Meet Gecko’s New Head Routesetter, Joe Lovin
We have a new-to-us head routesetter as of this week - meet Joe Lovin!
Joe comes to us most recently from Colorado. He and his wife were looking for a new adventure and Arizona was calling, so after checking out Tucson he made his way to Phoenix, stumbled upon Gecko, and fell in love with the gym and the community. In his own words:
“Hailing from the plains of Iowa, dreams of westward adventures drew me to Colorado in 2018 where I discovered my love for climbing. In my free time, I can be found going for trail runs or hikes with my wife and dogs Pepper and Eldo, recording folk music, reading, or grilling something delicious! Some of my favorite climbs include Original Route, Price for Fire, Cryogenics, and Time Wave Zero. I favor a playful setting style in hopes to challenge you to leverage your mind power in figuring out the best solution, and can't wait to serve the Phoenix climbing community the best way I can!”
A few things to know about Joe:
He sees setting as an art form. He describes himself as a creative whose medium is movement in space. We “climb with our eyes first,” so presentation is important to him.
He’s experienced, having worked on the walls of a gym in Colorado that partially inspired Gecko’s wall design!
He’s helped develop crags in Colorado including Piedra Canyon near Pagosa Springs and Castlewood Canyon near Denver - and he contributed to the guidebook for Castlewood Canyon.
Gecko already feels like home to him!
Next time you’re in the gym, look for him and say hello! We’re excited to welcome him to the Gecko family.
