I came here with my teenage niece. Drew and Jazmin were in…read moreduty and they did everything right. They were engaging and professional and made out visit very enjoyable. Jazmin spent a lot of time with my niece. Helping her with the climb, giving her advice and instruction and keeping her safe the entire time. This place was clean and quiet and I'm very glad we discovered it. We will definitely be back. I highly recommend this place.

It was my first time visiting the establishment and I had a pleasant experience. The staff was very…read moreaccommodating and helpful, and the training provided was clear and easy to understand. The pricing was reasonable and included all necessary equipment. My daughter and I were able to successfully climb to the summit of one of the walls, although I must admit that I did not quite make it all the way to the top.

I love this climbing gym! There's a surprisingly large parking lot here (despite being in the…read moremiddle 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!

ALWAYS a great time at First Ascent Avondale! To celebrate my brother's birthday, he and a friend…read morebouldered 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!

Large & clean facility for rock climbing, bouldering for beginners, advance & expert levels &…read morevarious fitness classes available for members. Occasionally, there are young kids running around, which can be challenging as you need to be extra cautious. I think the cost is fair, the all-day pass & shoe rental total $30.

Huge place. Great variety of routes. There are so many routes that you can't do them all in one…read morevisit. It would be hard to get bored of the climbs there, because there is almost always a route you've not tried yet. This place has more realistic features and cracks that other gyms don't have. The route grades seem a little inconsistent at times, and compared to the other climbing gyms in the Chicagoland area. For example, most routes feel much, much harder than that grade anywhere else. And many of the mid-to-harder grades seem better suited for taller people, as the shorter among us have to dead point or dyno to many of the holds. You'll definitely get braver and stronger climbing at Vertical Endeavors. Room for improvement: The loose black rubber flooring is always a complaint because like a trip to the beach where you find sand everywhere, pieces of this flooring comes home with you. It also leaves black stuff on your hands and feet, so I recommend that you wear socks/closed toed shoes between climbs, because it's not that easy to scrub out.

Great gym Great workout…read moreNice people Bouldering only Many routes We Loved it Kids loved it Would recommend Will repeat

Located on the 4th floor of the mall the temperature in this gym is always perfect for climbing!…read moreThis is just a bouldering gym so no ropes. The space is large and they often have fun events to engage the community such as a kilter board competition, members meet ups, college nights, bloc fest, there is always something coming up! The staff are wonderful and super knowledgeable! If you are coming in for the first time, fill the waiver out on their website to get through everything faster.

I attended this community center for a volleyball tournament and was quite impressed with how clean…read morethis facility is. There is a second floor that reached all around the main floor, where you can view from the top or bring your own folding chair and watch from above. There is a cafe up there also allowing you to purchase food and drinks and watch the games below. There are bleacher seats all along the main floor where you can sit and watch also. Plenty of parking in front and there are a few restaurants across the street from here but you can't bring any food in as they want you to buy within. I recommend this center.

First time visiting this place on. Mother's Day weekend for my daughter's volleyball tournament. I…read morelove the ample parking, upper indoor track, the brightness of the facility, the digital scoreboards, and seating. I couldn't give 5 stars seeing as there wasn't enough bathrooms for a place so big. 2 family bathrooms and 3 women's stalls was nowhere near enough.

Excuse me while I sing praises for First Ascent…read more My climbing life began when First Ascent opened, four years ago, and I could not imagine a better vehicle to take me on my journey. My membership includes unlimited climbing, unlimited gym use, and unlimited yoga classes. I also pay (a little) extra to attend a group fitness class (cross-training) 10x/month, which has made me stronger than I have ever been in my entire life. I don't think I will ever be able to enjoy a standard fitness gym again. I am challenged both mentally and physically at FA. During the day I find myself thinking about the problems (routes) I am working on, and looking forward to trying them again soon. If I ever leave Chicago, this gym will be one of the biggest losses, even more than some friends.. :)

I've been a member here now for a few months (and a climber for 20 years) and so feel like I am now…read morefamiliar enough with my home gym to fairly review it. My favorite things about this gym: - Creative setting in the shorter walled section so you feel more comfortable trying new moves without the fear of falling too far - The layout with open sweeping views and plenty of light - The arch - tons of cool practice with overhangs and traverses - Bike parking inside! - Big area with mats upstairs to do warm-up and warm-down stretches Areas this gym could improve: - Cleaner holds! Not just Uptown - all of the locations. They're so greasy that it automatically adds a grade to any problem, and not in a fun way. - For lower-rated climbs, setting routes that aren't just jug ladders. It is possible to make beginner climbs fun and challenging in a puzzly way, but Uptown doesn't do that. It's all jugs. - More community events, and the community events that exist should be free to members. If I'm a member I shouldn't also be paying to go to sound baths or take fitness classes and participate in citizens' competitions. I've never been a member of a gym that charges its members for ANY events. There are free events at FA, but they're essentially just meetups. Anything with more to offer carries a charge.

Lovely gym! Very nice and informative owners, super kid friendly, lots of different levels of…read moredifficulty, with belay, auto belay, and bouldering

We brought our 6 year old daughters here and it is so much fun for them. We watched as they were…read morebuilding confidence as they climbed. And thanks to Elijah's help, my more timid daughter was able to reach the top and ring the bell!!! Extra shout out Elijah, you made their birthday a great one!

This is the real deal. The coaches are professional-caliber athletes, and two of them actually…read moreappeared on American Ninja Warrior the very day we were there for practice! Our son is nearly 8 years old at the time and already very capable, and this was the perfect place for him to challenge himself and continue building his skills. If you're looking for authentic, high-quality ninja training, whether for a beginner or an experienced young athlete, I highly recommend this gym

My five year old daughter is signed up for one of the kids weekly classes and absolutely loves it!…read more She wanted to take a break after six months or so (which is pretty common for her), but this was the one class that she kept asking to go back to. I think part of the reason why she loves it so much is the coaches- they are so nice, helpful and positive! My daughter comes home saying motivational phrases and telling me how strong she is. Even though she's only five, I think it truly is boosting her self esteem- not only having coaches who tell her she can do hard things, but showing her she can do them as well.

Love everything about this place. Great active community, diverse routes, friendly and supportive…read morestaff, good programming.

Although this is not my home gym, I am a First Ascent member and come here pretty regularly to…read moreclimb with my sibling. This is probably my favorite location they have due to the variety of climbing walls they have for bouldering, generally less busy than the bigger block 37 location, and also a great weight room section. Parking can be a bit tricky and would make sure to read all signs around the neighborhood to make sure you're not getting a ticket. One thing that I really appreciate is that they really take feedback into account. For example, I had requested a trap-bar for the weight room at this location and my home gym. After a couple months, I saw it was part of the most recent round of gym equipment they ordered. Additionally, I appreciate them trying to keep the weight room organized, especially sectioning off an area mainly for stretching/core/non-weight activities. The only critique is more of a personal preference in that I would prefer they rotate and put up new problems sooner. I think they update a section every 6 weeks? I'd probably prefer closer to a month, but that's mostly because I'm impatient and if I can't get a problem in 1-3 sessions, I basically give up working on it and would like something new. Tl;dr: Great bouldering gym in Humboldt Park with a nice weight room. Would recommend!