Jim is not only an expert in the gear he sells and the area- he is also a sweetheart. He made sure I got the sleeping bag I wanted after I bought one that was too big for me and communicated well throughout the process. He made sure we knew what he was sharing was just his opinion and didn't try and convince us into purchases. If you're looking for hand picked top line climbing gear and expert knowledge, this is the place! read more

Super solid shop that has a great range of companies represented. People complaining about customer service crack me up; get over yourselves! I'm here for the gear, not for making friends with the owner. *eye-roll* For the record, I've always had good interactions with the owner and appreciate his knowledge. He carries Mont-bell, which is the main reason I shop there. He's always bringing in the newest UL stuff, too. Prices are right for the quality of gear. I will be back! read more

Great range of products that are hard to find anywhere. Montbell is an awesome brand that's almost impossible to find. The Blue Ice backpacks are not a brand I have seen anywhere else but are really comfortable and ultralight but still durable and can handle more weight than most ultralight options. The owner is extremely knowledgeable about all his products and helped me find everything I needed. read more

Look, nowadays everybody and their dog buys this that and the other online, and that's fine and dandy. But if you have a thin rope and a belay device which is not compatible, then there will be a lot more time for online shopping while recovering at home from surgery because of an injury. Stay safe and be smart, go see Jim at his shop, and he'll kindly explain why you do and don't need this gear and not that gear. You're going to like what you find in there, I guarantee it. Don't believe me? Call my bluff. I'll meet you there, and if you don't find something which you need, then I'll treat you to lunch. read more

WOW! The owner/operator of this store has HORRIBLE customer service! I wanted to visit this store to take a look at some Western Mountaineering bags and potentially make a purchase of an Ultralite. I went into the store and despite being the only person in the small store, I was not acknowledged for at least 5 to 10 minutes. Not even a "hello" while looking at $550 sleeping bags. After approaching the person behind the counter and engaging him in conversation, he was extremely short with me and visibly irritated by my presence. In an effort to make small talk, I asked him "How's business?" His response, "Horrible. Really slow." OK, so I ask about some stoves and the direction the industry seems to be taking lately and what I have been noticing. He basically told me I am way behind the times then told me I should buy one to figure out how they work and whether I like them, unwilling to provide his guidance on why they are better or even how much fuel they use. Then, while trying on some clothing he asked me if I was going to buy something, the third time he pressured me to purchase something from him. The answer is "Hell no!" I have no interest in buying anything from someone with an ego this big who is unwilling to educate me on his products but rather tries to guilt me into buying stuff from him. Do yourself a favor and avoid this establishment! read more

I finally made it out to this store. They keep strange hours and are closed on sunday and monday. That said, all is forgiven. They are an official MontBell retailer. Unlike feathered friends, Pro Mountain Sports doesn't make sleeping bags, so they carry a few different brands. These guys are all about ultra-light. I'm kind of torn between the concept and reality. I'm all about a lighter load while on the trail, but I like my creature comforts. Also it get's exponentially more expensive the lighter you go. How expensive? Well, a nice goosedown 1 pound sleeping bag can easily start out around $300. Some of the gear is worth it, while I'm still on the fence about other items. Anyhow, finally got to try out the montbell synthetic super stretch bags. They're incredible and a steal at the normal retail price. Just need to return my Sierra Designs flex bag that is a vastly inferior product. Will be returning to this shop a lot as they have a great selection of gear that larger retailers like REI don't carry. read more

This shop is about gear, NOT marketing. Jim knows his stuff and he knows the Cascades. This is one of the best local climbing shops around. Maybe ever... read more

Think twice before making a purchase, this business isn't interested in the customer's need, only in making a sale. Bought a regular priced hiking pack and while the quality was great tried to exchange it or return it, due to issue with size it was within 5 business days. The owner shared ALL items (regardless if sale item or regular price) are final unless the tag isn't removed even if they are in excellent condition. No expectations. Even if told when purchased if it was possible with the tags, receipts and within the return period of 6 days. Although I try to support family-owned establishments, as a customer the impression I left with was duked, deceived and disappointed. read more

