Meet Eddie, Head Setter at LIC
Meet Eddie Pandolfino, our new Head Setter. Eddie has been setting with us for two years, and we’re so excited to welcome him to his new position! Read on to learn more about Eddie, setting, some of his favorite things, and more.
How did you get into setting?
I started doing it for free membership at a gym in New Jersey, then started getting paid for it. I set for four years before I started setting full time and have been setting for four years since then.
Before setting what were you doing; what’s your professional background?
I went to Rutgers and was a double major in American Studies and Communication. I was working in advertising doing a lot of copywriting and SEO—writing for websites, some ad stuff. I worked a few internships in college and was looking for jobs in that area. While I was looking for a job for 6 months, I started route setting and coaching and realized that’s what I wanted to do full-time. I kind of fell into it: right place right time. Climbing wasn’t that big of a thing even when I started so back then it wasn’t really a career option 8 years ago. Now it's starting to be, which is exciting.
What do you want to accomplish as Head Setter at The Cliffs?
Setting is a teaching exercise so I like to share things about climbing that people might not already know while improving the quality of routesetting. No gym is perfect in that aspect, but we’re always trying to be better.
Can you break down what you take into account when you think of the quality of a route?
I think it's definitely a lot of things. One is If the route is fun or not; there are a lot of routes I climbed that aren’t fun. Another is accessibility, but also not making them too accessible to the point where they’re a ladder. I want to try to introduce people to new ideas and concepts that make them think more + and learn about their own climbing. We always strive to improve quality and keep things fresh!
What do you want the community to know about setting?
I think just the amount of consideration we take into all the different aspects of what we do when we put up climbs. And the time we spend deliberating, working through height and accessibility issues, general fairness, and grading—those are things that we spend our majority of day thinking about.
We try to put a say back into the people’s hand with the Vertical Life app. If a climber has feedback, I would encourage them to use the app or come up to talk to us directly. We don’t want people to think we’re intimidating, it's just that we’re working through the day and have a job to get done. If we’re not working or if we’re climbing, we would love to have a conversation about these sorts of things and receive constructive feedback so we can make the experience better for everyone.
“I kind of fell into it: right place right time.”
What is your favorite pair of shoes?
SCARPA Instincts. They’re good for all-around climbing; they're pretty aggressive but not too much so. I used to prefer lace-up shoes but if you can size a moc shoe right it's really nice to get on and off.
Are you more of a boulderer or rope climber?
I used to be way more into rope when I first started then I transitioned more into bouldering. I think in terms of setting and climbing I do enjoy rope climbing more but just end up bouldering. There's just something special about rope climbing; the flowiness of it and setting it is super fun.
What types of climbs are your style?
I'm really good at pinches and slopers and really bad on crimps. I just don’t like small holds. I'm pretty good at more burley overhang climbing. The gym I used to climb at had a super steep lead wall like the cave in here—but longer. I got pretty good at that, so more overhung stuff and feet-first stuff. Those are my strong suits.
Do you do any cross-training outside of climbing?
Not so much. I used to run a little bit. I think running or any type of cardio definitely helps with climbing. There's a lot of stuff I should be doing like weightlifting to work antagonist muscles, but right now I just do a good amount of core work. I'm also a big fan of yoga.
What's your favorite outdoor climbing destination?
Rumney, New Hampshire. I have a soft spot for it because it's where I first started climbing.
What's your must-have crag snack?
Blue Diamond salt and vinegar almonds.
What is your #1 crag item that's not an essential?
Probably my Nalgene.
What's the hardest route you’ve climbed?
Bouldering, I’ve climbed V10 and routes I've done 5.13. Nothing too crazy; that's also one of the things that a lot of people think, that a routesetter has to be crazy strong, but that's not necessarily the case. I’ve worked with some route setters that are really strong but they've lost sight of the easier stuff which is so important because that's what's getting climbed by a lot of people. You don’t have to be the strongest crusher to be a routesetter. I've also worked with a lot of setters that don't do incredibly hard stuff but they have a really good eye and feel for some things.
What’s the most fun route you’ve climbed?
The route called Rage (5.12c) in the Obed, Tennessee. The roof is dead horizontal so when you climb it you have to do these crazy turn around moves and toe hooks and when you clip it’s really disorienting because the draws actually hang below you. It's definitely one of the most interesting routes I've ever climbed. It was super cool and I got really close to finishing but need to go back!