I love this climbing gym! There's a surprisingly large parking lot here (despite being in the middle of the city), and there's even some bike parking where cyclists can securely lock their bikes. Coming from a different gym, we had to get certified for belaying. Fortunately, through their membership system, we were able to take an extremely informative class, then take the belay test at our convenience at our next climbing session. These walls are probably the tallest I've seen in my cimbing time! Even my more experienced friends say they often get exhausted around 3/4 of the way through a route. Certainly a welcome challenge for top roping. With a membership (or day pass), you also have access to the full gym and bouldering upstairs. Members also have access to a host of yoga classes at different times. The locker room is super convenient with built in locks that you need to input a numeric combination. There are plenty of bathrooms and clean showers. Definitely worth checking out! read more

ALWAYS a great time at First Ascent Avondale! To celebrate my brother's birthday, he and a friend bouldered and my friend and I auto belayed. We all had a great time! My friend and I are excited to take a belaying class at First Ascent so we can tackle even more climbs! read more

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For my birthday, I wanted to do something I haven't done before so I decided to book a 1 hr lesson and try it out! I didn't know ANYTHING about climbing, so I didn't know what to expect. Our guide was super helpful, though, and was patient and clear in when helping us learn the ropes. The facility is huge, and I felt like the environment was friendly and open. Which is important for beginners. The largest section is rope climbing but they do have a bouldering section upstairs. They also have a small gym up there too. There is also onsite parking and they do have a small section where you can purchase gear if you want. We just rented. I definitely recommend getting a lesson if you're new. It was a great experience and we can't wait to go back! read more

First Ascent Avondale - Bouldering area - Yoga Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My friends and I were all at different levels of climbing. We ranged from first-timer to someone who has climbed over a year and we all had an amazing time! We were also able to use the student discount when we showed our ID, $25 (includes $10 gear). Before we got climbing, we had to go through an orientation- a tour and a belay test. I was comforted by this safety precaution, plus it got me familiar with their amenities. This gym is huge! They have a expansive range of routes for lead climbing, top-rope climbing, and auto-belaying. They also have a bouldering section, as well as a full-size gym with all sorts of fitness equipment. 60 ft. walls were almost double to what I'm used to back at my local rock climbing gym. The height really builds your endurance, but can be frightening to look down lol. Prepare yourself! read more

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I've made so many great memories at FA Avondale! There's a real sense of community here and the vibe is friendly and relaxed. Also, I finally took the Learning the Ropes class after bouldering for a while. The instructor, Lisa, was phenomenal. She made sure we felt supported whenever we did something right and whenever we could do something better. You can tell she loves what she does and cares about everyone in her class! I walked out feeling really confident about taking the test. Bouldering here, compared to Block 37, is more of a challenge! But I like it. There's a smaller amount of routes so it may feel like you're getting through them quickly. The gym's equipment room is on the smaller end, but I've never had issues accessing the machines, it usually doesn't get too busy up there. All the machines work great, but Avondale, please buy better jump ropes.. and more... because usually there's only one and it's broken. Parking lot in front, free parking. Bike racks. Snacks inside that you can purchase. Showers, clean restrooms, and friendly people working here. Overall, pretty cool spot. read more

The bouldering area is really small, mostly overhangs and routes you have to muscle through instead of being technical. The rock climbing area is really nice, it's actually tall with a good mix, and there are auto belays. Restrooms were clean and the staff friendly. The place does have a little BO stench to it when you first walk in. I don't regret coming here by any means but will likely continue to go to the other 2 gyms I've found here IL instead. read more

The vibes are positive, non-judgmental, supportive, and community oriented. The staff are extremely helpful, friendly, and enthusiastic (but in a chill sort of way, you know?). They've managed to strike a balance between excellence and inclusion and offer a really broad range of options for beginners to experts. There's a great variety of types of routes, so you're able to focus on your favorite type of problem, or push yourself on climbs that might not normally be in your range. Would definitely recommend for small or large groups to try something new and different. read more

First Ascent Avondale - Yoga Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Overall very good, the place is big and the environment is very good. The security measures are good and can be well instructed. read more

First Ascent Avondale - Yoga Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was so much fun! Recommend to everyone!Great place for bouldering. Super clean.Nice lockers with electronic locks. And good prices.