So much more than a year shop! Pro Mountain Sports is the type of place you go to get a carabiner and beta for that super awesome route you have been thinking about all summer, or to talk about climbing ethics, or to figure out if that new fancy belay device is actually any good or just extra weight and marketing. This is the climbing shop for climbers. read more

I decided to go to this store despite the claims of poor customer service and I was wrong to do so. I went to look at some gear to buy but was told that I wasn't allowed to look at anything and I just had to tell the owner which gear I wanted to buy. Since I didn't have an exact idea of what I was planning to buy, I was told to leave the store. read more

This shop has a great selection of climbing and mountaineering gear. They've curated great products that are lightweight and reliable. I do way too much research on products when it's just me and the internet, and even then I'm never sure if the product is exactly what I'm looking for. It's nice to have someone that knows what he's talking about. Check them out and keep climbing. read more

Well, not to much help behind the counter. Got an Alpine AK-37 Ice climbing bag for about 300$ and lost the top left buckle, the company is not sold at any other climbing shop from my knowledge. Cant find the part I need but the bag works great during rainy seasons! read more

Read the reviews but thought I'd give it a try. Customer service is truly terrible. Owner was willing to sell me something that wouldn't have worked I later learned. In general speaking with the owner was awful. Disappointing, I like to support local shops. Not here. read more

Absolutely terrible business practices, simply put the worst business experience I can recall. I had reviewed their online catalog, and came in to the store to look at a tent, inspect the quality, and set it up to get an idea for the dimensions. Pretty standard stuff for a customer to do at any retail store I think. I was shocked to hear the store operator tell me that there was a $30 fee to look at a tent, which would be credited back to me only if I bought the tent. I was stunned, who could possibly imagine that this is any way to do business? His actions told me that he didn't value me as a customer, and also had no confidence in his ability to sell the merchandise. This behaviour is the opposite of what I've come to expect from other high end outdoor goods retailers, which are happy to setup and allow the customer to interact with the merchandise. While other stores, including a now nationally prominent chain that started in a seattle garage (3 letters in the name) work hard to fit the client to the right gear, Pro Mountain Sports wants an admission fee just to look at the product. I took my business to another local store, and plan to never return. read more

They know their stuff and have most of the latest and greatest lightweight gear. The shop is small but they have one of the most informative websites out there. I wish they carried scarpa mountaineering boots but other than that its a great little store. Just had to deduct a point because I remember their return policy wasn't as good as other places from what i recall. read more

Used to like this store. Hate it now. I"ve purchased things here before, because we love the icebreaker products. So when my son was done at the UW I decided to stop by instead of driving to REI or icebreaker downtown. When my son asked why we were going to this small little shop instead, we had a great talk about why we like to support small businesses, and shop local, etc.. While we were in the shop trying on the wool shirts (my son tried on only two) we went to try on a third. The guy didn't have what we wanted in size medium, so we were going to try on a different style just to make sure. The man seemed put out that we wanted to take another shirt out of the box. "Are you actually going to BUY a shirt?" he said. Well, yes, that's why we're here! I said. "Well, I don't believe you," he says to me. He thinks we've driven to his store, parked the car, and shopped here just to find out what size we need so we can buy it elsewhere. (As if we couldn't do that at any other store that sells this product.) He was rude, dismissive and insulting. Basically kicked us out. I told him we'd be happy to go spend elsewhere. And we did. Bought not one but two shirts -- the exact two and the same exact size we were about to purchase at pro mountain. And the folks were actually nice to us! Kind of unbelievable. The upside of being treated like crap is that it was a teachable moment for my kid. After discussing the importance of supporting small local businesses on the way IN to the shop, on the way OUT we got to discuss the wide variety of jerks and unhappy people there are in the world, and the ways my son's been treated for "shopping while being teenaged." And for him to realize that rudeness knows no boundaries: "I can kind of understand why I get treated like this sometimes, you know, as a kid, but you're a MOM. A mom with, you know, buying power!" We had a good laugh at that one. Will never give pro mountain a penny ever again.Jim, if that's his name, is a piss poor salesman and not a nice person, to say the least. read more

