Ok I admit....I'm an REI addict and usually buy things on amazon if they're on there for less. But this place! The guys there were so amazing and helpful and educated! It was really refreshing. My last visit there resulted in my walking out with $400 of merchandise that I COULD HAVE found cheaper somewhere else....but didn't. Because I couldn't in good conscious not buy the goods there after receiving such amazing service. They just need to stretch out their return policy and I could become a convert! read more

I love that Ballard has a store like this instead of making me trek all the way to REI for sporting/outdoorsy goods. Sure, this store is only a fraction of REI's size but that's part of its appeal. I have purchased both new and used items from Second Ascent, from camping gear to footwear to apparel - all items were priced well and I seem to always catch either a good sale or make use of the Chinook Book coupon:) I've always received excellent customer service whether I'm casually browsing after a day at the farmers market or on the hunt for something specific before a trip. read more

Love this place! Its like a candy store in there! Ive picked up so many goodies here, and always for a bargain. High quality hiking boots, camping gear etc. I like that they sell gently used items, brilliant! The staff are really friendly too! read more

Updating this to give a shout out to Colin for spending more than half an hour helping me fit packs. I knew walking in that I'd get great advice and I got it in spades. I'm taking a bit of a gamble on a lighter (alpine style) pack than I thought I wanted, but I feel good about the decision and thanks to Colin's help I also know exactly which alternate pack I'll come back for if this one turns out to be a mistake (I'm going to load it up and take it up and down the stairs in my building to test it out more). Love this place. read more

This review would have been 5-Stars posted on my first trip here in March 2013. I have very unique shoe/boot needs. I was put in touch with Second Ascent thru Mammut's USA office. I called and got amazing service from Brennan just over the phone, he understood all my issues. I made my family get up at the crack of dawn to be on their doorstep when they opened Saturday morning. Brennan is AMAZING he spent so much time with me, even though they only really had one option for me to try, he even offered to send me to other guys if these boots didn't work. I was so happy and thankful that he even took the time to help me find a new backpack even though it is not his specialty. I am very PRO-shop local. I told every one what a great experience we had. Then we went back for a big two week sale they were having, again early on a Saturday. Sadly Brennan was not there to help my boyfriend. He was passed between two people who somewhat knew what they were doing. He ended up getting the same brand of shoe I had because he was getting frustrated with lack of knowledge. We were also there because I needed a new sleeping bag, we went to that area of the store and were talking about bags while the person in the area was busy. We must have been there a minimum of 20 minutes waiting. When the guy finished he just walked away. We could find no one else to help us. Everyone working was involved in their own departments and talking with other workers, not really helping people. I am very sad to say that we left. I doubt we will go back. They seem very involved in the community based on their Face Book page too bad they aren't with the customer's in the store. read more

I shop at this place every time I visit from Ohio. Great prices on new gear and quality used items.

Great selection on outdoor gear and cycling stuff. Knowledgeable staff. Highly recommend this place.

It's the only outdoor shop for miles and miles. Great staff. Not always the best selection, but I like to go peruse stuff and dream of an outdoor trip I'll probably never take. But I like knowing I can. You know? If you need it (unless it's snowboards that don't split) read more

Super solid shop. Unlike many bike stores, this shop has friendly and helpful people working in it. Ski gear is BC focused but the prices are competitive. Great outerwear selection. They have what you need to out on the trails hiking and backpacking. Great staff. read more

Great service, great selection and people that actually use the gear they sell..... unlike the "big box" outdoor retailer in town. Prices are the same and you get better information for the same price. Thanks for being there for the climbing, skiing and riding community. read more

You'll get great deals on gear here. New, used, and last year's stuff, it's like a candy store!

Best ever experience buying a bike on Bastille Day in Ballard! Thank you Isaac!

