Movement Climbing Expands in Texas With Deal To Buy 4 Dallas Area Gyms
There are now 24 Movement facilities in the U.S. as the indoor climbing trend continues to grow
Movement Climbing, a community of indoor climbing gyms, has acquired four Summit Climbing, Yoga and Fitness gym locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, Movement announced.
With the addition of the Summit facilities, Movement’s footprint has expanded even further in Texas with rock climbing, bouldering, yoga, functional fitness, cardio zones and climbing gear shops.
Along with the four gym locations, Movement has also acquired Team Texas, a youth climbing team, as well as the team’s raining facility in Carrollton, Texas.
“We’re extremely excited to be expanding our presence in Dallas,” said Jeremy Levitt, Movement CEO. “The Summit team has done an incredible job creating a strong climbing community and I am thrilled that they will be joining the Movement team.”
Levitt, who started climbing in the late 1990s at Exposure, now the Team Texas training center, added that Summit and Movement share many community-building values where members can thrive. He shared that the two gyms want to create an accessible climbing, fitness and yoga experience for all levels, ages and abilities.
“Jeremy grew up in the DFW climbing community, was a Team Texas athlete, and we know he believes in it just as much as we do. Movement will build on and strengthen the amazing community that Summit has fostered over the last 20+ years,” said Kyle Clinkscales, Summit Gyms CEO and co-owner.
The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
The four locations include:
- Summit Grapevine, Summit’s newest and largest location with a 36,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility with top-rope, lead climbing, and bouldering in a 3-story gym. In addition to climbing, it features brand-new fitness equipment, a training area and yoga and fitness studios.
- Summit Plano, a 32,000-square-foot facility featuring 2,000 square feet of top-rope, lead and auto-belay climbing. There is also 5,000 square feet of bouldering, plus fitness equipment and a full-service yoga studio with weekly classes.
- Summit Denton, a bouldering-only facility that offers a fitness area, circuit room, and Moon/Kilter boards (electronic climbing training boards). There is also an in-house yoga studio.
- Summit Fort Worth, a bouldering-only facility located in the West 7th district in Fort Worth. It features a top-out boulder and training wall, a fitness facility and an in-house yoga studio.
Starting May 1, Summit and Movement members will have access to all 24 Movement gyms in the U.S., although Summit members will need to sign a new waiver due to the change in ownership. The waiver can be completed on the website before visiting.
According to the FAQ section of Movement’s website, the indoor climbing operator did not purchase the Summit Dallas location, and that facility’s last day of business is scheduled for April 30. Movement said the majority of the Summit Dallas staff will transition to other gyms following the closure.
Summit confirmed its Oklahoma gym operations aren’t joining Movement and will remain part of Summit, as those locations weren’t included in the purchase agreement.
With the purchase of the Summit facilities, Movement Climbing now operates 24 facilities across the U.S., with locations in California, Oregon, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Maryland and Virginia.
The deal comes as indoor climbing facilities have grown in popularity.
Many adventure seekers enjoy not only the physical fitness aspect of indoor climbing, but also the problem-solving element and state of mindfulness that climbing naturally promotes.
In 2021, the number of indoor climbers in North America was approximately six million. According to Statista, the valuation of the indoor climbing market was over $400 billion in 2020.
