WANT TO KNOW
WHAT MAKES US TICK?
Our Mission
ASCEND fosters an equitable, holistic, community-based, climbing, fitness, and yoga experience.
We exist to bring people together through movement and shared experience. From world-class climbing walls to inclusive programming, we aim to create spaces where everyone feels they belong — whether they’re projecting their first V0 or sending their lifelong goal.
ASCEND is more than a gym — it’s a third place where people come to recharge, reconnect, and rediscover what makes them feel strong. Our team is passionate about fostering authentic relationships, supporting healthy lifestyles, and creating environments that are vibrant, safe, and welcoming to all.
We believe that thriving individuals build thriving communities. That’s why we operate with a long-term focus: balancing growth with sustainability, excellence with equity, and ambition with care. Our business is designed to be a benefit to our employees, members, and neighborhoods — not just a source of profit.
We see ourselves as part of a larger ecosystem — of climbing, recreation, and community well-being — throughout western Pennsylvania and beyond. We honor our role as stewards of this ecosystem through environmental responsibility, advocacy for access, and a commitment to human rights, inclusion, and respect.
Our Values
The values we live by are simple.
The values we live by are simple — and they shape every climb we set, every class we teach, and every interaction we have.
Accessible – We strive to ensure equitable access to climbing and to make ASCEND approachable for everyone, from curious newcomers to lifelong climbers.
Authentic – We show up honestly, put our hearts into our work, and stay true to our roots.
Passionate – We’re lifelong climbers, movers, and community builders — dedicated to stewardship, sustainability, and collaboration.
Hardworking – We put in the effort every day, honoring that strength comes in many forms.
Our Story
LOCALLY FOUNDED. LOCALLY ROOTED.
In 2011, friends and climbing partners Alex, Paul, and Aaron took their shared passion for climbing and community and built something new: ASCEND Pittsburgh. What started as a dream to create a home for local climbers has grown into a regionally rooted company serving the broader western Pennsylvania community.
Over the years, ASCEND has evolved from a single gym into a multi-location organization with a clear purpose — to make climbing, yoga, and fitness more accessible, inclusive, and meaningful for everyone in our region. While our business has grown, our heart has never left home.
ASCEND is proudly funded by more than 30 local family and friend investors and supported by local financing — proof that our community believes in us as much as we believe in them.
Today, our focus is clear: to operate a vibrant, sustainable network of climbing gyms that reflect the values of western Pennsylvania — hardworking, welcoming, and community-driven. We’re committed to growing thoughtfully, staying grounded in our mission, and serving our members, employees, and partners with integrity and care.
We don’t know exactly what the future holds, but we do know this: we’ll keep climbing — together — right here at home.
A Step Further
Our Community & Advocacy
At ASCEND, our responsibility doesn't stop at the front desk. We believe that strong communities are built through participation: showing up for one another, protecting access to shared spaces, and using our voices to help shape a more inclusive and equitable future.
As a community-based organization, we support causes and partners that directly intersect with climbing, access to the outdoors, and the well-being of our neighbors. This reflects our belief that thriving individuals build thriving communities, and that stewardship, advocacy, and civic engagement are essential parts of that equation.
Supporting sustainable access, conservation, and responsible stewardship of climbing areas throughout our region (such as SWPACC + Access Fund).
Supporting underrepresented populations in the outdoor industry and recreation (such as the Outdoor Inclusion Coalition).
Supporting policies and initiatives that strengthen economic well-being, healthcare access, and quality of life in the communities we serve. Because when our neighbors thrive, our community thrives!
Civic Engagement
We also believe that civic participation is a vital part of community health. Using your voice (and your vote!) helps shape the neighborhoods, public spaces, and systems we all rely on. We encourage our community to stay informed, speak up, and participate in the
Helpful resources:
Find your elected representatives:
https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/Register to vote (PA):
https://www.pa.gov/services/vote/register-to-vote
We know advocacy takes many forms: volunteering, donating, voting, or simply being an engaged and informed neighbor. All of it matters. We encourage you to explore these organizations and others doing meaningful work in your community, and to find your own ways to get involved. We're proud to stand alongside people and organizations working to make our region and our climbing community stronger and more inclusive.
Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
JEDI Initiatives
As ASCEND management, we recognize the systemic racism that impacts past and current members of our community, and see that it has had a part in shaping the exclusivity of our industry. We are committed to making access to the outdoors, yoga, and climbing more inclusive, diverse, and accessible. As advocates of our community and the outdoors, we acknowledge the important intersections of environmentalism and social justice.
Sustainability
Always Working Toward It
We know sustainability is so much more than celebrating Earth Day each year. We know it's not just about the environment and trash cleanups. We believe that sustainability is intersects with people, the planet, even our profits. It's an all-encompassing philosophy that will never be fully attained, but we want to do our best.
Here are just some notable efforts:
In partnership with Zero Waste Wrangler, we proudly compost at ASCEND South Side and Point Breeze.
We have worked closely with Sustainable Pittsburgh.
We constantly work with all of our vendors, suppliers, and partners to work toward a more sustainable future.
Get To Know
Our Partners
We understand that ASCEND isn’t able to provide everything for everyone. That’s not a problem though, because we have some pretty awesome friends!
Southwestern Pennsylvania Climbers Coalition Promoting responsible development and preservation of climbing and bouldering in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Explorers Club of Pittsburgh Members participate in activities as diverse as mountaineering, rock climbing, skiing, scuba diving, canoeing, kayaking, caving, cycling, backpacking, environmental and community service projects, and a host of outdoor sports.
Venture Outdoors A member-supported local non-profit organization working to make it easy for you to get outside.
BikePGH With a focus on Advocacy, Education, and Community, Bike Pittsburgh is transforming our streets and communities into vibrant, healthy places by making them safe and accessible for people to bike and walk.
Allegheny Mountain Rescue Group Pittsburgh-based volunteer search and rescue team that specializes in lost and missing person searches, cave rescue, and high-angle rope rescue
NRAC Preserve and promotes access to climbing areas, and to conserve climbing resources in the New River Gorge and surrounding areas.
Climbing Wall Association Supports the growth, health, independence and professionalism of the climbing wall industry.
Climbing Business Journal An independent news outlet dedicated to covering the indoor climbing industry.
Access Fund Threats to our climbing areas come in many forms—and we must act quickly and nimbly to protect them.
The American Alpine Club A united community of competent climbers and healthy climbing landscapes.
American Mountain Guides Association To inspire and support a culture of American mountain craft.