Lots of both lead and belay climbing. Might be the biggest gym I've seen so far in the city for just rock climbing. Bouldering area is nice but not super big. Staff is friendly and super reasonably priced even with renting all equipment. read more

I haven't climbed since the early 2000s and was really impressed at the facilities, routes, and other options at First Ascent Avondale. This is the only location with top ropes, lead climb routes, and auto-belay, and these routes reach up to 60'. The auto-belayed routes range from 5.6 to 5.10 or 5.11, and the routes with top ropes or lead climbs must rise to 5.13 or more, based on the overhangs and holds I could see from the ground level. There's also a bunch of bouldering, campus boards, a weight room, and other options. You could easily spend hours upon hours there without having to climb the same route a second time. Routes are all clearly marked and color-coded (this was a welcome change from the early days when a route might consist of numerous different colored holds and you couldn't tell if a hold was on a route until you got close enough to see the strip of electrical tape that marked it). The staff are all very, very knowledgeable and friendly - there's no sense of elitism if you're a novice climber. read more

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Heard great things about this gym. I went with a couple of my friends and we were incredibly disappointed. Height was cool but some top ropes were unusable due to the friction bars. I weigh 215 pounds and had to down climb because there was too much friction and the ropes were too thick. Very limited slab options for bouldering and grading was extremely soft for both sport and bouldering. Other climbers at the gym were unfriendly and pretentious and made the experience much less enjoyable. This place has the potential to be a great gym but fell short in too many areas. read more

A definite bring your family, friends, Date. Whatever you choose. I had this place bookmarked to go and visit, just never had a chance to make it. But thankfully a friend has been here and finally push myself and some others to come here. It's kinda of hidden right off the Main Street Addison. I mean if you have never heard about it from someone, you probably wouldn't know about it. I mean I would never have figured a place as cool as this would be located not to far from my house. When we came with our friends, we chose to purchase the day pass. And also to rent the gear to climb the walls. Was fairly priced. $19 for the day pass & $10 for renting the gear. Oh yeah, and you also have to sign a waiver before you touch the walls. But that's normal when it comes to you doing anything that involves risk : ) For first timers visiting the place. You have to go through an orientation of the rules & what you can and can not climb. Not unless you are certified on repelling there is only so much of the walls you can climb. (Believe me, there is still more than enough you can climb on. ) Once all was done. We headed straight to walls and started to test our strength, agility and skills when it comes to climbing. Keep in mind. This is not for those who are wary of heights. We finished after a couple of hours there and were very pleased with the experience. A definite place to visit if you can. I know I am going to try and make it here again. read more

First Ascent Avondale - A true view of challenge and fun. - Yoga Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Their Teen Climbing Club is fantastic. Kaleigh and Moises are skilled leaders who provide an excellent blend of warmth, support, hands on and hands off instruction in a safe environment. They bring a great relaxed and positive energy to the teen group. Combine that with the awesome facilities at FA and this program should be 6 stars! My son spends 4 hours a week with them and has become more confident, muscular and happy, along with learning how to climb, belay and boulder safely in a short amount of time. Highly recommend. read more

First Ascent Avondale - Yoga Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely terrible. The very second you walk in no one is at the desk checking in people. I waited for a good 10 minutes two employees saw me mind you they were busy but didn't acknowledge there was a human waiting at the desk waiting to be helped, not a welcome, no "I'll get to you in a few minutes." I believe the owner of the facility she was there.. Nothing she totally made sure not to get eye contact with me. I love this gym I'm a member but didn't have my scan card with me but if the first few seconds of walking in to a facility isn't warming.. and if y'all are that busy.. hire more faculty! But overall this gym is so fun and enjoyable.. hopefully this doesn't happen again. read more

First Ascent Avondale - The bouldering here is so good and challenging, small space compared to the other locations but enough. - Yoga Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Atmosphere: 5/5 Food: N/A Service: 4/5 I have been wanting to climb since I first moved here but I kept making up excuses as to why I couldn't go. Finally, I made my way to First Ascent and I'm so mad at myself for not going earlier! Before I came here, I checked out their website to see what the gym looked like and to fill out paperwork (usually gyms have waivers and I find it easy to do before going in). Their website lets you do a virtual tour and you can tell this gym is BIG! Their website claims that their walls are 60 feet high, the tallest in Chicago! When I walked in, 60 feet was indeed TALL. What I liked about the gym is that they had top rope, lead climbing, auto-belay, bouldering and a fitness center, all in one building. The staff was super nice although it took a while to find people to do orientation (mandatory for all newcomers) and to do belay certification. Overall: I can't wait to come again! They have a free private lot which I feel like is hard to come by in the city. The biggest perk is that they have student discounts here! Bring your ID and a day pass is only $15! read more

