Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any other questions not answered here, please don't hesitate to give us a call or stop by the front desk and ask!
General
Yes, every visitor to Ascent Studio must read and sign a visitor agreement. Children under 18 years of age must have a parent or legal guardian sign on their behalf.
You can do this when you arrive, or better, you can do it online before you arrive.
Ascent offers various types of climbing: bouldering, top rope, and lead climbing. We also have 4 cracks, a bouldering ramp, a Tension Board, and several options for climbing training and fitness training upstairs!
Any of our passes (day pass, punch card, memberships) include yoga and fitness classes as well.
Climbing is a full body workout, plus it’s super fun! One of the wonderful things about the sport of climbing is that it is also a great mental workout. Figuring out the appropriate movement, techniques, and strategies to get up a route is part of the fun! Rock climbing builds confidence and strength, and has a supportive community to back it up!
Rock climbing is inherently dangerous. Please follow all safety guidelines.
Like going to any gym, you want to make sure you are comfortable. It is best to wear loose, athletic clothing that you can easily move in. While there is no specific required attire, we do have a few restrictions. Rings, watches, key chains, hoop or dangly earrings should not be worn. Remove anything that could be caught in equipment on the wall.
Rock climbing shoes are recommended, as they are a tremendous help when climbing up the wall! Don’t worry, you can rent them with us.
Using headphones or earbuds means you may not be able to hear others who may be trying to communicate with you. Please make sure the volume is low enough to hear what is going on around you.
Day passes: Includes use of any part of our facility for the entirety of the business day purchased. That includes yoga, fitness area, and climbing. We also have free wifi, lockers, and showers. Climbing classes are not included in a day pass, unless otherwise noted in the class description.
Punch cards: Bulk discounted day passes that includes everything a day pass includes. Punches can be bought in 7 or 10 which can be shared with friends or family, and do not expire for 2 years.
Memberships: We offer many perks for our members! Discounts on climbing classes, fitness workshops, retail, and a few discounts at other local businesses. You can also enjoy our monthly Membership Nights that offer different vendors and free beverages.
Check out pricing and more information on memberships here.
Climbing can be enjoyed by all ages. We don't have an age-limit for climbing, though we do expect that kids younger than 14 are accompanied by an attentive adult.
Belaying is an action that requires attention and skill. We have a set of policies in place regarding belaying and leading certification for youth under 14. Participants in the youth clubs or members of Team Ascent may be cleared to belay and lead climb within the program, if they demonstrate the appropriate level of competence and attentiveness.
We have dedicated routes for your little ones. While they can climb most anywhere in the gym, there are specific areas that will be easier for them. Front desk staff will be happy to point those areas out.
Kids have several options available to them. Auto-Belay & bouldering are the most accessible. If you or another adult are certified to belay, they can enjoy top rope climbing as well!
We do have several options for kids programs & classes for ages 3+.
You are certainly allowed to bring in a child that is not your own, as long as the child's parent or legal guardian has signed the visitor agreement online on their behalf.
Children 14 and up can be left unaccompanied. If your child is under 18, they must have a parent or legal guardian sign a waiver before they can climb at the gym.
For children under 18, please make sure you talk with your kids about gym manners and etiquette. If our front desk staff feels they are being unsafe, or that it is not appropriate for them to be unattended by an adult, we will be giving you a call to come pick them up. Thank you for understanding.
To “belay” is to fix a rope around some object or device. In climbing that is usually a "belay device" attached to a partner's harness in order to keep the climber from falling to the ground. In order to belay at Ascent Studio, you MUST pass a belay test administered by one of our staff.
Belaying is an action that requires attention and skill. We have a set of policies in place regarding belaying and leading certification for youth under 14. Participants in the youth clubs or members of Team Ascent may be cleared to belay and lead climb within the program, if they demonstrate the appropriate level of competence and attentiveness.
Many people think that the GriGri is an auto-locking or automatic braking device. This not true. The GriGri is an assisted braking device.
This does not remove the belayer from the responsibility of keeping the rope secure and taking up slack using a proper belay method. The PBUS method works just as well with the GriGri. Other methods may actually defeat the assisted braking functionality of the device.
Climbing is an inherently social activity, but only if you wish to top-rope or lead climb do you absolutely need a partner. Bouldering and auto-belay climbing can both be enjoyed solo.
If you did come by yourself and would like a partner, feel free to ask at the desk and we'll make an announcement to see if someone else in the studio is also looking for a partner.
We sure do! The gift of climbing is a great present for anyone! Gift certificates can be bought online, over the phone, or in person. The bearer of a gift certificate can use it for any of our services, including day passes, memberships, and classes. And yes! That includes being used on monthly dues!
Members receive 1 guest pass/month to bring in a friend, family member, anyone really! Due to short staff in the mornings, we cannot guarantee we will be available for belay checks.
A friend that has been to the gym on multiple occasions can still use your guest pass.
Members can refer a friend to join as a new member. You and your friend receive $10 off your monthly dues or a free day pass/guest pass.
Anyone can grab a bike benefits card! Every time you ride your bike to the gym, our front desk staff will give you a punch. After you get all 10 punches, you can redeem it for a free day pass or $10 off your monthly membership dues. *You can only redeem 1/month*
Setting
The bouldering circuit grading system: On the start hold of every bouldering problem you will find a colored tag with the proposed difficulty range. White: V0; Green: V1-V2; Blue: V3-V4; Red: V5-V7; Black V8+. V0 being the easiest, problems rising in difficulty as the number increases.
Rope climbing uses the Yosemite Decimal System: Again, a tag will be found on the start hold of each route. We have routes 5.6-5.14. We do our best to offer multiple climbs in all grades with a bigger bulk being found between 5.8-5.12.
We have found that an individual's perceived idea of how difficult any given boulder can be is very subjective. Depending on your style, strengths, heights, etc, one given boulder can range in difficulty from person to person. Plus, a range encourages people to try harder problems they may not try if it was set at a particular grade higher than what they usually climb! Enjoy and get your climb on!
We have a 5 week rotation on our boulders and an 8 week turn around on rope routes.
