Interview 005 – Frederico Hall Silva

Frederico Hall Silva - National Head Routesetter, Portugal

Please could you introduce yourself; who are you, where are you based, what do you do in your role?

I’m a Routesetter based in Lisbon, Portugal, and I’ve been climbing for almost 30 years. I competed for a while, but routesetting became my true passion. For the past six years, I’ve been the head setter at ClimbUp Lisboa, where I run the routesetting program and help bring new setters into the scene. On top of that, I freelance and have been setting national competitions for over 20 years. Recently, I’ve been working with the Portuguese Federation FPME on creating a certification pathway for national competition routesetters, which will lead to the first official course for anyone wanting to take on competition routesetting at the national level. We started it two years ago and will finish this February with the first national level routesetting course for competition routesetting, it is aimed at already experienced routesetters that came from a commercial background or that want to get their national certification. We have also developed a progression path through the different levels of certification from commercial routesetter to competition chief.

How would you describe the state of the climbing gym industry in your country, and how do you see it evolving in the next few years?

The climbing gym industry in Portugal has experienced significant growth over the past six years, with new gyms opening across the country. Ten years ago, there were only two commercial gyms nationwide, but that number has multiplied  by 10 in the last six years. Most of these venues are relatively small, averaging around 300 square meters of climbing area and primarily focused on bouldering.

Looking ahead, I believe we’ll see the development of larger gyms offering a mix of both rope climbing and bouldering. The overall quality of climbing gyms in Portugal is already very high, featuring modern facilities and a great selection of holds. Despite routesetting being a relatively new profession here, the standard is very good and comparable to that of most European countries.

What are some obvious areas of weakness in the industry in your area of expertise, and how does someone in Portugal get in to routesetting in 2025?

With few and smaller gyms, the professionalization of routesetting and coaching has been a challenge. The current size of the industry limits opportunities for professionals to work and grow.

For routesetters there are two main ways to enter the profession. One is by taking a routesetting course and applying to a gym. The other is through in-house mentorship, which can be harder to find but is often the best way to learn. Get to know the routesetters at your gym, show interest, offer help, and demonstrate good social skills—these are key to breaking into the industry.

Are routesetters in Portugal taking PPE and good working practice seriously enough, wearing goggles, ear protection, etc?

I think most routesetters are aware of PPE and good working practices, but their use isn’t widely adopted. Goggles are more commonly used, but with the prevalence of soft impacts, ear protection is often neglected. We do make an effort to promote good practices, such as proper ladder use and ensuring a safe working environment overall, but there’s still room for improvement in fully using PPE as the norm.”

What has your role been in ensuring Team Portugal is in the best form for the 2025 IFSC competition calendar; for example setter training workshops, international comp simulations, talking with other elite-level setters?

In the past I have been more personally involved with coaching and setting comp simulations after many years of being an athlete. Right now the Portuguese Federation FPME has national coaches who have been working hard to make sure athletes are ready for international competitions, both at the youth and elite levels. There’s a strong focus on comp simulations and athlete meetups to improve their skills and boost confidence.

Hosting a round of the Youth European Bouldering Cup in Portugal for many years has been very important. It’s given athletes, coaches, and routesetters the chance to connect, learn, and grow alongside other countries. Also, local gyms have been inviting international setters to run workshops and courses, which has had a huge impact on raising the level of everyone involved. It’s exciting to see how much this is paying off and pushing the sport forward in Portugal.

Where does elite-level training take place in Portugal, is there a national facility or do several well equipped gyms share the role?

National team training in Portugal takes place across a mix of facilities. There are a few public school venues big enough to host competitions, but commercial gyms play a huge role by organizing events and running competition simulations. For the 2025 calendar, we’ve got 15 national-level competitions planned across youth and elite categories in both bouldering and lead.

The partnership between the federation and commercial gyms is key to make it happen in a country as small as ours. It helps ensure that athletes have access to quality training and competitive opportunities, even without a dedicated national facility. Efforts are a being made to ensure such equipment is available in the next few years. But gyms will always have a important role.

If people want to learn more how can they get in touch with you?

You can find me on my Instagram.