haven't been there, just curious, how does it compare to the other gyms in boulder?

My friends tell me that there is less bouldering and the routes are harder, but set much better...

That being said I'm trying to figure out where to spend winter so any more info would be appreciated!!

I'm a satisfied customer so far. I'd say it's very comparable to BRC: good routes, not great bouldering but more than a woody. If you're into bouldering, neither BRC or Movement is a fully adequate substitute for the Spot. I wish one or the other would do some sort of cross-membership deal.
Movement has noticeably more non-climbing fitness equipment/classes than BRC for whatever that's worth (judging from how little it seems to be used, not much to most climbers).
Overall setup seems a little more user friendly--it's got a pretty nice arena seating feature where you can leave your stuff and sit without being in the way. That doesn't seem too important, but I like it.
The crowd seems pretty similar to BRC--what can you say, it's in Boulder!
I hope the town can support 3 gyms: they're all pretty good, but Movement is so similar to BRC I wonder if there is room for both.

Edit: actually the bouldering is pretty good; I'd be curious as to what other people think about that aspect of it.

the boudlering is good. Rating system is more accurate and using the V scale seems to keep yhou a bit more siked and involved. At least me.

routes are great too.

I heard a rumor that the BRC might bring down their prices to compete...any validity in this??

Scott,
If you are on the email list you will receive monthly special prices via email blasts - the week that movement opened I got a BRC email that dropped the month to month by 15 bucks - so I guess that's validation.

Movement is awesome - signed up as soon as they opened, great routes, open floor plan and great fitness equipment - but not much for the hardcore boulder-er...but really good setters overall.

amazing that a new gym opens and immediately the crowds are the same as BRC. you're right it IS Boulder.

Spot is still my favorite and actually I think you can get the best overall workout there, endurance included. Especially with the awesome rotating wall they have.

I also haven't been but my friend who has been to every gym in the Denver/Boulder area said it was similar to everything out there. Except for the fact that it was new, clean, decently high walls, and yes he mentioned this amphitheatre thing.

I also hear that the way they are conducting business is essentially to put the BRC out of business...that is just one friends opinion.

Kevin C.--Thanks for correcting me on that point regarding dual BRC/Spot membership.
Biggest factor for me now is probably just getting on the same page as the people I go with: they're all good options.

I like it quite a lot. I'd say its pretty comparable to the brc, except that the bouldering is better, the route setting is better imo, its got a nicer environment (more open, cleaner, amphitheater, hot chicks etc).

I'm not a super duper boulderer but I really like the bouldering there better. Seems quite a bit more realistic. I can work everything from the v3 to v5 range, whereas in the brc I could only really do advanced and below. There's quite a few more projects at movement.

I took a yoga class there which is included in the membership that was good.

Also they have this cool redpoint thing online where you can record what climbs you do. They also seem to update their routes more often then the brc, though that might be just what I've noticed.

The only thing I'm torqued about is them making me take the lead belay test twice cuz the first guy forgot to put my name in the system.

They "stole" Justin Sjong from The Spot and this is one reason the route setting is so good at Movement probably. He was doing an awesome job at The Spot and after he was hired there the route setting went up dramatically. It makes sense though as he is a route climber, not so much a boulderer. If he does any training classes there and you want to learn a lot about advanced techniques in climbing you should check it out.

The folks are movement are very professional and customer service oriented. As well, they offer more with membership than does the BRC. That's why the BRC has to reduce a price to compete. If it';s the same, and you get more at one than the other, you can predict the outcome.
Perhaps the outcome int eh republik, however will have more to do with where the scene is than anythng- time will tell.

As for customer service, I exect that the BRC will haev to take some steps forward to keep a strong base. People do like havign a rope to tie into and not wait for one, and also liek to be treated like valued customers. At he BRC it was a mixed bag. They sometimes treated you like "what are you gonna do? Go elsewhere? HAH!" anbd sometimes treated you well. At movement, I went in with a pal for a tour adn within 10 min the whole staff knew us BOTH by name and addressed us as such. That's saying something about thier focus on treating you well, if or not it is 'genuine' I dunno, but hte fact is they are making a point to make people comfortable and in a town with so much disposible income, I suspect it will matter.

Competion is good for the consumer. WE'll see what evolves. I still like the spot. Customer service is pretty good there and it's a folksy place with out too much BS and a good mix of routes in the middle skill range where I play. Too bad I f'd up my knee or I'd probably still go there.

