Expand your horizon and get involved with your community.
The ASCEND community offers a wide range of events and clubs to help you achieve your goals, on and off the walls. Sure, climbing is the best thing ever, but you never know who or what else you might fall in love with. So step out of your comfort zone and join in on the fun! Click on each class title in the calendar below for a full description.
ASCEND's Equity + Outreach department has a lot going on these days. Learn more and get involved!
Queer Scouts is a LGBTQ climbing club, with the goal of creating connection and a safer and more inclusive outdoors community. Just look for the Queer Scout mascot, the tiny rainbow unicorn! Meet-ups are currently held regularly at ASCEND South Side and Point Breeze!
Club Captains:
Not an ASCEND member? Enjoy a discounted $15 Club Day Pass while attending these meetups!
An ASCEND social club where women climb, learn, and WOW each other! Just look for the WOW mascot, an adorable stuffed cactus! Meet-ups are held regularly at all ASCEND locations!
Club Captains: Nancy Tran, Lora Waybright, Eliza Porterfield, Sara Salisbury, Corie Murdoch
Not an ASCEND member? Enjoy a discounted $15 Club Day Pass while attending these meetups!
MC1R is a club that provides people of color (PoC) a safe space to build connections and create a warm and welcoming community. Our mascot is: French fries! We come in many forms, shapes and colors, and some of us like to bring in the spice. White allies are also welcome! We encourage everyone to participate, make friends, bring friends, and develop climbing skills with the rest of us. Climbing is a delightful sport in desperate need of diversity, and we are here to contribute. We meet from 7-9 pm on the third (ASCEND South Side) and fourth (ASCEND Point Breeze) Thursday.
Inrtoducing... El Ascenso!: Para todos ustedes que están cansados de hablar Inglés todos los días, o para los que desean practicar sus ostentosas habilidades castellanas, o para los que les gusta como habla Antonio Banderas. Todos ustedes están cordialmente invitados a escalar y platicar con sus compañeros hispanohablantes. El Espanglish es más que bienvenido. Todavía no sabemos cómo decir boulder, hold, o autobelay. Aquí en Ascend también se habla Español! We meet from 7-9 pm on the first (ASCEND South Side) and second (ASCEND Point Breeze) Wednesday.
Club Captains: Vanessa Thompson, Juan David Garrido Rojas
To keep up with reminders, last-minute changes and updates, please join:
WhatsApp | Instagram | Facebook
Not an ASCEND member? Enjoy a discounted $15 Club Day Pass while attending these meetups!
Each month we will host a group ride with various distances and speeds. Pick the best fit for you then stick around after for some climbing. Weekly rides can be generated from anyone in our cycling community. Simply make a post on our ASCEND Cycling Club Strava group with where you’ll start from, how far you’ll go and what your expected pace will be. Current rides from the Pittsburgh, PA location only, but let us know if you'd like to spearhead a Youngstown, OH chapter! ASCEND Cycling Club is also proud to be a part of the Big EL at ASCEND BikeMS team. Looking for a way to get in miles, have fun, and give back?
If you're interested in becoming an ASCEND Cycling Club Ambassador or help kick things off in Youngstown, send us a message to help build the group's presence. In order to participate in Cycling Club you must complete the ASCEND Clubs Waiver - different than the ASCEND Facility Waiver. Registration is merely a courtesy to give us a heads up. If you don't register, but show up, cool! If you register and bail, no worries!
Club Captains: Eli Johnson, Emma O'Brien
Facebook | Instagram | Strava
ASCEND Run Club formed in Pittsburgh in April 2017 and was later expanded in Youngstown in March of 2022. We're a casual group of climbers who are also born to run! Any and all are welcome and do not need to be a member of ASCEND to participate.
PITTSBURGH
YOUNGSTOWN
In order to participate in Run Club you must complete the ASCEND Clubs Waiver - different than the ASCEND Facility Waiver. Registration is merely a courtesy to give us a heads up. If you don't register, but show up, cool! If you register and bail, no worries!
The ASCEND Sustainability Club is dedicated to making the world a better place through environmental stewardship, community engagement, and the promotion of sustainable practices.
Club Values: Sustainability. Environmental justice. Responsible outdoor practices. Curiosity. Respect.
