper said. “Everyone should come and watch that evening.”

“It will have some of the top-level climbers in Oregon and Washington,” added McMullen.

All of the competitions include giveaways, with the Open Category offering cash prizes to the winners.

Learn more and register for the competition online at: tinyurl.com/3datkce7.