I'm a little hesitant to leave a review because I'd hate to see this get too busy, but oh well it's worth it! I could talk about the great bouldering, gigantic range of top rope and lead routes, the practice wall, the workout equipment, pro shop, and classes offered but the big differentiator here is the customer service and the amazing way my wife has been treated. I've climbed on and off now for about 10 years but this is my wife's first time and she was especially apprehensive about climbing because of a negative experience she had at another gym. First ascent was the opposite, the staff was super friendly and answered all our questions and you can tell that the vibe is to focus on growing the love of the sport and outdoors. My wife and I may climb at different levels but always have fun and and are always able to find the perfect route. All I ever wanted was a gym in the city where I could challenge myself but also introduce my wife to climbing and first ascent was able to do both. The staff is great and the clientele is super non judgmental, everyone is there to just climb and focus on their own routes. Overall awesome experience, getting the membership was a no brainer. 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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We had such a fantastic time visiting First Ascent Avondale. We're basically total newbies and the family intro session was very well done. Safety is already on their radar given the nature of the activity, so I wasn't surprised they were also great with covid protocols. Highly recommend to experienced climbers or people who just want to try something new. read more

This is a nice climbing gym if you want to try out. They have more than a couple of auto belays you can climb with even though you or your partner doesn't know how to belay. It got crowded at some point but it was ok. As a climber coming from Boston, the headings were a bit easier but it was a good confidence booster. Descent belay routes too. read more

I am a member at a climbing gym in MKE, but decided to switch it up and come here with my husband a few weekends ago. Verdict - nice gym!! The walls are soo sticky for smearing, the new holds are like sandpaper, and the walls are so high. This place is great for someone without their own gear too - they have grigris pre-attached to all the ropes for belaying. I would actually prefer to use my own belay device, but to each his own. The place is so big too - when we were there, the parking lot was almost filled, yet we almost never had to wait for a rope to open up. One strange thing I noticed was that one of the areas had two routes overlapping (totally acceptable), one red and one black holds. For some reason, (people's shoes? rough holds?) both colors of holds looked black from above, and was actually hard to distinguish which was on / off. Minor detail, but maybe they need to clean off some of the holds more often since they are so grippy. Lastly, the bouldering area held much to be desired. When we were there, very few routes were labeled / graded. Maybe they had just been setup, but that is always something nice to know. Overall though, this place is MASSIVE and great to get a workout in! PS routesetters: I love slabby / balance-y / stemmy routes and there was a lack of interesting ones here - you guys would do well to switch it up a bit! read more

I've been to my fair share of climbing gyms across the country and FA is top notch. They are still going through some growing pains, but are doing a great job of listening to feedback from members and making improvements! Chicago has had a lack of climbing gyms (other than a few walls inside regular gyms) for years. In late 2014/2015, we saw 2 climbing gyms open up in the city and they both have their pluses and minuses. For me, FA is a better choice, but I support my friends who choose the other gym. FA is reasonably priced, has nice variation in grades, and once their second facility is open, access to an additional bouldering-only gym. Pros: Smearing is accessible here (not at their competitor in Chicago) Variety of routes and great opportunities for lead climbers Great staff Nice amount and variation of yoga and strength classes Cons: I honestly can't think of any worth noting here! They have some things they're working on, but that comes with the territory of being a new gym and no one should hold that against them! *A note on another reviewers criticism about the bouldering area: The routes are labeled/graded!! There are signs posted in several areas which indicate that the routes are denoted by the colors! So, for example, V0-V1 routes are yellow, V2-V3 are green, and so on! I realize it may not be how it seems to be done at most gyms, but it's not as though there is no grading! read more

They have a really difficult Cancellation process. I called to try and cancel, but was directed to use their website. But they still continue to charge me, and no one is getting back to me. read more

First Ascent is the holy grail of Chicago Climbing Gyms. The facility is gigantic, the staff is friendly and helpful, and even though it can get crowded, you're never waiting around for people to finish up routes. The sheer size of the place is overwhelming, but the staff is helpful and gets you right on your way. read more

