There’s no other way to put it, this place is huge and the perfect place to learn and grow as a climber. We have more than 38,000 square feet of varied climbing terrain – just for some perspective, that’s the surface area of three Olympic-sized pools! And we certainly like to have fun here, from Harry Potter themed parties to canned food drives, we have a thriving community that is always excited to meet new friends. Come for the climbing, stay for the helpful advice from gym staff and motivation from other members cheering each other up the wall.
Upcoming Classes
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After School (Ages 6-8)
After School
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Introduction to Rope Climbing
Introductory
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Slow Flow
Gentle
Cathryn P.
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Introduction to Technique: Learn to Climb Smarter
Introductory
Spencer B.
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Introduction to Rope Climbing
Introductory
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¡Escala DC!
Meet Ups
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Flow
Vinyasa
Leslie T.
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Book A Tour
Tour the Gym
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Book A Tour
Tour the Gym
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Book A Tour
Tour the Gym
Explore our spaces
Social Connections
You 🤝 Movement 🍁
Here’s how you spent September at Movement 🍂 Keep tagging us @movementgymsdmv to share your adventures with us!
Tag yourself, we’re climbing Barbie ✨
Hang on—have you tried hangboarding? If not, try out these quick workouts 💪
Hangboards are great for building hand and finger strength. A good hangboard workout will give you the opportunity to practice on a variety of holds, which will improve your lock off strength, and engage shoulder stabilizer muscles that probably don`t get much action during your regular climbing sessions.
Check out our block for two exercises to supplement your climbing session! Link in bio 🔗
Spotlighting this sick V3 test piece at Hampden on the slab wall ⭐️
Assistant Director of Setting Charley describes this problem as a finesse boulder; requiring little to no strength, this problem is all about technique and offers the opportunity to practice different skills from across the grade.
What’s your favorite problem at the gym rn? Tell us below + tag us in your sends! ⬇️
GET A GRIP…on slopers 😎
It’s hard to think of a climbing feature that makes climbers grumble and groan more than slopers.
Gripping slopers doesn’t have to feel this way—watch routesetter and instructor Annie explain how to approach slopers and build the hand and wrist strength needed to climb these holds with ease!
TBT to the Polaroid Route at Crystal for Global Climbing Day! 📸
Our routesetters might’ve put together the coolest showcase route of all time with this one 🤭
Climbers were invited to take a photo at our polaroid photo booth, then place their photo on the route at one of several checkpoints along the route. Together we created a tangible picture of our community, connected by our love of climbing 🩵
This hive is thriving! 🐝
First Friday: Bee Nite at Rockville had the hive buzzing as our community came together to BE the BEES 🐝 The gym was a meadow of flowers, our members + guests were the bees, and every completed climb was a successful forage to bring back to the hive! Climbers worked together to fill our hive with honey—over 200 climbs’ worth 🍯
We were joined by some awesome local partners and vendors, celebrating the magic of bees, the great outdoors, community connection, and partnership 💛
📣 OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS! ⬇️
Calling all our local muralist and photographer friends! We`re looking for artists to illustrate the walls of Movement Rockville 🎨
As part of our renovations this fall/winter, we`re seeking some awesome local talent to convey our community and their passion for indoor climbing, yoga, and fitness through photography and murals. The artwork will be installed in-gym for everyone to enjoy!
Read the scope of work + apply for this paid opportunity at the link in our bio! 🔗 Submissions close September 22, 2023.
The definitive guide to using a training board for the first time! ☝️
Training boards are an incredible resource for climbers of every skill level and we’re here to help you get started! Follow along as Chris, our Assistant Director of Setting for Crystal and Rockville, takes you through the three steps you need to get from the app ➡️ onto the wall!
If you’re looking for somewhere to start, check out our beginner circuits under the @movementgymsdmv profile on both the Tension and Kilter apps ⚡
Save this post for your next session!
3 ways to climb with friends for FREE! ⬇️
We all have that one friend (/sibling/coworker/neighbor) who&: been wanting to try climbing for a while but for one reason or another, hasn’t yet. Let us introduce you to 3 different ways your friends can climb for free!
1️⃣ Members receive 2 first-time guest passes PER DAY—we did the math, that’s over 700 people a year!
2️⃣ On the first Friday of every month, members can bring a guest for FREE
3️⃣ Members receive 6 guest passes per year to use at any gym, any time
Climbing is better together! 🤝
Cheers to 5 years of Hampden! 🥳
Thank you to everyone who joined us last week for Hampden’s five year anniversary party! We’re looking forward to many more years with this incredible community 💕
Mood when it’s almost Friday 😊🐈⬛
📸 from Kitten Yoga at Crystal City with @alexanimals last weekend!
