A Conversation With Pierre Broyer
Who are you? Present yourself.
“I’m Pierre Broyer, an international routesetter.I’ve been climbing for over fifteen years and setting routesalmost from the beginning. What started as a hobbyslowly became my profession. Today, I work internationally,and traveling is a big part of my life.”
How and why did you start routesetting?
“I’ve always been sensitive to movement.What fascinated me wasn’t just climbing hard, but creating sequences — designing how someone experiences their body on the wall.Routesetting gave me a sense of freedom within climbing.I love building something that didn’t exist before.”
Would you say traveling
opened up your mind?
“Completely. What I love about traveling is adaptation. Meeting new people, discovering different ways of working, different cultures,learning a few words here and there. Traveling forces you to open up.It teaches humility and perspective.”
If you were to move countries,
where would you see yourself?
“Somewhere sunny, or somewhere with a strongclimbing community. Spain appeals to me for its rhythm,its social energy, its colors.But I’m also attracted to something radically different— maybe China. That contrast excites me.For now though, Paris matches my energy.”
Your biggest inspiration?
“In routesetting, Jackie Godoff is definitely one of my biggest inspirations. A precursor and a creator, someone capable of synthesizing ideas and building systems. In art, Yves Klein inspires me. I admire how he worked with restriction — monochrome, simplicity — and turned it into something powerful. Creating something strong out of a single element.”
Tell us more about your art. When did you start painting?
“I started painting not so long ago, but like everything I do,it became quite intense, quite fast. My life is chaotic — constant travel, colors, cultures, noise. Painting gives me structure.It gives me mental release.”
Do you find a parallel between routesetting and painting?
“Absolutely. Both require coherence within rules.Routesetting helped me develop sensitivity — understanding shapes, textures, composition. I organize a canvas the same wayI organize a boulder sector. It’s about balance, associations, structure.In both, you build an experience.”
What song are you listening to at the moment?
“‘Some of That’ – Sylvan Paul. In general,I navigate between trip-hop and slightly rock-influenced atmospheres.I like music that leaves space.”
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
“Traveling maybe a bit less — but better.I imagine having a small training space in Paris. Something intimate.Maybe a workshop area where I can build things.A place that blends movement and creativity.”
What would you say to your younger self?
“Don’t rush validation. Take care of your body — and your mind.Trust that your path doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s.Let things arrive when they’re meant to.But also — shape your destiny. Keep moving.”
How does your routine look like?
“Structured, but flexible. Training. Work. Creative time.I try to balance physical intensity with mental quiet.Even though I enjoy chaos — seeing people, traveling, movement.I need calm in between. Moments to reorganize.”
Is style important to you?
“Yes — but not in a superficial way. Style is coherence.It’s when someone fully embodies something.I like people who are a bit singular, who affirm something.Hidden talents. Subtle differences.”
Was climbing cooler before or now?
“There was something special when everything was still undiscovered— the 90s and early 2000s must have been incredible.Around 2010, climbing still felt niche.You had to be a bit crazy to commit to it. I liked that.But the openness of climbing today, the opportunities and visibility,also make the sport bigger and stronger. It’s evolving.”
A movie recommendation?
“Lost in Translation.”
Something people would never guess about you?
“People assume I thrive in chaos.The truth is, I function because I create structure inside it.”
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