TRC spends a lot of time, effort, and resources updating our routes to keep challenging our members, guests, and ourselves. We turn over all of our top-rope and lead routes every 3-4 months. In addition, we switch out the boulder about every six weeks. This means in a year we cycle through more than 300 route names and probably 17,000 pieces of tape. We believe all this work makes TRC a better place to climb, both seriously and casually. There’s always something new to do and something new to learn. A big thanks to the setters below who keep us all on our toes, quite literally.

The Routesetters

Click on a name below to learn a little more about each of our routesetters.

Skinny

• Skinny came to TRC through Eldorado Wall Company as a part of the original crew that built TRC. If you get a glimpse behind the walls here, many of those are his welds. Sometimes Skinny is a jet-set hired gun for Eldo. Sometimes he’s here routesetting, doing repairs, teaching classes, adding lead bolts — whatever else we can find for him to do. And sometimes he’s out climbing and trekking in the wilds of the world. Skinny is a Level 2 USAC Routesetter.

JP

• Real name: John Provetero
• Hails from: Poughkeepsie, NY…but loves to be in Asheville/Boone
• Favorite climb: Whatever he’s working on
• Likes: cycling, vintage race bikes, coffee, beer, and steep climbing
• Hardest bouldering problem: V7
• Real job: NC Department of Transportation
• Favorite climbing Area: Moore’s
• Climbing highlights: John started climbing around 1980 and is a seasoned fifty-some years old. Take note and don’t mouth off to him whippersnappers! John has climbed throughout NC and the New River Gorge. Look around a bit and you’ll likely find his name attached to a first ascent here or there. Since the late 90′s, however, John’s been busy bouldering.
• Loves to set: Consensus V4… every move.

Schmidt

• Real name: Andrew Schmidt
• Hails from: Cary, NC
• Real job: Routesetter at Lifetime Fitness — Yes, Andrew moonlights with us. We are sexier, after all.
• It’s true Andrew has a sister, but he’ll always be our one true Schmidt. We find his name pretty entertaining, but perhaps you’ve already figured that out….

John C./JC

• Real name: John Chipouras
• Real job: Entrepreneur
• John was first spotted at TRC catching massive whippers in the lead cave. That’s a good sign, dontcha think? Turns out he knows how to turn both a wrench and a handhold.

Setting Schedule

Scott, Tyler, Taylor, and a rotating crew of regulars reset a section of the boulder every Monday. Usually they cover the basics that day, V0 to V6. Other setters fill in the gaps as the week rolls by. And new top rope and lead routes usually go up on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The setters frequently sneak in some AM setting later in the week.

Our Favorite Holds

Not all holds are created equal. Some manufacturers have great shapes, but their plastic just doesn’t hold up over time. Some have great plastic that they waste on strange shapes. Of all the choices out there, these are the best, at least in our opinion.

CURRENT GYM ROUTES

All current routes in the gym are listed below. Click the top of any column to sort by that category.