I've been there 5 or 6 times, and I like it a lot.

What I don't like is having to pay for myself when all I am there to do is rope-gun my 13 yo son. Even if I'm clearly not dressed for climbing, and my son who weighs not much more than a gnat, they still want to charge me a "day use" fee. For this reason, I have started going back to the Rock.

But I do wish the Rock would change those manky ropes sometime soon...

In my mind this is how the indors gyms compare.....

The Spot: Great bouldering. Good customer service. Nice ambience with the upstairs cafe. I like the fact that as an older (58years) climber with failing elbows I can get on many lower-level boulder problems and get a thorough workout in.

The BRC: Good routes with alot of variety. I have never really liked the elitist attitude that is sometimes encountered there and all the kids running around make it pretty commodious. Ventilation system is old. Good place to train specifically for climbing.

Movement: As the new kid on the block it has the advantage of feeling fresh. Awesome interior design. Very clean with great air system. Route setting is really good with less emphasis on strange body contortions. They are trying to be a complete gym that has an indoor climbing problem. No kid programs so no birthday parties.
The most friendly and customer orientated staff........
I prefer Movement for its atmosphere and route-setting.

I suspect it won't be long before we see kids birthday parties at the Movement. They are too big an earner for most gyms for the owners to ignore. Particularly if revenue is down...

The BRC seriously needed a kick in the pants over numerous areas: customer service, route setting, facility maintenance, etc. Some of the BRC's staff is great but they're the exception. Still not sure they're getting the message. No doubt they are griping in a "poor me" mode just like a lame retailer reacts when REI comes to town (hint: the smart survive and thrive).

Movement learned from the BRC's mistakes and it shows. But I hope everyone keeps their BRC membership going so I'll have less crowding when I visit Movement ;-)

Personally, I like Movement much better than any other Denver/Boulder rock gym (and I've been to them all multiple times as I'm sure most here have).

Generally, the BEST route-setting of any gym I've been to here or back East. One indication that I've cited to others folks - some of my climbing buddies are of very different stature from me and we all pretty much like the same routes, so they are very thoughtfully set. Lots of interesting movement as well - not just crimpy, dyno-y, finger-tweaking, ape-fests.

One *major* benefit is that all the holds are (obviously) new, so you can actually stick to the tiny little foot jibs etc. This will change with time, of course, unless they can afford to replace all their holds on a regular basis - which would be nice but not likely.

So far, the air system is the best in the area (I have asthma, so this is a biggie for me).

The layout is awesome and the walls are tall.

For you eco-types, they also have a hyoooj PV system.

OK, now for my one major gripe... their "family" membership *requires* three or more people. If it's just you and your SO, you have to buy two single memberships. Sux.

Overall though, I think climbers will benefit as long as the gyms don't start acting like major air carriers in their home hubs (taking big losses to drive the other guys out) - competition in this area is good.

I just remembered though...

I dislike the music at movement the most out of any of the other gyms. It doesn't get me excited to climb and its too quiet. Not that I'd want some of the music they play to be any louder.

Probably just my opinion.

I was wondering if people are finding that Movement is really busy. The BRC has been pretty quiet lately.
Do you have to wait around for routes at all?

Don't often have to wait for routes but lead ropes can take a while to get during their busy times...

Compared to the climbing gym I am used to climb in on the East coast (Carabiners Climbing in MA) I found the routes in the 5.10-5-12 range at movement very easy. I've never been to other gym in Co. How does it compare with BRC for instance?
Other than that it's clean, the architecture is definitely nice and the routes are OK.

I've talked to some employees at the BRC and they have said overall membership hasn't really dropped much since Movement opened. It does seem less crowded, but not drastically so. When the cold weather hits and stays put in the next couple weeks we'll see how that all is really gonna play out. The BRC dropped their prices slightly, are offering a cross membership with The Spot, and more free fitness classes for members. I personally have always found the staff there to be friendly enough. Can you really expect, and do you really want everyone working at a gym to go out of their way to say "hi" and chat you up when you're there? I guess there's an "elitist" attitude sometimes, but no one is ever rude, and the fact is there are a lot of "elite" climbers there, so what's the problem? Movement is a fantastic gym, the facility is great, the routes are well set, but the health club atmosphere turns me off a little. My guess is more people than you think have memberships or punch cards to both places. What's my point? I don't have one, except I still climb at the BRC and always will.