I go into second ascent all the time, I work outside in seattle year round and do a lot of outdoorsy stuff, so it is important for me to have the right gear... It can be very expensive building up a proper wardrobe of good outdoor clothing, that is why I go to second ascent, they got the best deals in town, unless you get super lucky at goodwill, you are way more guarunteed to find a nice and affordable used garmet here, and they have really nice new clothing too, like ibex wool tops and bottoms, my favorite outdoors shop in seattle, they may not have the selection of way bigger stores, but I like how they are independent and recycleing goods, and the prices are great! read more

I flew into Seattle for a backcountry touring trip with friends. Ascent had the best rental prices for splitboards and avalanche gear so I went with them. Service was good picking up my rental. Everything was ready for me so I didn't have to wait around as my gear was gathered. Unfortunately when I started skinning my skins didn't stick very well at all. My bindings also weren't tightened so I had to do some on the fly adjustments. The trip wasn't ruined by any means but it wasn't the smoothest either. Upon returning my gear and brining this to the attention of rental technician (Henry) he was very apologetic. I was hoping to get a discount but he went beyond that and waved my board rental. So all in all I'd recommend Ascent. Great service, just check your rental a little more thoroughly than I did. (For the record, all other gear was in perfect working order.) read more

Rented skis and boots from them, everyone there is super pleasant and I will be buying my first pair of backcountry skis from them for sure!

Second Ascent blows the big competition out of the water on pricing. I love going in the store and seeing what new used gear has come in and I'm always amazed at the low prices, I go there to get all my outdoor gear, and I bought an awesome K2 bike from there a couple years back that is so awesome and the price was great ... check this place out on the regular and you will be way more comfortable around here in the winter... read more

While the selection might be smaller than other outdoors stores, the customer service at Second Ascent can't be beat! In addition to an incredibly knowledgeable staff, they do their best to make you feel like more than just a customer. I brought my skis and bindings in to be mounted after I learned that it would be more expensive to mount them at the shop I bought them at (I couldn't believe that the other shop, another small outdoors store, was going to charge me more after spending so much money there!). Despite not buying the gear at Second Ascent, I still received a bit of a discount because I had bought my boots there. Things like that go a long way! read more

Hands down my favorite bike shop. Now i do have 2 bikes, but i am still a major novice when it comes to all things bike. i fine that many of the other bikes shops don't listen to you when you say what you want and kinda look down on you or something when you have no idea what you are talking about. the guys at the bike shop here are super helpful and friendly and really take the time to talk to you and listen to you. I do wish they had a bigger bike selection of gear and other bike stuff, but i can get that elsewhere i suppose. read more

Best customer service I've ever had! Thanks Aaron! Loved the birthday bike. :)

Don't go here- much better to just go to REI. The employees have this wild sense of entitlement and low motivation to work, as if they weren't even being paid. I've spent thousands of dollars here over the years, starting back in their early days, and have stopped coming back because I'm just sick of the apathy and disrespect. The bike shop guys are the worst- elite bike snob kings! The owner is a great guy, whom I've talked with many times, but there is just something weird about how the service ends up being. A few employees are great, and one is actually a good friend of mine, ironically. Overall though, there is nothing to get here that can't be found just as easily or cheaply at REI or on the internet, and without the sass. read more

Brennan was amazing and incredibly knowledgeable! I came in looking for a pair of shoes that would help my flat feet. I really didn't think I would find what I was looking for, but Brennan spent an hour analyzing my feet and helping me try on several pairs of shoes. I was super impressed and walked out with a fantastic pair of shoes his customer service skills were superb, I will be a repeat customer!! read more

These people are the best! Always friendly, helpful and cost-appropriate. I bought a Scott bicycle there on clearance a couple years back at an amazing price, every time I've taken it in for standard maintenance, they charge less than what I expect. Not only that, they take the time to adjust other small details like brakes and pedals, for free! They also called me to perform warranty maintenance on my bike because of a part recall, it cost me only a couple hours of time. Yesterday, I got an inter tube replaced for a mere $17 and they told me my rear brakes were tightened for no cost. I was expecting that the outer tire needed to be replaced as well, but they told me it was fine... instead of finding ways to charge me more (like many businesses do) they find ways to take care of me and only charge me for what I need. I'll be a faithfully happy customer as long as their doors are open. read more

Fantastic Outfitter. Lot's of what a Real Outfitter should carry. Great hands on service. People who know their products. A great line of products. We went to two REI locations in an effort to purchase a Neoair Patch kit with no luck or knowledge of what We needed. We were very happy to find it at Second Ascent. read more

I've never experienced such poor customer service when asking about gear. I understand it's tough sometimes when dealing with the public, but it's unacceptable to speak to customers in a condescending manner. I definitely won't be spending money at this place. read more

Nice, informative staff. I appreciate the employees taking the time to talk about various equipment. The best solutions to one of my problems was basically to buy nothing at all, and the clerk actually told me that. It's nice to know they are not just trying to make a sale. I will certainly go back there for my next gear purchase. read more

Love the store, love the merchandice, love the staff. Did I mention that I love this place?