This was our first time going to a climbing gym. Our instructor was very helpful and made sure we were tying and pulling the ropes correctly the whole time. Most of the walls were too difficult for me because of my short height and no upper body strength. It was much easier and comfortable climbing on the beginner level where all the kids were climbing. All the spots at the beginner level were taken, and there were very few spots. Because of that, it felt like they had very limited options for me so I didn't really have a lot of fun. We ended up not staying for too long after the class since there weren't any other walls I can climb up on. Just an okay experience for me. I wish they had more walls for beginners. read more

First Ascent Avondale - Yoga Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We were going to be in the Chicago area so we researched where we could lead climb. FA Avondale advertised a world class facility with 60 foot lead walls and belay checks for experienced climbers within 15 minutes (specifically stated on their website). Upon arrival we learned that the gym only caters to new climbers. They were too busy with new check-ins and would not be able to top rope or lead check us for the remainder of the night. We almost left without climbing when we learned that we could only use the autobelay and boulder. We pushed the staff hard and they promised to at least top rope check us. Sine we drove 2 hours, we decided to stay and be patient. However, after 1.5 hours, multiple reminders, and seeing the desk having many slow periods, we pleaded our case to the staff again. The staff person/manager was rude and unapologetic. She told us that the priority was checking in customers, not belay checks, and she did not promise anything. We pointed out there was no one at the front desk being checked in. To illustrate how slow the front was at that point, one staff member at the front desk was playing on his cell phone. We pleaded and she repeated over and over again that customer check-in took priority. She became extremely defensive and told us she needed to speak with her staff. A short while after this interchange we were finally belay checked. The staff member who did the test was very nice and professional. On another positive note the route setting was great. If you are an experienced lead climber, a competitor gym or Arlington Heights gym might be a better fit as Avondale was mostly hype with a small number of hard climbs on their main lead wall and the possibility of not even being able to lead during your visit. read more

Great fun and challenge. Feels inviting and safe. Great for solo, couples, and groups. Judgement free zone. Easy to schedule, excited to make indoor climbing a part of life! read more

Great place to climb and workout. I'm super glad I'm a member. Wish they had more lead ropes available. Sometimes they are hard to come by.

The go to spot for climbing. Long routes, interesting boulder problems, and an assortment of training equipment to supplement. It's not particularly close for me since I live on the south side but I make the trip anyways. read more

I bought the year-long membership when First Ascent first opened and I am so glad I did. Love the walls and yoga classes and the staff are friendly. The only thing that could make it better is if the gym opened an hour or two earlier on one of the weekend days. read more

As a current member of 3 climbing gyms in the city and have have climbed at most of the climbing gyms in the Chicago Area. I can say that First Ascent is by far the best climbing gym in Chicago and quite possibly Illinois. This facility is incredibly bike and car friendly with plentiful bike racks with an awning above it to prevent rain/snow. Plenty of parking in there free lot as well. Management are climbers who are invested in First Ascent and will ensure customers are always happy. Always willing to take input and make corrections if needed. Staffers are climbers and well informed. Great positive vibes all around and always willing to help. New to climbing? Great for beginners as there is a detailed orientation to help you start climbing the right way. They also have classes. The routes and problems are all monochromatic and have a take down date so there are no surprises when your projects are removed. Lead/top rope walls are +60 feet high and have plenty of texture as they are made by Walltopia. This allows shorter climbers the ability to smear and reach a long hold. The climbing has been solid and fairly graded. Bouldering walls are also made by walltopia and they can top out on 75% of the problems. The movements are very well thought out and are tough. Training area is great. They have a system wall for training with every type of hold imaginable and that can change angles when you ask a First Ascent Staff Member. They have plenty of free weights, just enough cable equipment, crossfit cage, treadmills, the best elliptical machines that can adjust stride for the shorties and incredibly tall individuals, workout bikes and more. Plenty of free classes ranging from warming up, yoga to ab work. They also have plenty of classes to teach you how to climb and will translate to great sends indoors and outdoors! Team Climbing is led by well renown trainer Dave Hudson who has taught the nations best as well as Michaela Kirsch (5.14 climber) who is an incredible coach as well. Locker Rooms have showers and digital pad locks on the lockers free for day use or monthly rentals. read more