Walls may be meant for climbing, but they can be a little scary sometimes—especially overhangs 😅
When it comes to climbing terrain, few things seem to inspire as much fear and intimidation as overhangs.
Maybe you find yourself quickly walking past the Gnarwall at Rockville or the lead cave in Crystal in favor of more vertical terrain, or perhaps you question whether you have enough body strength to climb steep terrain (hint: you probably do!).
If this sounds like you, check out our blog on getting over your fear of climbing overhangs by Timonium youth team manager Ezra Park!
🔗 Read now at the link in bio!
That`s no moon... it`s Galactic Battle First Friday at Rockville!
We had a blast sending off the "Death Star" in style with showcase boulders, a photo booth, vendors, a food truck, and costumes! We`re excited for the future of this space as the new climbing training area coming later this year. We’re also re-imagining some of our other climbing spaces to be more multi-functional to ensure members and guests have plenty of terrain to get your sends in! 😊
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this commemorative First Friday! The training area renovation is planned for September, so be sure to visit the "Death Star" in the month of August before renovations begin ❤️
Let’s talk growth mindset 🌱
Today we’re talking about overcoming plateaus! Watch as adult team instructor Jazz from @movementgymscolorado shares their favorite drill to help tackle those moves that you just can’t seem to stick! All you need is a systems board or similar wall.
What move would you try this drill for? Let us know in the comments ✍️
You 🤝 Movement 🤠
Here’s how you spent the past month at Movement ✨ Surrounded by friends and lots of sends!
Keep tagging us #movementgymsdmv @movementgymsdmv to share your adventures with us!
Miffy and Friends at Movement, a zine by @buppletea 🐰
We love Miffy’s supportive crew, robust warm-up routine, and iconic chalk bag! 🥹
Original caption from the artist: “Miffy goes to @movementgymsdmv - a slice of life zine created for a workshop hosted by me and @mxtikka with @fantomcomics!
It was so fun creating together and exploring the synergy of zine-making and this personal and introspective genre of storytelling!!!”
Create any climbing-inspired art? Tag or DM us! We’d love to see more of our community’s incredible work 🤗
5 gyms, 20 competitors, 1 chance for eternal glory*: this is Summer Smackdown Finals 💚
Smackdown 2023 was one for the BOOKS 📚 314 competitors logged 5,159 sends over the course of the 5-week comp—that’s a lot of climbing!
HUGE thank you to all of our competitors, judges, team members, and spectators who made Finals (and all of Smackdown) such an incredible experience! And of course, congratulations to our victors!
Thank you to our sponsors @evolv_worldwide and @wildcountry_official for your support and joining us at Finals!
*1 chance for eternal glory per category. Glory only redeemable at select locations.
📸 Photos by @greyson.pearce
Episode ‘23: Farewell and A New Hope (of Training Boards) ❤️
A long time ago, in a climbing gym far, far away...
It is a time of renovation and renewal. The Rockville top-out zone, fondly known as the "Death Star," will be dismantled and replaced by a new climbing training area. The climbing gym community cast their votes for Tension Board 2 and Kilter Board, and the excitement mounts as they learned that BOTH boards are on the way!
A milestone (and feature!) this big is worthy of an equally large commemoration and celebration, so the galaxy is throwing a party! The Rockville August First Friday Bring a Friend Day on 8/4 is a Galactic Battles theme event! Come dressed up as your favorite sci-fi saga character and enjoy games, trivia, a climbing challenge, vendors, and more. There will also be a fresh set on the top out area on 8/4 so folks can conquer the “Death Star” in style a few final times.
The training area renovation is planned for September, so be sure to visit the “Death Star” in the month of August before renovations begin. Sign up for our bi-monthly newsletter to receive updates on renovations + more, link in bio!
Everyone, meet Corey Murphy, the new Head Routesetter at Columbia! Corey, meet everyone! 👋
“My climbing began in 2012 at legacy Earth Treks at the old Columbia location while Rockville was being renovated. Once Rockville was completed, I got a membership and never stopped climbing. In 2016, I became a part-time employee in Rockville, and learned many of the different facets that made a climbing gym run - programs, desk/sales, and maintenance. After 2 rejected routesetting applications, my 3rd try was accepted and I became a part time routesetter. Since then, I`ve honed my craft.
I’m stoked to bring everything I`ve learned to Columbia, and be a part of a team that I feel is already incredibly skilled. I focus heavily on technical, equitable routesetting, with an emphasis on design principles that create engaging compositions that lure climbers into each space. When you see me around, I hope you feel welcome approaching me; I am happy to discuss our team`s vision for the gym.”
Meet our partners
We partner with organizations that help bring down social and physical barriers to climbing and who are committed to preserving and protecting the planet.
our directors
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krista
nickerson
director
say hello
We’d love to hear from you if you have questions, comments, or ideas.