First Ascent Avondale - Yoga Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This was not at all what I expected. Then again, I didn't know what I was expecting to being with. My friend took me here, he's been here once before and said it was fun, he left out the part where its a crazy workout. I loved it. We paid $34 for the daily pass, but this is because we had to rent the shoes and harness. I knew nothing about climbing, the staff was very helpful and friendly. I even locked myself out of the locker where I had my things in, and the front desk bailed me out. The environment was very welcoming and so refreshing. it was over all a great experience! Also, they have a gym area with lots of weights I was able to play around a little. Super cool place, and for my first time I think I did OK. Will be coming back! read more

Our son loved this place. We had never been to a climbing facility before so there was apprehension on both of our parts but the people there were so helpful and safety conscious . We had a great time and plan on going back in the future. What a wonderful experience. read more

pretty good. they need more free climbing walls. a bit sparse. lots of carabiner walls though.

This is a cool place, located at the end of a Spaulding, so you can't really see it from the main road of Addison, but it's definitely there. Once you get in, you sign a waiver using one of the four kiosk located near the wall. After you sign your life away via their waivers, the place has self-belaying rock climbing on the first floor, extended to the top of the building, as well as a second floor section for people who like to try bouldering. For this specific occasion, I went bouldering and it was fun! The routes varied from super duper hard, to beginners like me. On the second floor, they also have a section where you can workout in. They have a few ellipticals, treadmills, squat racks, pullup cages and even gymnastic rings! BATHROOM REVIEW: This is more about the locker room. Somewhat small... it was rather cramped inside with a bench or two to sit down or put your belongings. There are a couple of urinals and stalls as well. During our visit, there were no paper towels, but they did have a hand dryer. Sit or squat? Squat... guys are pigs, especially in a locker room ;-) read more

This is the best place to climb in the city of Chicago. The walls are tall. Like, really tall. And the plethora of routes range from so easy a child can do it (there are literally routes for small children), to interesting, technical slab climbing, to straight up fun jugs, to overhanging lead and arch climbs. Also, there is a second floor with one side dedicated to bouldering and the other gym equipment for more strength, cardio and endurance training. Did I mention daily yoga? Furthermore, this is a gym designed by climbers for the community. It's their love note to the sport of rock climbing. The intention of the staff is to make their love infectious to everyone by their friendliness and expertise. It's a great place with great people doing great things. #letsclimbchicago read more

First Ascent Avondale - Yoga Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The climbing space is really great here. The highest walls are satisfying for an indoor space. I think they could use a few more auto belays. The employees that run the place are a bit rude and could use a lesson in decency. Most of them don't seem to understand the basics of politeness or customer service. But that being said, once you're done dealing with them, the actual climbing is great. read more

What a fun place! I had no idea this place was so close to our condo! My husband brought me here last weekend and after freaking out during my first try and essentially sticking myself to the wall 3' high not wanting to let go out of fear i finally made it up 25'. This is quite the workout but so much fun! The adrenaline mixed with fear makes for a good time lol we will definitely return! read more

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I wish so bad yelp had a special 6th star for special occasions.. This gym was incredible! Awesome, awesome staff, beautiful walls and holds, and the routes were some of the best, well thought out routes ive climbed in a long time. Cant beat there main lead wall.. Guy working there (andrew i believe) said it was around 60-65 feet by the time you add in the over hang and roof section! Thats incredible!! Beats our 40 foot indy gyms ;) This place is over 3 hours from my house and still worth the drive, i hope to come back soon. read more

My friends got me hooked. I started climbing a year ago. I really enjoy climbing and climbers are great people, everyone is friendly! If you are new, don't be intimidated, there are lots of new climbers here as well as seasoned vets. Come out, has a good time! Try something new! read more

a great climbing gym that includes both top roping and bouldering, take your pick. i'm a top roping gal, so love the tall walls here and challenging route problems. the walls are all textured which makes it easier to smear off the wall on a difficult move. but also means your knuckles, elbows and knees could get easily scratched up by the wall. i know from personal experience because this has happened to me on multiple occasions. all in all a great climbing gym with clean and fully functional gym equipment as well. i haven't taken any yoga class or utilized any of the other gym amenities, so can't really speak to that. but the real belle of the ball here is the top roping - whether you're auto-belaying, belaying, or lead climbing. the only thing stopping me from giving this 5 stars is the lack of balance problems on the top roping walls. there's generally a couple, but wish there were more so not all the routes are relying on pure strength and forearm / grip power. read more

