{"id":45343,"date":"2019-03-21T12:13:34","date_gmt":"2019-03-21T19:13:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=45343"},"modified":"2020-04-24T16:20:21","modified_gmt":"2020-04-24T23:20:21","slug":"the-top-five-climbing-gyms-in-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/the-top-five-climbing-gyms-in-chicago","title":{"rendered":"The Top 5 Climbing Gyms in Chicago"},"content":{"rendered":"

For a notably flat state, the Chicago metro area has quite the Napoleon complex.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s \u201cHighland\u201d Park, Chicago \u201cHeights,\u201d Palos \u201cHills,\u201d Park \u201cRidge,\u201d and towering above them all, \u201cMount\u201d Prospect. One glance at these townships, and you\u2019d be forgiven for expecting a topographical electrocardiogram.<\/p>\n

The reality is significantly more horizontal. That means climbers have to head indoors to scramble up man-made walls.<\/p>\n

But as AJ Velon has discovered, Chicago is home to some of the country\u2019s best facilities for belayers and boulderers alike. And perhaps even more importantly, the culture<\/em> around the sport is thriving. \u201cThe climbing community in Chicago is really friendly and accepting,\u201d says Velon, the senior instructor at REI\u2019s Outdoor School<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s a safe haven. If someone is struggling, everyone on the ground is cheering them on. It doesn\u2019t matter if they don\u2019t know each other\u2014people are open and friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Outdoor recreation opportunities do exist within a short drive of the city: REI hosts top-roping \u00a0day trips to Devil\u2019s Lake<\/a>, there\u2019s great bouldering in Governor Dodge State Park<\/a>\u00a0in Wisconsin, and\u00a0Red River Gorge<\/a>\u00a0in Kentucky (which Velon calls \u201cthe mecca for serious Chicago climbers\u201d) is only eight hours away.<\/p>\n

But for those looking to stay in shape\u2014especially during brutal Chicago winters\u2014here are Velon\u2019s top five gyms and climbing walls.<\/p>\n

First Ascent<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

Locations:<\/strong> Arlington Heights<\/a> (slated to open 2019), Avondale<\/a>, Humboldt Park<\/a>, the Loop<\/a>, Uptown,\u00a0<\/a>Peoria<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"

With walls up to 60 feet tall, First Ascent Avondale offers top rope, autobelay and lead climbing, along with bouldering. (Photo Courtesy: First Ascent)<\/p><\/div>\n

Facilities:<\/strong> First Ascent is the pioneering dedicated climbing gym in the city, marketing itself as a grassroots organization founded by Chicago climbers. Every location is slightly different: Humboldt Park, the Loop and Uptown are bouldering-only gyms, while Avondale offers autobelay, top rope, lead climbing and bouldering. The 30,000-square-foot Arlington Heights location, set to open in 2019, will feature top rope, lead climbing and bouldering. Across First Ascent\u2019s gyms, wall heights rise as tall as 60 feet.<\/p>\n

Pricing:<\/strong><\/a> Day passes are $19 ($15 for students) and roped gear rental is packaged at $10. Memberships are $79 per month (or $869 for the year).<\/p>\n

Additional services:<\/strong> Yoga and fitness services, personal training, team building and workshops on everything from bachata dance to finger-injury prevention.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s unique:<\/strong> Founded by Chicago climbers, First Ascent is the definition of homegrown\u2014established to fill a gap in the market (which some Chicagoans had addressed by building DIY walls in their garages<\/a>). First Ascent\u2019s \u201cwalls are textured, so you get that real rock sense when you\u2019re climbing,\u201d Velon says. \u201cAnd their multiple locations around the city are super convenient.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brooklyn Boulders<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

Location<\/strong>: <\/em>West Loop<\/p>\n

\"Climber

Photo Credit: Brooklyn Boulders<\/p><\/div>\n

Facilities:<\/strong> 25,000 square feet of bouldering, auto-belay, top-roping and lead climbing.<\/p>\n

Pricing:<\/strong><\/a> $25 for a day pass, $11 for full gear rentals, and $125 for monthly memberships ($1,250 for the year). They also offer a 30-day \u201cBeginner to Badass\u201d course for $199 with introductory classes, personal coaching, and access to studio classes and member events.<\/p>\n