First of all, this gym is so much better than Brooklyn Boulders (actual textured climbing surfaces, lack of attitude among staff, and quality cardio/gym equipment being my top three reasons). The gym has high walls and decent sized climbing and bouldering areas. The gym/cardio is great. They have a designated room for climber training (campus boards, etc). Two areas for improvement: 1. Currently the autobelays are prioritized for low difficulty routes. That makes sense since new climbers are less likely to know how to belay, but it would be great to have more options for higher level climbers to train on their own (there's only so long my partner is willing to belay while I climb laps!) 2. There seems to be more routes for higher level climbers (5.11 and above) and new climbers (5.8 and below) and relatively few for intermediate climbers. As a solid 10b climber it's hard for me to advance because I'm not ready to make the leap to an 11a but there aren't many intermediary routes. All in all a great gym and I'm glad I joined! read more

The facility is amazing but I first have to say this is about the friendliest group of staff I've ever encountered, ESPECIALLY for a fitness-related venue. I've climbed a couple times several years ago but it's been a while since I figured out how to tie knots, belay, etc, so I was essentially starting from scratch. I asked an absurd number of questions and each staff member went out of their way to not just answer questions but also make me feel welcome and comfortable despite not being an experienced climber. The walls are amazing - countless courses and options and just a very cool overall energy in the place. I'm replacing my gym membership (the place that practically makes you send a blood sample to cancel) with a membership here because climbing with this group is much more fun than being looked at over at a regular gym. They'll also have a weight room and offer yoga classes, so it's sort of the best of both worlds. Loved it! Climb on!! read more

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Great rope gym with a good amount of auto-belay options (when they aren't being used by classes). The variety of routes was nice and the free lot parking was a winner! The fee is reasonable for the day and I'll definitely be back if I'm in the neighborhood again. Thanks! read more

Great vibe. Great routes. Friendly folk. Good auto belay routes.

I had an amazing experience here at the Avondale location. The staff was helpful and courteous and the guide for our orientation was very informative. Nobody had an attitude, everybody was cheerful, it was a great day considering it was a Saturday in the afternoon, not too crowded. The bouldering area was my favorite. So many different challenges. I'm def going to come back and get a top rope lesson. This place offers so many different routes. The bathrooms were clean and we were able to find a parking space. Included with your day pass is access to some of the classes they offer which I thought was a pretty sweet deal. They even offer discounts for students so be sure to bring your ID to save a few dollars. read more

This gym has been great in its first month of opening The hours are amazing. 6am climbs, late night climbs until 11pm. All the staff I have encountered are so friendly, helpful and answer all of your questions. I met one of the founders working there and he went out of his way to introduce me to other climbers. Their yoga classroom has nice, non fluorescent lights, and is a large classroom. If you are a member you can sign up for classes online ahead of time. These are the tallest walls in Chicago. The grippable wall surface enables you to practice smearing, and use any part of the wall. They also have built in some slots or cracks for practicing crack climbing. There is an amazing top rope cave 50+ feet off the ground that is extremely challenging. You can top-out at most sections of the bouldering wall. Overall they have a variety of routes and heights for all levels of climbing, as well as auto belays. They have their own parking lot for car parking, plus ample bike parking with a roof over the bike racks. The bathrooms have a lot of space with a changing area and showers. Overall the gym is nicely laid out and organized and I'm happy to be a member! I can't wait until their Uptown bouldering location opens in a few months. read more