First Ascent Avondale - Yoga Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's fine. You'll pay more here then you would at another gym for arguably less. You'll feel trendy, but will suffer through heavy rock music at 6 am. read more

I went for my first visit today. I've climbed a few times before, but consider myself a total newb and scaredy cat. Daniel made me feel welcome and safe. Super fun and challenging experience. Also, as a recreational powerlifter, I really appreciate the weight training area. read more

This facility is awesome, it's much nicer than the uptown location but a bit farther north for me (but definitely worth it)! First of all, free parking in a parking lot, no more competing on the streets! 2nd, the amenities are much nicer, with fully working internet (the uptown location hasn't had internet in MONTHS!), bigger locker rooms with automatic locks, huge couches for you to lounge on. Their work out room is bigger and better here as well. Most importantly, the climbing. They've got top roping here as well as bouldering. Although I like bouldering more, it's nice some times to go top roping to train for endurance. read more

Tried a class and spent the rest of the day here. Great opportunity for a unique workout. I'm *kinda* fit. I'm 5' tall and got pooped way too fast. I wish there were more beginner spaces. It was difficult to communicate as we got higher up the wall -- unlike bouldering where we could shout out tips (there's a foothold above your left foot, etc) read more

I took my boyfriend here for his birthday a few weeks ago and we had a blast! Neither of us can do more than the auto belays but felt like there was more than enough courses with high difficulty to keep us busy and sweating. The staff was nice and friendly and the locker rooms were clean. I also love the upper deck fitness floor. Highly recommend for new climbers and old alike. read more

This is a great facility to climb at if you want to top rope, lead climb, or boulder! One of the biggest attractions, other than the dope climbing, is that there's a parking lot around the gym that's free! There's a fully equipped gym as well as tons of climbing related training equipment to help improve your skills. The bouldering wall has some really nice features, the routes are varied, the walls vary in steepness so you can practice on whichever type of climbing is your weakness. The staff has always been really nice for me and the youth team that trains here is always inspiring to watch. The atmosphere in the gym is great and the actual members are always really friendly and down to help give you tips or just chat. One aspect of the gym that I feel could be improve is its beginner friendliness. I've tried to take a couple friends who were new to climbing here, but a lot of the time there is simply not enough material for someone who just wants to try climbing to do and also have an enjoyable time. Conversely, if you've been climbing for a little while, this is a great place to come as there's probably tons of stuff that you can do and enjoy. read more

Chicago is a rough town to live in if you enjoy outdoor activities, especially climbing. First Ascent was a solid gym(s) though and I'm glad we were members while we lived in Chicago. They went the extra mile for member events and did a great job of building a community, something you just don't see everywhere else. The only recommendation I have is to simplify the cancellation process - we were charged for a few months after we cancelled and had to reach out to get the charges reversed (they did so quickly!) read more

Great staff great bouldering routes Friendly community free liquid chalk and gym room

I've always been afraid of heights, so visiting family out of town I decided what better way to conquer my fear than with family by my side for support. The place wasn't easy to find but once we found it, it was wonderful. The employees were very helpful and patient as we were with my three small nephews. They showed us how to use the auto-balay which was really cool. I was proud of myself for almost getting to the top. Wow what a great workout and an adrenaline rush. Great for kids and families or if you're looking for a new challenge, highly recommend. Day pass is worth it, as everything is included not just rock climbing. They have yoga classes and a full gym. They also provide shows and equipment so you don't need to bring your own if you don't want. Day pass was $28 per adult. Worth it! read more

First Ascent Avondale - Yoga Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My fiancée and I are new to climbing and booked a "Learning the ropes" class. Dylan was our instructor. We couldn't have asked for a better experience! He was enthusiastic, detail oriented and a blast to spend 90 minutes with. Everyone was super supportive and relaxed. The entire facility is clean and the walls are something to behold. We are already looking forward to our next visit!! read more

This is the best climbing gym in the city. Great routes and a lot of variety too. What really makes FA stand out though is their community. Everyone at the gym is beyond nice. You can always find a belay partner or just cool people to hang out and talk to read more