Additional services:<\/strong> Competitive teams, outdoor field trips, an eight-session \u201cClimb Like A Girl<\/a>\u201d female-led course, and co-working spaces with WiFi.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s unique:<\/strong> Elaborate event programming<\/a> in the form of concerts, competitions, panels and parties that might even include drag artists performing 50 feet in the air<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Vertical Endeavors<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

Locations:<\/strong> Glendale Heights<\/p>\n

Facilities:<\/strong> Three bouldering areas, 30 auto belays, and hundreds of routes on walls up to 30 feet tall.<\/p>\n

Pricing:<\/strong><\/a> $18 for a day pass; $5 each for shoe, harness, belay and chalk bag rentals. They host an \u201cOn The House<\/a>\u201d event (free for first-time visitors) starting at 6pm on the first Friday of each month, and they have special discount days for homeschoolers and Scouts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Additional services:<\/strong> Climbing camps, competitive teams, yoga and fitness lessons.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s unique:<\/strong> \u201cIt can be tougher to access from the city if you don\u2019t have a car, but it\u2019s great for people in the suburbs,\u201d Velon says.<\/p>\n

Chicago Athletic Clubs<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

Locations:<\/strong> Evanston, Lakeview, Lincoln Park (outdoor wall under renovation)<\/p>\n

Facilities:<\/strong> Evanston and Lakeview offer indoor walls with heights ranging from 40 to 65 feet, with top-roping and lead climbing available along dozens of routes ranging from 5.7 to 5.13 in difficulty. There are also three spacious bouldering grottos across the clubs with steep overhangs that offer difficult technical challenges.<\/p>\n

Pricing:<\/strong> $35 day passes for nonmembers (first climb is free, however<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Additional services:<\/strong> CAC is primarily a fitness center, with classes running the gamut from pilates to boxing to pre- and post-natal yoga.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s unique:<\/strong> \u201cBefore dedicated climbing gyms existed, this is where you would go,\u201d Velon says. \u201cThey blazed the trail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chicago Parks<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Locations:<\/strong> Maggie Daley Park (downtown) and Steelworkers Park (South Chicago)<\/p>\n

\"Steelworkers

The wall at Steelworkers Park tops out at 40 feet tall, with color-coded, modifiable routes that the Park District plans to change up every six months. (Photo Credit: Seth Putnam)<\/p><\/div>\n

Facilities:<\/strong> Bouldering and roped climbs are available at both locations; Maggie Daley, however, boasts 40-foot walls with 19,000 square feet of surface area that can support up to 100 climbers at a time.<\/p>\n

Pricing:<\/strong> Free (at Steelworkers<\/a>). At Maggie Daley, all first-time climbers must pass a certification course ($19 for top roping, $10 for bouldering). Find additional pricing and rental options here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Additional services:<\/strong> Playgrounds, history exhibits, and an ice-skating and rollerblading ribbon.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s unique:<\/strong> Though other climbing walls exist at Broadway Armory and Harrison Park, the options at Maggie Daley and Steelworkers parks are the largest and most diverse. Then there are the views: Climb in the shadow of Chicago\u2019s iconic skyline at Maggie Daley, or greet Lake Michigan with a fist pump on top of the ore wall at Steelworkers.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For a notably flat state, the Chicago metro area has quite the Napoleon complex. There\u2019s \u201cHighland\u201d Park, Chicago \u201cHeights,\u201d Palos \u201cHills,\u201d Park \u201cRidge,\u201d and towering above them all, \u201cMount\u201d Prospect. One glance at these townships, and you\u2019d be forgiven for expecting a topographical electrocardiogram. The reality is significantly more horizontal. That means climbers have to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":45348,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[448,577,734,1056],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-45343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climb","tag-bouldering","tag-chicago","tag-climbing","tag-midwest"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/climb\/the-top-five-climbing-gyms-in-chicago","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"The Top 5 Climbing Gyms in Chicago","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/the-top-five-climbing-gyms-in-chicago","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/the-top-five-climbing-gyms-in-chicago"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/Chicago_1.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/Chicago_1.jpg?fit=2048%2C1365"},"articleSection":"Climb","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["bouldering","chicago","climbing","midwest"],"dateCreated":"2019-03-21T19:13:34Z","datePublished":"2019-03-21T19:13:34Z","dateModified":"2020-04-24T23:20:21Z"},"rendered":"