Second Ascent: Your First Stop Before Any Adventure!

Second Ascent is Seattle’s destination for new and used gear for bicycle and backcountry pursuits - whether it’s rock climbing, mountaineering, mountain biking, backcountry or nordic skiing, hiking/backpacking, or camping, they stock the store to the brim with the best outdoor brands at the most competitive prices.

They’ve been rated as the best used outdoor gear store in the nation by Backpacker Magazine in 2013 and backed by an amazing and supportive community. At the core of our shop, you’ll find a very local and down to earth store that focuses on providing the best prices for gear, friendly customer service, and a very driven community engagement program.

What kind of events do you guys host?

We hold dozens of events a year and also open our doors to organizations requesting a venue for their meetings, presentations and special classes. Our biggest focus is to provide events that have a return, like fundraising or education to the community. We’ve held educational evenings like “How to Climb Denali,” free avalanche awareness clinics, book signings, film premiers and community sports specific parties. We’ve worked hard on providing a great experience for events with a focus on creating that perfect social atmosphere and making contributions/donations to our presenters and local athletes towards their future endeavors.



Best outdoor climbing spots in WA?

Whether you’re a boulderer, sport/trad climber, alpinist, mountaineer, or all of the above, Washington has a lot of climbing and to boil it down to the best is difficult. During the long hours of the summer months, heading out to the I-90, Exit 32 or 38 crags after work provides for some fun sport climbing.

For those looking to climb some of the most immaculate granite cracks in the northwest, Index is just over an hour away from town. For a great weekend or extended climbing trip, Leavenworth has a lifetime of stone.

The northwest is renowned by climbers around the world for its roadside alpine climbing along Highway 20, slicing through the North Cascades in one of the most dramatic landscapes in the country. During the winter months, if you’re not skiing, heading to the other side of the Cascades to Vantage, WA tends be a sunny destination when most everything is drenched or covered in snow on this side of the Cascades. One of the coolest things about being a rock climber in Washington is that there’s just so much, from the historic to the obscure that ultimately, you either become a very well rounded climber, or you pack up and fly south.



Best Mountaineering & ice climbing spots in WA?

Hands down, we live in the best mountaineering state in the country. Breaking down the volcanoes and countless climbable peaks in the Cascades down to the best can be tough. Mt. Rainier is probably the best answer, although there’s a guilty feeling to exclude all the other peaks. But, no other mountain around offers as much for the novice to the elite. Every year, thousands come to Rainier as a place to learn as well as as train for bigger climbs like Denali to Mt. Everest. As for ice, well, we’re probably not in the best state due to the winter weather fluctuations; many take to the road and head up to Canada where the ice is bit more accessible and dependable. With that said, there are a lot of ice and mixed climbing for the adventurous and committed – just stop by the shop and ask one of our knowledgeable staff.



Any advice for Seattleites seeking outdoor activities?