First Ascent Avondale - Yoga Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was 100% new to rock climbing (indoor or outdoor) so take that into consideration as you read my review. I signed up before FA opened for the "intro to climbing" class which met three times. For starters, everyone who works here really is nice. For someone who literally has NO idea what she is doing, what gear she needs, what the lingo is... nobody ever made me feel uncomfortable or embarrassed, and that's saying a lot. It's hard trying new things as a grown up! But not here. Everyone was really friendly. I found the intro class to be very helpful. Most of the main focus in the beginning is (rightly) on safety, and tying in, and how to belay, etc. And then... you're off! It's great. The class was a mix of learning top rope and bouldering upstairs. We worked a lot on technique and everything was very hands-on. Instructor Dave was helpful and encouraging. Also it was nice that although the class was slated to go from 3-5pm on Sundays, it's not like when 5pm rolled around, the instructor disappeared. The class just sort of continued until people left- most days I was there almost an additional hour climbing and I saw Dave there the whole time. After the last class I went up front and asked to be taught how to use the auto-belay. Lisa could not have been nicer, or more encouraging. (and for the record, I find the auto-belay sort of terrifying... but I'm working on it.) Anyway I'm no pro but as a newbie I found this a really welcoming environment. I would definitely recommend to anyone wanting to try climbing in the area. PS there is a parking lot and ample bike racks. It's sort of tucked away at the end of Spaulding but easy to find once you turn onto Spaulding itself. read more

For a climbing in gym in Chicago, you don't get much better than this. First Ascent just opened like two weeks ago, and I love several things about it. 1) There's a relatively large wall dedicated to just lead routes only. Now - there are TONS of routes on top rope, and many of these routes have draws you can lead on as well, but the lead wall is a good size and has sections of overhang. At almost 60 feet of vertical, this is great training for those long routes outside. 2) The boulder section is pretty sweet. It's upstairs, and not limited to one section. It's got multiple options to try problems, whether it's a cave, something more inclined and slabby, there's a lot to work with. I've actually had the most fun on their boulder problems. They're fun, plentiful, and consistent in their grading. 3) Free Parking!! And it's about a half mile from the blue line. 4) Classes! This place has a very good offering of classes including yoga for climbers and an intensive ab workouts called core-torture. I just did the yoga class for climbers last night. To be absolutely honest, it was the best yoga class I've been to. I didn't have to worry about remembering the names of different positions, I felt really guided through each position, and I really felt all my muscles were stretched out well. 5) Longer hours. This place has just about the longest hours of any climbing gym I know. Which makes it great if you get off work late and want enough time to get a good session in. 6) It's affordable!! I mean, when you don't have access to climb-able nature within a 3 hour drive of Chicago, this makes climbing way more affordable, especially if you live in the metro area. 7) Awesome work out space. There still working on this part, but they've got some great space dedicated to exercise machines, weights, hangboards... they've even got this sick wall with holds that you can adjust the angle of the overhang to build your strength.. pretty drool-worthy. Oh yes, and staff are super friendly. I've been greeted by friendly staff in all parts of the gym and have gotten on routes with staff giving me encouraging comments when I'm done. Tips: - Classes come with a membership, but you have to sign up online via their website. - They're also building a bouldering gym that's affiliated with First Ascent (FA) in Uptown. That one looks sweet, and you get access to that one as well if you get their membership. - The workout space is still being worked on, but I think it should be done relatively soon. - I just moved to the area so I'm not super familiar with it yet, but I know that FA is across from a shopping center (i.e. grocery store, a chipotle, a liquor store nearby), so convenience is nearby. =P It's super new. I'm writing this review at like 1.5 weeks after it's opening weekend. Most of it was ready for their opening weekend, but like I said, I think a few final touches are in the works. Now... if this place had a cafe that served pour overs, I might never leave. :) read more

I always wanted to try climbing and finally took a chance at Ascent. The location definitely isn't convenient for me but after reading reviews for other places I tried out Ascent and I think I made the right choice! $28 for day pass and equipement is pretty reasonable. I like that you can leave and come back throughout the day. All the employees I've interacted with are really friendly and make sure you're comfortable with the gear and hookups. I've only gone Wed mornings and it's always completely dead which I love. Since I can only use the hookups there are a limited amount of routes but it's not an issue early in the day. However, I can see it causing a traffic jam in the afternoon when there's more people waiting for the same routes. I love that theres a little gym so you can give your arms a rest. read more