I almost never post reviews, but I wanted to make sure to call out FA. As a first time climber, I literally had to ask someone how to put the harness on my first time. Staff are very friendly and willing to help. Later I was there by myself when I got belay checked, and two staff members helped me within 10 minutes (one to climb, one to do the check.) Since then, if I'm in the gym solo there are usually folks willing to belay for one another. There is a whiteboard where you can post your name and description when looking to partner up. I've been going for month now and here's what I can tell you: Routes are reset every couple months, all with date tags. 5-6 autobelays at all times, dozens of top rope and lead routes as high as 60 ft. Nice variety in terms of height, features, types of holds. I'm pushing my way into 10's, but there are lots of 7's-9's for new folks/training/warming up, and a large area dedicated to 10+, including an arch and a good size overhang feature with very advanced routes. Also a slab wall and a few cracks. Large bouldering section upstairs (including a cave and multiple areas to top out.) It does get a bit busy when they have kid's classes, but I've never been unable to find a problem to work on. They also have two system walls upstairs, complete with hydraulics to alter the angle to your heart's desire. Additionally, I'm happy with the workout equipment. Obviously this isn't the focus, so the area is relatively small, but I've never had to wait for anything when I did use this area. Treadmills, rowing machine, plenty of free weights, a TRX rack, benches, squat rack - the works. The classes are excellent. I took the 3-session intro class, and was very happy with it. Brendan is a great teacher. As for the courses included with membership - the intro yoga class is excellent. Slow pace, lots of explanation, very welcoming. Urban Playground left me exhausted yet looking forward to the next session. In short, being a new climber please take my review with a grain of salt, but the quality of the facility has me coming back every few days and the staff have me talking this place up to everyone I know. I highly recommend coming to check it out. read more

First things first, this place is HUGE! I was pretty shocked and I was pretty happy because I thought it was going to be a standard size place. Anyways, the place is really dope. They front desk people were really nice. The place is semi hidden but its a really nice building. I came here with a friends and we signed up for a class. It started off a little bit frustrating only because the instructor seemed a bit annoyed, which is understandable but the class was literally for people who were completely new to rock climbing. BUT I will say I'm not the best of listening because I'm more of a hands on person. Which is how it worked out, once I did it was pretty simple. So the climbing was actually really cool, really enjoyed it. I will definitely be going back. You don't really realized how high you get until you tell your partner you want to come down. The only negative part, which isn't much of surprise is that from the moment you walk in to where the borderline of the walls is. It smells like feet, pretty bad and noticeable. I mean, I know its also a gym but still. Other than that, Its a Solid place. 4.5 if i could read more

My wife and I started out with a introductory course as I've never climbed before. Great experience, as we both immediately felt welcomed and well taken care of. Pricing seems to be very reasonable, both for classes, membership and rental gear. All the staff are super helpful and patient with us newbies, which is so key I think, as a place like this could very easily fall into the trap of focusing only on the already skilled climbers and thereby be per sieved as a little douchey by newcomers. I've heard such stories about other places in town. We're already addicted now, and the only thing holding us back from going every day is the soreness from using muscles I wasn't aware I had. They also offer fitness classes and yoga classes which are included in the membership price. read more

Hands down the best climbing gym in the Chicago area! I haven't tried their workout classes but I can comment on the climbing: 1) Cost - Better than other large gyms in the area with more pricing options 2) Location - A short walk from the blue line (or metra) and right off 90/94 Addison exit 3) People - The gym Owners are Chicago locals who are working on the floor and climbing with you. All the staff I have met so far are super friendly and committed climbers. There is a nice, positive vibe in the whole gym. New & experienced climbers throughout and easy to meet people. Definitely a great place to start climbing and meet new people. Also, meet.com groups have started to organize here 4) Rope climbing - ALL variety off walls: slab, vert, aretes, crack, overhung, arch. Climbs of all difficulty levels from beginner to HARD. Tope rope, auto-belay and lead available. The setting is diverse with most routes being really good so far. Also, there is a nice variety of holds mixed in. I have been to other gyms where the setting is mediocre or inconsistent and even the hold variety feels like the same thing over and over again... 5) Bouldering - All variety of walls with Top-Outs!: vert, aretes, slightly overhung, really overhung, cave. I have mostly bouldered here so far and am very impressed with the setting.The medium size space gives you enough room to move but also makes for a lot of opportunity to socialize with other climbers. Top out is a great bonus. This is the first gym I have visited with this feature. Also, the cave is great because it is low enough from the ground that you don't fall too far. They just started their youth team which is being led by Dave Hudson & Michaela Kirsch. Based on their youth teams over the years, this will be another world-class team. Two thumbs up! Now climb on! read more

