Interview with Alpine Head Setter:Amanda Miller
Experience plays a crucial role in route setting, and today’s subject is no exception. Known for her creativity, Amanda Miller has taken the reins as the Head Setter at Alpine Indoor Climbing. After a challenging five-year stint at Sydney’s Skywood Climbing, she’s worked alongside some of the country’s and world’s top setters, including those from the IFSC and Olympics.
Amanda has set for three Australian National Championships, Oceania championships and several state competitions. With an impressive CV and an even more inspiring drive, she is focused on shaping and challenging the future of route setting.
So, who is Amanda and what does she have in store? for Alpine and its community? We sit down between boulders and get the low down and all the beta on what’s coming next for Alps.
JB: Welcome, Amanda. You’ve been setting at Alpine for almost a year, and we’ve all loved the creative and varied boulders you’ve added to the gym. Let’s start with a tough one: What’s your favourite colour to set with?
AM: Haha, tough question! I’d have to say blue, but honestly, like most things in setting, my creativity changes daily. That’s one part I love about the job—how adaptable you have to be.
JB: You’ve been a great addition to the Alpine setting team. What do you enjoy most about setting at Alpine?
AM: It’s a great team and we have a lot of fun on set days which is very important because we are very on top of each other all day. Working hard with a good team towards a goal is very rewarding. I also enjoy the creative freedom here and how much I can push different ideas.
JB: You are known for your creativity. What are you looking for in your boulders?
AM: Climbers can always tell if a boulder has had a lot of love put into it. An interesting sequence and a boulder that looks great, so it pulls people in to try it. Thoughtful and thought provoking and also comfortable and ergonomic.
JB: This is your first time in the Head Setter’s seat. How are you finding the new roll and what are the extra challenges that you have faced?
AM: I do love the position; I have the freedom to cultivate the gyms and the team. It comes with a lot of extra organisation and I’ve had to stand back from my own setting a bit to look at the bigger picture of the gyms. I’ve also had to learn how to communicate with different team members in different ways, setting is funny, and we have a very different language when we break down movement, communicating this with everyone is important.
JB: There are very few Female Head Setters in the Country. Do you find any extra challenges being a woman in this field?
AM: I’ve been lucky to have had very supportive teams I’ve worked in. I’m not sure if all women in setting have had the same experience, but the industry has come a long way. I’d love to see more women in this role.
JB: Have you noticed any similarities or differences between Sydney climbers and Gold Coast climbers?
AM: The Alpine members are incredibly psyched, and we’ve got a lot of climbers sporting goat tattoos! I think we’re especially known for our strong community vibe.
JB: How do you get the balance of grades right in both the gyms?
AM: This is something we monitor closely and always tweak if we need. Feedback from the members is very important and Toplogger has been a great tool to gather everyone’s feedback on this. The staff also give us a lot of feedback from our community, so if your readers have any feedback they can chat to the staff. I want to teach something in each boulder in every grade.
All the setters climb a lot in both the gyms, and we watch how everyone moves on all the grades. I do personally love pushing the hard climbs, so we monitor how the top members are progressing and how to keep challenging them.
JB: Every climber is so different; how do you cater for such a large array of customers in your Boulders?
AM: A good balance of rewarding different strengths. Some climbs will reward flexibility and mobility where other climbs could be coordination, power, or balance. We have a diverse setting team of short and tall setters all with different strengths. Testing and tweaking our boulders so that everyone has a similar experience is important. The planning and organisation before a set day helps us get a lot of variety in climbing styles. We also play a lot on a set day which is important for creativity.
JB: Have you experienced setter block? How do you deal with it?
AM: Yes, absolutely. It’s hard to be creative every day. This comes with experience, if I’ve set a move in the past then it’s easier for me to recreate that. The more moves i’ve set the bigger my brain library is. Sometimes if I’m struggling for creativity, I’ll grab a hold set I haven’t used before and see if that helps me come up with something different.
JB: Now that you’re leading your own team, what qualities do you look for in a team member?
AM: We have a lot of fun on set days, but it’s also hard work so the team has to gel well. I try to create a supportive space for everyone to push their own setting. We test and tweak boulders as a team so there is a lot of influence on every boulder from every setter. A diverse team, with varied ideas, is key to creating the best boulders and the most diverse styles on the wall.
JB: Finally, what are your goals for the gym’s route setting over the next 6 months to a year?
AM: I want to keep pushing the progression of our members. Setting is about providing a platform for our climbers to process and learn. I’m focused on pushing our newer setters to learn and improve. I personally love comp setting so I’m psyched to keep pushing that.
It was clear from my chat with Alpine’s Head Setter that she is only getting started. Amanda comes with an impressive CV, but it is clear she is looking forward to the future of route setting and learning every day.
Watch this space!