routes set for you
Our routes are set for all ability levels, proportions, and style preferences. Whether one is looking to have fun with friends, climbing for exercise, training for outdoor climbing, or preparing for competition—we’ve got routes that are just right for you.
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KAYA connects the people behind each climb. Discover new sets, get personalized climb recommendations, and log all your climbs – indoors and out – all in KAYA. Download now to build the stoke together.
Meet the crew
Routesetters are a unique mix of an industrial athlete, craftsman, artisan, choreographer, and product designer. They are well-versed in a variety of climbing and movement styles. They constantly evolve the craft as the needs of our community change and welcome your feedback.
willard russell
Head Setter @ Fort Worth
Willard was born and raised in the DFW area, but didn’t discover climbing until he was 19. After instantly falling in love with sport, he switched his major to kinesiology so he could study something he could relate to climbing. As he finished his degree, he lucked into a routesetting apprenticeship position at the Denton location and fell in love with it.
Every day, he tests his limits with the goals of improving his setting ability and creating routes/sets in as many different climbing styles as possible. He looks forward to every setting day so he can give back to the community that brought him into the sport.
Outside of climbing you can expect to see Willard doing anything from playing video games to mountain biking. Don’t be afraid to say hello!
jack voltz
Jack’s introduction to climbing consisted of weekend trips to the Wichitas with her family in 2003. Since then, Jack has seized every opportunity to go climbing, skiing, and camping. Having grown up outside the competition scene, Jack has more of an affinity for an easygoing day of multipitch, but loves the process of exploring modern bouldering. As a former desk associate, Jack enjoys interacting with the community and discussing feedback. Her goal as a routesetter is to bring growth, joy, and a sense of community to members.
For every moment spent at the gym, Jack can be found spending the other lounging, doing a puzzle, and watching TV with her cats. Feel free to say hi, pass on a good movie recommendation, or ask why she thought that hold counted as a jug.
adam knight
Adam may not be the most social creature, but his love for climbing and the DFW community are something that’ll never diminish.
When he was introduced to bouldering in 2018, he knew it was special and something he wanted to do for the rest of his life. An apprentice routesetting position made his dream a reality, and now you can find his funky routes/boulders at Movement Fort Worth and Movement Grapevine! His routesetting style is funky, sequence heavy, and BURLY! He strives to create an experience for the climber, imbuing each climb with its own personality and evoking emotion through movement.
When he isn’t obsessing about climbing, he’s at home petting his dogs, and trying to find new skills to train. Feel free to stop and introduce yourself if you see him around the gym!
henry davis
Henry enjoys setting routes that challenge people to learn to climb in a way that they might not have immediately thought of. While he enjoys setting for indoor climbers, especially competitive athletes, Henry’s first love in climbing will always be out on the rocks.
When he isn’t setting at Movement Gyms, Henry sets and coaches at the Team Texas Training Centers. Outside of work, Henry enjoys reading history books (he has a degree in Atlantic History and Caribbean pirates!) and visiting his friends in Austin.
tucker black
Assistant Director of Setting for North Dallas
Tucker has a strong passion for climbing and loves to see the joy it brings people. He aims to share his passion by creating experiences, challenges, and a variety of movement through his setting. Taking inspiration from his own climbing background, Tucker is sure to serve you up some high-quality climbs.
After finding climbing in DFW in 2007, Tucker was a part of the youth climbing scene for several years until he started working at the climbing gym and quickly found out that he wanted to pursue routesetting professionally.
When Tucker isn’t climbing at the gym or setting you may find him climbing, climbing, or climbing.
FAQs
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Who is on my Setting Team?
Each of our regions has a setting team of 4 to 16 setters. Above you can see our head setter and we’re working on getting the rest of the team to feature here. If you see your head setter please say “hi” and introduce yourself.
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How do I know what is being set next?
We post our route setting schedule every two weeks. The goal with the setting schedule is to communicate where our team will be setting so you know which zones will be closed and where to look for your new climbs.
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What days can I expect the setting team to be working?
Typically, our team sets weekdays between 8am-4:30pm.
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How long does it take to set a climb?
Each setter will build between 3-6 boulders or 1-2 routes in 4 hours then group into smaller forerunning teams for about 2-3 hours and calibrate the climbs to ensure all challenges are grade-appropriate and adjust for quality & accessibility for a spectrum of climber types.
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How does the setting team grade climbs?
The day will begin with our Head Setter mapping out the intended grades for each of the climbs for the day. Once the first draft is complete which we call a ‘Skeleton’ we will have the primary setter forerun the climb and adjust any movements and swap out holds to get us closer to the intended grade. Our primary goal is to ensure the climbing movement meets our quality criteria then ensure we are hitting our mark with the grade. We will have at least one other setter forerun and make adjustments to the climb. The setting team will have a conversation about the grade and place our consensus in KAYA.
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Why does this set of new climbs feel easier/harder compared to the last set?
It could feel easier because the holds are clean with fresh texture. It could feel harder because you have not gained the muscle memory just yet. Each climb is unique and could be presenting a unique challenge that might fit your skillset or be out of your routine climbing movement. Either way, we appreciate your input and hope that you share on KAYA so our setting team can better understand what you desire so we can make every climb a uniquely positive experience.
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Where do I report a spinning hold?
If you find a hold that moves or seems loose, let the front desk know and they will get the info to the setting team to fix it.
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How do I get into routesetting?
We have a company opportunity page where we post all new employment opportunities. As a department we are looking for passionate climbers who are curious about exploring movement and designing appropriate challenges for our gym users. Keep an eye out for a community event called ‘Setting with the Setters’ where our setting team provides a guided experience of what our team does to create new climbs.
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What is the minimum climbing ability for a routesetter?
We have found that climbing at least V4 or 5.11+ is essential to meet the demands of forerunning each work day and basic understanding of movement. If you are not there yet and have interest please share your interest to your local head setter. They might be able to guide you to become a contender for our apprenticeship program.
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Does our gym have an apprenticeship program?
We have training for newly hired seasoned setters but our apprentice program is designed to take a new setter who has limited or no experience and mentor them through a 6 month program. We encourage motivated individuals to apply because we have a system to train you to become a great setter.