Club Captain: Gretchen Uhrinek
Not an ASCEND member? Enjoy a discounted $15 Club Day Pass while attending these meetups!
The ASCEND Book Club is a way for members of the community to read climbing and climbing-adjacent books together and share our thoughts and experiences! Whether you’re an avid reader or haven’t read a book in years we encourage you to join us! Meet ups will be 6-7pm on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month. You don’t need to be a member to participate, and we (the Club Captains) are super excited to meet you all! PLEASE REGISTER BELOW!
Club Expectations: Ideally, club members will participate for an entire book, but anyone is welcome drop in. It is ok to not follow the reading schedule, as it is merely a suggestion to guide discussion during the meetings. The Club Captains are happy to lead discussions, but participants can also bring discussion questions! Join our Google Group so we can stay in touch in between meetings! This will be our main mode of communication.
ASCEND will aim to purchase 4 of each book, available for members to borrow. Then, we'll add them to our growing gym libraries for others to enjoy for years to come!
TLDR (which is funny for a book club!):
- Participation is FREE. Non-ASCEND members may purchase a discounted $15 Club Day Pass if they wish to climb on the day of the club meetup.
- We meet from 6-7p on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month. Changes to this schedule will be shown below, so be sure to check back and register for each meetup.
- Join our Google Group so we can stay in touch in between meetings!
- In person only (for now) in ASCEND South Side's Parties + Groups room on the mezzanine level.
We are seeking enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers to contribute to our community engagement groups, The ASCEND Community Advisory Board (CAB) and ASCEND Clubs, as a CAB Member, as an ASCEND Club Captain, or a Youth + Adaptive Event Volunteer. CAB Board Members and Club Captains should be dedicated to their roles for a consecutive 12 months. As a "thank you" for supporting the ASCEND Community, both CAB Board Members and Club Captains will receive a free membership and an ASCEND t-shirt!
The ASCEND Community Advisory Board (CAB) is a community-led group that works alongside ASCEND's management to create an equitable, just, and safe environment for all. The CAB presents tangible and specific internal recommendations and external actions to better engage with the local community, create new opportunities in climbing and recreation, and raise awareness around issues of social and racial injustice. The CAB holds ASCEND accountable to its goals and operations and aims to be a net positive force not only in the climbing community, but in the city of Pittsburgh.
ASCEND Club Captains have the responsibility of hosting regularly scheduled meet ups at the gym, recruiting new members, and creating a welcoming and safe space for those who join. Our current clubs are MC1R, Queer Scouts, Women on Walls, Run Club, Cycling Club, Sustainability Club, Volunteer Club, Book Club (coming soon!), Chess Club (coming soon!). Typically clubs meet weekly in the evenings, however as Club Captain you will work with the Event + Community Director to set the club schedule. Ideally there will be two Captains per club to help spread out the responsibility of being at each meet up and spreading the word about the club.
Youth + Adaptive Event Volunteers are trained volunteers who will stand by and stand up when a new event is announced. We partner with a variety of organizations, some large, some with adaptive needs, some youth focused, and some with other special considerations. To host these large or complex events, we need your help! Complete THIS FORM and we'll be in touch. Note: These volunteers will not receive a free membership, but some events may offer perks and incentives such as complimentary day passes, food, or merchandise.
ASCEND is excited to present outdoor adventure films! Many of these films will highlight adventurers and trail blazers of all backgrounds, genders, races, and abilities. Join us to celebrate the growing diversity in the outdoor community and to give back to organizations that support that growth.
Next film: TBA
Previous ASCEND Sponsored Films: 5 Point Film Festival, (2020 Road Tour), 5 Point FIlm Festival (2018 Road Tour), Reel Rock, 13, The Sharp End, No Man's Land, Endless Abilities, 5 Point FIlm Festival (2017 Road Tour), Reel Rock 12, Uncharted Lines, Reel Rock 11, Reel Rock 10, Reel Rock 9, Reel Rock 8
ASCEND To Go has entered a transitionary period and is not offering live streaming at this time. For a WHOLE BUNCH of recorded yoga, fitness, slackline, and other helpful videos, please visit the ASCEND YouTube Channel.
