This is the best moderate alpine rock route in Washington…read more It's in what is probably the most beautiful natural area of Washington. So, why is it not more well-known? More often climbed? It's in the Enchantments, with a long approach. This is a permit-only area and it's infamously hard to get permits. The granite is incredible, the mountain goats plentiful. Put in for a permit, cross your fingers, and have fun!

A friend and I did the Haute Route with NMS in April 2017. The communication from Olivia and John…read morewas timely and thorough from the very start. I received all the info. I needed to prepare for the trip. They are guides though so if responses seem delayed, they're in the field but, always responded. Be patient. Our guides on the trip were Pete and Joey. They were amazing and worked very hard to ensure a safe and fun trip. The communication from them was awesome. I personally had the skills & experience for this trip but watching them teach and transform the rest of our team was a joy to watch. I my self had some takeaways that I will use in the back country the rest of my life. Thinking about the Haute Route? Do it with Northwest Mountain School. Thanks Olivia and John! Cheers!

Took the Aiare 1 class with this group. Great class, instructors and guides. Very informative…read more Great subgroupings. Highly recommend.

Riverfront Rock Gym is an excellent climbing facility that offers a wide variety of routes and…read morechallenges for all skill levels. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and always willing to offer advice and assistance. The gym is well-maintained, clean, and has a great community vibe. I highly recommend Riverfront Rock Gym to anyone looking to get into climbing or take their skills to the next level. Pro tip: I booked my session using GetOutPass, where I get access to multiple local venues similar to GoCity. Use coupon code: sale1 for an extra $5 discount on top of existing promotions

We checked out Riverfront Rock Gym during the summer of 2022 while we were camping in Wenatchee…read more It was one of those really hot summers with temperatures in the north of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. After checking out in the morning, we still wanted to do more in Wenatchee before heading back to Seattle. We quickly polled the kids while yelping to see what was available in the area for a good, kid-friendly fun. Unanimously, rock climbing was the top (well, the only) choice and off we went! The front desk staff were very friendly, inviting, and professional handling a large group of four families. Digitally signing the liability forms on their iPads was pretty simple and we were able to get the kids checked in with proper shoes and climbing harness apparatus. Once the kids were fully equipped, the staff guided all of us to the rock gym area, which was very spacious with numerous options, obstacles, and challenges. Their staff went over the specifics of each rock wall, how to secure the harness, safety features, what to do, and how to have fun. We were in great hands and I appreciate how inviting they were to the kids to try out any wall with their help. We loved every moment and our kids made many memories.

Great, local, no-frills bouldering gym in Tacoma. My husband and I moved from the Bay Area to…read moreSeattle and have been checking out the local bouldering scene in the PNW - Climb Tacoma has been one of our favorite gyms to check out on a day pass since it's near my parents. FACILITIES For bouldering? Wide variety of routes for different levels and technical focus. For example, a lot of bouldering gyms we've been to have their routes go vertical to fit more climbing onto a set of panels. I like that Climb Tacoma has options where a route might go across, so I get to practice different climbing techniques. Some routes exercise grip strength, others may be more core or balance focused. It makes the experience more fun and rewarding when you complete the beta. I've only been climbing actively for a little over 7 months and can climb up to V2 routes; my husband can climb up to V5/V6. Climb Tacoma has been great because we're both able to keep busy with how many routes there are. There's even a small area for kids to practice climbing and a fun spray wall to test different holds. My only complaint with their bouldering is that their labeling system can be very confusing - you need to look at the tape color to indicate difficulty... not the color of the hold. For exercising? It's lacking - a very small fitness / workout area with little equipment compared to other climbing gyms in the area. I would say comparable to small fitness centers you get in hotels. That said... I don't come here for that, I come to boulder. LOCATION + PARKING Location is off S 38th ST so really close to Tacoma Mall or the Vietnamese area of S 38th ST... making it pretty convenient for finding food after a climbing session. In terms of crowds, it's never been a problem coming here on the weekends, the day before a holiday, or in the middle of a weekday (ex/ for their Monday special for "Femmes and Themes". Their parking seems a bit small but it's never been an issue for us as we're always able to find a spot. OVERALL Coming from the Bay Area, I appreciate how chill this climbing gym. It doesn't play loud music, people are respectful when it comes to climbing and there aren't "influencer" or gym bro vibea you get from Silicon Valley / SF gyms. If you are looking for a high end gym with the works like towel service, saunas, yoga classes, etc... then I would suggest looking elsewhere. If you're just looking to boulder in the area, this gym is great for that with extremely fair pricing. Other climbing gyms, pricing is understandably higher because there may rope courses with higher overhead. I like that what I pay here is for bouldering... and there are lots of options to choose from. Make sure to check their site for specials like Half Price First Fridays or the $15 "Femmes and Thems" discount (rentals included)!

first time climbing in 2 years and I am at beginner-intermediate level, so up to you if you care to…read moregive power to this review while you decide on getting a membership or day pass. welcoming community, yes, but this gym had no music playing, not much gym equipment to work with (e.g. weightlifting platform), and the staff did not roam around for safety checks. I am used to the service from a climbing gym back in California, and there, they offer really good hospitality throughout your visit there...not just when you enter the doors to sign in. I will say that the front desk staff was indeed considerate when dealing with the finances so that people who qualify for the discount (i.e. healthcare worker, first responder, student, etc.) were covered. cute ping pong table to rest from the climbing and very clean bathroom. would be nice to have paper towels to really wipe off the chalk, though. wishing health and wellness for those who choose to climb! lots of kids here, too, so this is a cool family bonding activity for y'all to do, if you are into that

I decided to choose this place because my friend Paula comes here a few times a week and had all…read moregood things to say about it and I agree. So i came here to introduce my son to this type of workout, and he loved it. The facility is clean and open and inviting, when you walk in you immediately see the floor to ceiling wall climbing areas are designated for a specific type of climbing also the staff were friendly and helpful, Tim specifically who I talked to on the phone was able to help me with all my q's.