I'm so glad there are now multiple good gyms in the Chicago area. The staff here are really nice and the climbing is good. It's clear that everyone who works here loves to be at the gym and loves climbing. They're always offering a spot or encouragement and they want to learn everyone's names, it's awesome. Just the way a climbing gym should be. I've only bouldered so I can't comment on the sport climbing yet, but as far as the bouldering, the setting is good and the ratings are harder and more consistent than Brooklyn Boulders. It also helps that they have a parking lot. read more

The kids classes are top notch! Been taking my kids to lessons since the first day they opened. The teacher to student ratio is high and the instructors really know how to motivate the kids. Brendan runs the kids program and is always open to hearing feedback. read more

I was a climbing instructor for 5 years. Now granted I haven't been on a wall in sometime. But I can tell you this place is amazing. All levels of climbing from beginner to expert. It felt so good to get back up on the wall. The people and staff were really friendly it was just a great time and a great work out.. U will be seeing me often. If your a climber or want to learn this is a great place. read more

I took a technique class w Margaret and learned an enormous amount in just 3 classes. Her genuine care for all of her students is amazing. Her passion for climbing is contagious and I plan on joining the gym very soon! read more

I love the venue. It has an amazing early morning community yoga class once a month that is a can't miss.

Update: A representative from First Ascent contacted me after I complained about the attitude of the staff and having to wait an hour before I could climb because it was busy, offering two day passes to make things right. It was a holiday week when I went to First Ascent, and my impression is that I just came on a busy day. Looking past the issue with the staff, the facility itself is very nice. There are tons of routes, a great bouldering section, and the walls are tall and grippy (made by Walltopia). read more

It is indeed "WOHOOO! as good as it gets!" First Impressions: Amazing facility, loads of ropes on a variety of wall types, cracks, slabs, overhang, top-out bouldering, almost all bases covered (almost because you cannot obviously trad or aid here). There's even an area next to the bouldering section with a hydraulic-powered training wall that can be set for a variety of angles. This facility thought of everything, a small area near the front to practice tying in and belaying with some easy routes if you are a newbie, scattered autobelays throughout the facility and even a "no-solo" white board for the solo climber. A month in: I have not climbed a route twice (well, I have, but it was by accident because I couldn't remember if I have climbed it) and they have already began to doubling up on climbing routes on some ropes... whaaaa?!?! Ratings are soft (or I am super strong), but routes are fun and flow really well. They have quality route setters working there. They are proactive about tightening spinners. I have not tried any of their classes, but have observed people participating in them. They looked like they were having fun and more importantly, sweating. All the cardio machines are in and the adult jungle gym is fully assembled. And, there's Wifi. People here (climbers and staff) are friendly and I have not seen any sketchy/unsafe behavior unlike another facility that I checked out and never went back again. It is definitely a place to get an all-around work-out and get strong as a climber. I have lost track of time climbing at this facility and I am always eager to come back. 'Nuff said. :) read more

Really wonderful climbing gym. I'm a member and go two or three times a week. Incredible customer service, really friendly staff, great community. Can't recommend them enough. read more

Excellent gym - has a lot of tools a climber might want for training. The main missing piece imo is a permanent holds wall both to calibrate their own setting and my progress. read more

Love FA and the facility. Great routes, tend to be more difficult than Brooklyn Boulders (in my opinion) and love that they have Walltopia walls. My only complaint is that the routes are pretty close together, so on busy days, it can feel too crowded. read more

Best climbing gym in Chicago. People are much more fun and less posey than the other gyms I have been to, and the walls have a great range of difficulties and technique. The staff are friendly and helpful, they put us in contact with some climbers heading out to red River gorge when we started out there. Highly recommend joining up. read more

We went there for the First Rock kids class on Sunday as we had been there for a birthday party and I thought our kid would have a good time. Everyone (check-in desk and instructors) is extremely friendly and professional. They are very thorough regarding safety. The location is great, with walls of various difficulties. Extra point because the place is very tidy. read more

Best climbing gym in the city hands down. The setting is very professional and there is a good turnover of new routes. Also great variety of difficulty levels so that climbers of all abilities can find a project to work on. read more

Great gym for all levels. Nice tall walls. Fun routes. Very helpful staff and classes.

It was my first time Rock climbing and it was so fun! the staff is very friendly and the environment is so relaxing