Circuits + RIC: How We Build Meaningful Climbing Experiences

At Agility Boulders, we’ve always believed that climbing is about more than numbers on the wall. Since opening in 2021, we’ve seen our community grow in skill, confidence, and curiosity. Along the way, we’ve shifted from using traditional V-grades to circuits. Our circuits are color-coded ranges that group climbs into overlapping difficulty zones. This change is about more than simplifying grades; it is about creating an environment where climbers can focus on movement, discovery, and joy instead of chasing a single number.  

But behind every circuit lies careful thought from our setting team. Each week, when one of our walls gets reset, our team doesn’t just consider the grade range. We also consider three key dimensions of climbing difficulty known as the RIC scale. The RIC Scale—which stands for Risk, Intensity, and Complexity—was developed by routesetting pioneers Tondé Katiyo and Jacky Godoffe. This scale is widely used to provide a more detailed, nuanced profile of a climb beyond its grade. Together, circuits and RIC help us design a well-rounded gym experience that challenges your body, mind, and comfort zone in balanced ways. 

Why Circuits?  

Traditional V-grades give a single number to a climb, but they often fail to capture how different people experience the same climb. A “V4” might feel like a puzzle to one climber, while another finds it straightforward but physically taxing. Circuits, on the other hand, group climbs into overlapping ranges, each circuit representing about three V-grades in our gym.  Circuits also offer a range of climbs with varied styles, so that you have different experiences with each climb, within your preferred grade range. 

The Benefits?  

- Less pressure: We are encouraged to try climbs based on color and curiosity, not an exact grade.  

- More exploration: Circuits let us sample climbs across styles, encouraging variety and skill growth.  

- Inclusive grading: With overlaps, we  can flow naturally from one circuit to another without feeling “stuck.”  

Circuits are the framework. But what gives them depth is the way our setting team uses the  RIC scale to add variety and richness inside each circuit.  

The RIC Scale: Three Dimensions of Difficulty  

The RIC scale breaks a climb into three dimensions:  

1. Risk – The emotional or physical consequence of failure. Indoors, this rarely means true danger, but it can mean committing to a big dynamic move, trusting a tenuous smear, or pushing into unfamiliar territory. Risk challenges your head as much as your body.  

   
   

2. Intensity – The raw physical demand of the climb. This might be a powerful deadpoint, a long lock-off, or a pumpy overhang that taxes endurance. Intensity is about strength, power, and body tension.  

   
   

3. Complexity – The cognitive load. Some climbs are straightforward. You see the holds and know what to do. Others feel like a puzzle. Which foot first? How do I turn my hips? Do I need to down-climb one move before going up? Complexity tests problem-solving, coordination, and creativity.  

Instead of boiling difficulty down to a single number, RIC acknowledges that each climb has a unique “profile.” A climb could be low in Intensity but high in Complexity, or the opposite. That’s where circuits and RIC come together.  

 

How Our Setting Team Uses Circuits + RIC  

When we start with a blank wall, we don’t only fill it with climbs across the board. We balance Risk, Intensity, and Complexity within the circuits. That way, each one isn’t only seen as a range of grades. It becomes a mix of experiences.  

1.  Balancing intensity for all levels: A beginner-friendly Green circuit climb might focus on low intensity but higher complexity, helping new climbers learn body positions and sequencing without being overpowered. In comparison, a Yellow or Blue circuit climb in the higher range will dial up intensity with overhangs, dynamic moves, or small, slopey holds.

   
   

2.  Introducing risk for growth: We intentionally set moves that can feel like “You stick it, or you don't”, like committing dynos or coordination-focused climbs. These high-risk moves help build our commitment skills as climbers. This can also look like moves to slotted holds, quick-foot coordination, basically anything that you can't “rewind” without failing.   

   
   

3.  Complex problem-solving Practice: Complexity shows up in climbs that take time to read. For example, we set certain climbs with specific sequences that aren't always obvious. This can look like foot betas (bicycle moves, smearing on the wall), using volumes as holds, and testing other technical skills. We setters love hearing climbers share beta, swap ideas, and experiment together. 

By intentionally using the RIC scale in our routesetting, we ensure there is variety in every circuit. Climbing through each circuit builds (or tests) the skills of a well-rounded climber!  

Why This Matters for You - Our community   

Understanding circuits and RIC isn’t about turning you into a routesetter; it’s about helping you get the most from your session.  

1.  Explore more freely: If you’re used to chasing grades, circuits give you permission to experiment. Instead of thinking “I can’t climb this V5,” make it a goal to at least try every Blue Circuit boulder in the gym, and see which ones feel fun and inspiring to you. Then, choose those boulders to climb with friends and help each other progress on the moves.

2.  Recognize your strengths: Struggling on one climb doesn’t mean you’re “not good enough.” Maybe that climb scores high on Complexity, while your strength lies in Intensity. Another climb in the same circuit may click instantly.  

3.  Train with purpose: Want to build power? Seek climbs with higher Intensity. Want to sharpen your problem-solving/route-reading? Hunt for boulders higher in Complexity. Want to be better at comp-style climbing? Look for climbs with a dose of Risk.  

By thinking in circuits and RIC dimensions, you can target different aspects of your climbing, making sessions more intentional and rewarding.  

Curiosity Over Numbers  

At Agility Boulders, our mission is to create an environment where climbing feels like discovery and high psyche. Circuits let us remove the pressure of rigid grades, while the RIC scale lets us craft climbs that challenge you in different ways, physically and mentally. 

So, next time you start your session here at Agility, try this: pick a circuit, choose a climb at random, and see which RIC dimension it stretches. Maybe you’ll find yourself pumped on a steep roof, baffled on a delicate slab, or grinning after a bold dyno you didn’t think you’d commit to.  

Every climb tells a different story, and you’re the main character. Circuits help you find the right chapter, and RIC makes sure the story is always rich.