Went here for bouldering but it is more geared towards belaying. May try that again here at some…read morepoint buuuuuut probably not. Don't get me wrong. The staff was great, the place was clean, and they had a desig aged belYing section and any belaying array was labeled for the highest you would be allowed to boulder... but it was just lacking in a few areas. For example, the bathroom was small so if more than 1 person needs to change in a bathroom it will be super cramped, and why is there no hand washing area outside of the bathroom? Without one you have to put on your street shoes with your hands covered in chalk to use the bathroom. Also, their gym area is small and their class area is even smaller. Overall I'd go back but it's not first on my list when I want to boulder

Granola girls, boulder bros and plastic rocks. Everything you want in a bouldering gym…read more Fitness room has plenty of space, lots of machines and plenty of power racks. Its easily the largest bouldering gym in the area. Some issues though, during the summer it feels like they barely run the AC and the chalk filtering/ventilation is terrible. Which prevents me from giving it a 5

Poplar is such a great spot to boulder! They update the courses regularly, so there's always…read moresomething new, and they have routes for all skill levels. The community is super welcoming, whether you're new to the sport or more experienced. Beyond bouldering, they also offer a gym, sauna, and yoga classes, which is a nice bonus. Overall, it's a ton of fun while getting a solid workout--definitely one of my favorite places to stay active! That said, pricing can be steep--memberships are expensive, and even day passes are around $35, so it's definitely a fun but pricey hobby.

Edgeworks has multiple locations but I like the Bellevue spot the best so far. Plenty of room and…read morelots of different climbs. One bouldering area where you climb up and over the top then may need to walk across the landing to the climb down area. Bathrooms are always clean.

Was invited here by a family friend and had a blast!…read more Facility was clean, staff was friendly, and got our adrenaline going. Our 6 year old gave it a shot too and already wants to go back. We went during family day - believe they have this once per month so it was discounted rates $13 and included shoe / harness. Walk over to Dicks for burgers, fries and shakes afterwards (same parking lot) and Daiso for Daiso fans :)

If you've driven through North Cascades NP and into Mazama on the other side, I guarantee you've…read moreseen Liberty Bell. It's a massive granite monolith rising above the highway. It has classic moderate and classic "nope" routes on it. I climbed the Becky route. It's a super-chill multi-pitch climb with great rock quality. Liberty Crack is the "50 classic" climb. Too stiff for my blood, maybe someday...

The bouldering section is kinda small but they have a huge top-roping and lead-climbing section…read more That section also includes auto-belay in which they made you undergo a belay test with the gri-gri but you aren't allowed to teach yourself right beforehand. Off to the side, they have a 2nd floor for kid/toddler sized bouldering and 3rd floor for working out, campusing, and moon boards. The locker rooms were huge and clean. The parking lot is really small and you might have better luck street parking if it gets busy.

Expensive but enjoyable afternoon spent climbing, working out on exercise equipment, bouldering and…read moresnacking at Vertical World with friends. Good thing our friends - regulars - came prepared with gear for us to traverse the taller walls safely! Limited parking in small and cramped lot, so street parking is recommended and small cars are recommended.

Indeed very enchanting place. We did backpacking 3 nights 4…read moredays to experience the core zone as much as possible including off-trail scrambles for Little Annapurna and Enchantment Peak. We went Colchuck to Viviane and traced back since not much to see beyond Viviane. Really nice backpacking. My detailed mileage etc is below blog post. https://himebackpacker.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-enchantments-washington.html

I've done this a couple of times so I'll give you the different perspectives…read more The first time I did it as a one-day hike because I did not have a permit. The second time I did it as a three night hike because it was after October 15th and I still didn't have a permit. Since that time, the permit season has been extended to October 30th. Either way, I suggest that hiking in the fall is the prettiest time due to the larch trees colors. Both times we started at the Stuart Lake trailhead (recommended due to reduced overall elevation gain) and ended at the Snow Lake trailhead. Now at the risk of offending someone I will say that hiking through the Enchantments in one day is like watching a porn movie on fast forward. You miss most of the scenery. My suggestion is to either get a permit, or hike outside of season, preferably in the fall, but stay at least two nights. Given that the hike up Aasgard Pass has an elevation gain of 1900 feet in about a mile, I can attest that it can be quite dangerous when raining. On the East side there will be mud & rock slides and in our case we had to duck out of the way of several large, (18 or so inch diameter) Rocks that came bouncing down the boulders with unpredictable direction at a very high rate of speed. Risks early in the season are snow slides and avalanches, so be very aware of the conditions when you are there. All that said, anyone who does not give this a five and tell you that it's absolutely one of the most beautiful hikes you'll ever take on must know something I don't, and I've hiked the Himalayas. Remember that goats are dangerous. Pee on rocks, not soil because the goats will dig it up for the salt. Try not to let a goat see you peeing or it will run towards you. Try fishing in the lakes; the trout are great for dinner up there. You should also know that when coming down toward the Snow Lake trailhead there are a large number of switchbacks and when you see the cars just down the hill, it will likely be another hour before you get there, and if you did it as a day hike, your feet may not be happy when you finally arrive. If you are a hiker, you must find a way to get this one done before you hang up your boots.