our locations : Avondale | uptown | Humboldt Park | Block 37 | Arlington Heights

World class climbing in the Loop

First Ascent Block 37 is open! Come climb with us in the heart of downtown Chicago.

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WE LOOK FORWARD TO CLIMBING WITH YOU!

FIRST TIME CLIMBERS

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Check out our blog, featuring member and staff highlights, trip reports, best practices, tips & tricks, and more

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Locally Grown. World Class. Community Focused

Built by Chicago climbers, for Chicago climbers.

OUR STORY

Four great locations. One membership. Let’s climb, Chicago!

First Ascent Climbing & Fitness is built by Chicago climbers, for Chicago climbers. We have four convenient rock climbing gyms in the Loop, Avondale, Humboldt Park, and Uptown neighborhoods of Chicago. Our facilities feature world-class rock climbing terrain, a full schedule of yoga classes, and state-of-the-art fitness equipment. Join the FAmily now, and let’s climb!

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GET CONNECTED

The Climbathon is live! Drop by FA Avondale today to help us kick things off, with @stansdonutschicago donuts free for anyone participating, great hand made ceramics from FA artisans, and a Savvy inspired playlist going all day. All donations go to @projectheal in honor of Savannah Buik @savvytothemax. If you can’t make it to Avondale or you can’t make it in today, no worries - log your climbs from any FA location or even from outside all week through Saturday 4/28! More info about the Climbathon on our website - link in bio.
@projectheal #FAclimbathon #climbsavvy #fundraiser #climbingcommunity #rememberingsavvy #donutsforsavvy #savvystrong #climbinggym #firstascent #firstascentclimbing #letsclimbchicago

Just another #WomenCrushWednesday at First Ascent! Here’s Amy crushing it at FA Uptown. The WCW session is on for tonight from 7-9 pm - women of all ability levels are welcome to ...

Who is getting outside this weekend? Weather is looking beautiful at the Red! If you’re itching to climb outside but don’t know how to go from gym to crag, check out our latest blog post: Your Guide To Climbing Outside. Link in bio. And don’t forget to tag your photos #LetsClimbChicago to share with the community!
📷 @edyu91 #climbing #climbingoutside #outdoorclimbing #womenwhoclimb #climblikeagirl #guide #howto #greatoutdoors #getoutside #letsclimbchicago

The Climbathon is live! Drop by FA Avondale today to help us kick things off, with Stan's Donuts free for anyone participating, great hand made ceramics from FA artisans for sale, and ...

Bill (right) was a teacher and principal for over 40 years. Dustin (left), one of his students in junior high, asked Bill if they could go climbing together sometime. They

Who is climbing outside this weekend? The weather is looking fantastic! If you're itching to climb outside but unsure how to go from gym to crag, check out our latest blog post ...

From The Blog

April 20, 2018

Your Guide To Climbing Outside

The city is thawing, the birds are singing, and spring is on its way, which can only mean one thing – it’s time to get outside! Nothing quite compares to the feeling of real rock under your [...]

February 22, 2018

Climbing Comes To The Loop

Back in 2015, we opened First Ascent Avondale with a lot of hard work, some good fortune, and the collective energy of Chicago climbers. The video below tells the story well: https://vimeo.com/135268682 Now, less than 3 years [...]

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