Schedule

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.

PITTSBURGH EVENT CALENDAR

YOUNGSTOWN EVENT CALENDAR

Interested in more that just events and clubs programming? View the ALL ASCEND Events and Classes Calendar.

Equity

ASCEND's Equity + Outreach department has a lot going on these days. Learn more and get involved!

EQUITY + OUTREACH

Clubs
MC1R (Many Colors | 1 Route)

Facebook Group
Instagram Page

Meetup days and times coming soon!

ASCEND’s MC1R group is a gym-affiliated club that serves as an inclusive space for people of color and ethnic minorities to climb together and explore the outdoors while supporting each other mentally and physically. Anyone is welcome to join (PoC and white people alike), and all are encouraged to participate, expand their community, and develop climbing skills while also engaging in conversation around racial and social justice. This group believes that systemic racism and oppression is prevalent in all settings and that it is important to intentionally create opportunities to challenge and rewrite that narrative. By having these conversations in a setting that is comfortable and openminded, and that is rooted in an enjoyable practice, participants can anchor these difficult issues to a more relatable context.

We encourage people of all backgrounds to ask questions, participate in the monthly conversations, and learn about the group. For further information, check out this blog post (coming soon), talk to our staff, follow them on Instagram, join the Facebook page, or email the MC1R coordinator, Rachel Stachelrodt. 

Queer Scouts

Club Captains: Mische Holland, Cat Schrading

Facebook Group
Instagram Page

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 from 7p-9p unless otherwise noted. See you there!

October 16th- Affinity Session (6p-8p)
October 20th - Meet Up
October 29th - Halloween Party (5p-11p) 
November 10th - Meet Up
November 20th - Affinity Session (6p-8p)
December 8th - Meet Up
December 18th - Affinity Session (6p-8p)
January 5th - Meet Up
January 15th - Affinity Session (6p-8p)
January 19th - Meet Up

Stay tuned for meet-up dates at ASCEND Youngstown! 

Affinity Sessions are free for everyone! Meet ups are included in the price of a day pass if you are not a member or punch pass holder. Please reach out to us on Instagram or Facebook if you have any questions. Hope to see you soon!

Women On Walls (WOW)

Club Captains: Nancy Tran, Lora Waybright, Patrice Lehocky 

Facebook group 

An inclusive and safe space where women can climb together, learn from each other, and hang out while meeting new friends!

Climb with us from 7p-9p at ASCEND Pittsburgh (South Side)!
Friday, October 29th - ASCEND Halloween Party  (5p-11p)
Monday, November 1st
Wednesday, November 17th
Monday, December 6th
Wednesday, December 15th
Monday, January 3rd
Wednesday, January 19th

Stay tuned for meet-up dates at ASCEND Youngstown! 

Book Club

ASCEND Book Club details TBA.

Cycling Club

Club Captains: Eli Johnson, Emma O'Brien 

Facebook Group
Instagram Page
Strava Group

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!

Join us for our next ride:

  • Saturday, October 30th - 10am - ASCEND Pittsburgh: Halloween Costume Ride! 

    • All ages, riders, and experience levels welcome. You do not need to be an Ascend member to join us! Invite your friends! The route will begin at ASCEND, take the river trails to the Allegheny Observatory, and end back at ASCEND. Expect a roughly fifteen mile ride at an easy pace and with a little road riding. If you'd like to hang out and climb afterward, day passes will be offered at a discount to anyone who joins. (Halloween costumes encouraged, but optional!) 

REGISTER HERE

Run Club

Club Captains: Brenna Marzano, Ben Kinley

Facebook Group
Google Group
Strava Group 

ASCEND Run Club formed in April 2017. We're a casual group of climbers who are also born to run! We meet every Monday evening near ASCEND Pittsburgh's front desk at 5:45p to mingle and warm up, and take off promptly at 6p! If you're late, you better be fast ;) Typically, everyone starts together and links with similar paces for a 4 mile or 8 mile run around the South Side, ending back at ASCEND. Any and all are welcome and do not need to be a member of ASCEND to participate. Spread the word and join our Google Group (most important!), Facebook Group, and Strava Group!

If you're interested in becoming an ASCEND Run Club Captain or help kick things off in Youngstown, get involved here to help build the group's presence. 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!

REGISTER HERE

Volunteers

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 Board Member and/or as a ASCEND Club Captain. 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 $100 in ASCEND Merchandise.

LEARN MORE + APPLY

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, and Cycling Club. We hope to introduce a Youth Climbing Club and Book Club in the near future. Typically clubs meet weekly in the evenings, however as Club Captain you will work with the Event and 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.

Films

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.

  • 5 Point Film Festival: August 13th at 3 Rivers Outdoor Co. 

Previous ASCEND Sponsored Films: 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