We ordered a footprint for our MSR tent on crazy sale ($19.95!), through their online store. Yes, it was nice that it arrived at light speed and that their customer service rocks, but the most awesome surprise was that they used 100% reused packaging materials to ship it, and stuffed it with some biodegradable bags that come handy for my compost. This is the first online order I have ever received that puts some thought into the eco quality of packaging materials. Businesses that are this environmentally responsible make it easy for us to make informed decisions as consumers- why are they not all like this? Now I wish they had a store in San Francisco too. read more

I bought a front derailleur for my bike and told the mechanic that I could install it myself. I had a few issues and brought it back in to ask questions. Without hesitation, he quickly explained my mistake, fixed it, and offered some other suggestions for minor problems. Excellent customer service! read more

Came in a few months ago around an hour before closing time. Had a gentleman with a wicked beard help me and my friend both find backpacks. He helped us right up till closing time and a little afterwards. He must have loaded weight into like 5 different packs to make sure we both picked 'the one pack'. Was awesome about giving us privacy to connect with our possibly purchases but made us both feel like he never forgot about us and checked in with us the perfect amount of times. Me and my friend both found packs but they didn't have the size I needed. Unfortunately I needed it within the next few days so I sadly had to give that sale to REI, but the credit goes to you guys and your amazing staff! Thank you so much for helping, both me and my friend, find the most comfortable packs ever! read more

This place is pretty great. Good options, knowledgeable employees. I just wish they carried more used gear. Mountaineering can be very expensive and I was excited to find a store that sold used gear, but when I got there, there was almost none, and none in my size. read more

First ever Yelp review, because it's worth it. Came in to get mountaineering equipment for a class. I have pretty extensive non-technical mountaineering experience, but next to zero climbing. All of the staff knew how to communicate with me in terms I understood immediately and were passionate and knowledgeable about their subjects. I had discount coupons for a specific item that was out of stock, they transferred the percentage to a similar item. Used selection is picked pretty clean, but I was able to find a pair of Garmont boots and some crampons (both basically unused) for 2/3 off of market price. Great service, good enough pricing. Coming from Colorado, Tahoe, and now Seattle, can't recommend these guys enough. read more

I'm not a very outdoorsy person, but I love to run which is not a spot they necessarily cater to. I walked in anyways looking for a new hydration pack since they few I've tried recently (purchased off amazon) weren't working out. They were extremely knowledgable and addressed exactly how all of my pain points with my current gear weren't working without me needing to say anything. I will be back whenever I need a new one or decide to pick up other outdoor activities. read more

Really great Seattle spot! The bike guys are super knowledgeable and helpful. I have gotten a basket for my bike from them and they really went out of the way to make sure it was going to be the right fit for what I wanted. Great customer service skills! read more

Stay away from this store. While they seem to have things together, their service is reckless, careless and disregards any customer and their needs. Quality of their items are sub par. I'd advise looking for other stores near by. There are quite a few around. read more

Overall it was a good experience and I will go back. When I initially called to inquire about snowshoe availability, the individual who answered the phone seemed bothered by a rental question. He told me to go online to see if there were snowshoes available. He did not seem too nice. I went online and easily navigated through the system. When I went in to pickup the rentals, was no line at the rental counter and I was helped by a very nice young man who took the time to explain how to use the equipment. Return was also easy. We will rent again. Overall I was satisfied. read more

Paula and her crew are awesome. Great local shop owned and operated by a wonderful family!!

they've got a little bit of everything needed for outdoor recreation. My only hesitation is how pricey shopping there can be.

Decent used gear at reasonable prices. My only complaint would be the same others have mentioned, the attitude of the staff. I honestly don't know what it is - maybe you have to be part of the club to fit in here. If you can forgive that and don't need any help, it's an ok place. read more

Great deals on quality outdoor clothing, good vibes, friendly service!

Love this place! The staff is always nice and they seem to genuinely enjoy helping customers. Prices are on-par and I'm stoked they opened Ascent Cycles! read more