Most of my activities are backpacking/hiking related. While this store caters primarily to climbers, this is one of the few stores in the Seattle area that carries Montbell (outerwear, sleeping bags), Rab layer 1 and layer 2 clothes, Western Mountaineering (jackets/vests and sleeping bags) products. If I'm interested in one of these brands' products, I'm coming to Pro Mountain Sports. These brand products are not inexpensive. If I'm buying something from one of these companies, I usually want to look at it, browse, and think about my purchase beforehand. I don't impulsively purchase $500 sleeping bags. I've popped into Pro Mountain Sports a handful of times (once for a WM sleeping bag and once for a WM vest, among others). If I spend any amount of time in there trying things on, the store operator clearly becomes frustrated with me. I never request that he stands there while I try on jackets or look at sleeping bags. I expressly state that I'm not high maintenance and don't have any immediate questions, but I know where to find him if I do (the store has a pretty small footprint). He still seems unhappy with me, even after that. And *every* time I have been in there, he gives me a shpeal about how shopping local is important and if I want to support local small businesses I should shop there instead of Amazon...while staring at me pointedly. He probably suspects I'm just there to window shop and I'm going to leave and purchase somewhere on the Web for a better price. The tone in his voice sounds like he's made up his mind that this is what I'm going to do and he's trying to guilt me into purchasing at his store. I always thought it was just in my head, until the last 2 visits when a friend came with. Each time, as soon as I got back in the car, my friend, unprompted, echoed my thoughts. Great products (I love Montbell and WM) that are hard to find anywhere else, but customer service could be improved. read more

They are a small outdoor / mountaineering store located in the University District. While they have a limited selection they make up for it by choosing only what they know works, and works well. Prices are fair and the staff are knowledgeable and helpful. read more

A better selection of climbing gear than most stores in Seattle. If your a climber in the neighborhood its worth checking out.

I ordered a Western Mountaineering Alpenlite sleeping bag from Backcountry Gear online about 10 weeks ago and was still waiting for it when I happened to call Jim at Pro Mountain Sports to see if he had one. It just so happened that he had exactly what I needed (long, left zip) and was willing to ship it to me the next business day for free. So, I cancelled my order from the other place and had my bag the day after Jim shipped it to me. That is what I call excellent customer service! Thanks again, Jim. read more

I am from Norway and was in Seattle for a quick stop and wanted to buy some high-end equipment to climb the 7 summits, since it is half price in the US. I had also been to REI, but they didn't have lot of the extreme equipments nor experience with high-altitude climbing. Anyway, got a very good service, the guy was highly competent and got a good package deal, since I ended up buying a lot. Will definitely come back and I really appreciate the small competent boutique shops!! read more

Horrible customer service. I live out of the area and called with a question about a rope. The guy brushed me off and told me I needed to come into the shop. I live an hour away and wanted to find out if they even have what I am looking for, or if maybe I could get a recommendation and purchase over the phone to save a drive. He wouldn't even let me explain, he just kept telling me I had to come into the shop. I purchased my previous rope from this store plus a bunch of other gear over the phone several years ago and had it shipped to my house - no issues. The guy couldn't find me in the system, and acted like I was lying about it. If you want to retain customers you need to treat them like you value them, and without suspicion. The last customer may have done something to bother you, but you can't assume that I'm doing the same thing and make me feel like a horrible person for asking a legitimate question. There are other places that don't treat their customers like crap. I won't be going back. read more

This shop caters to serious climbers. If you plan to climb in the Cascades you can rely on the expertise and experience of Jim. He is meticulous in his selection. From the down products to the crampons to the ropes, everything advances the goal of climbing in the Cascades in the best possible way. Jim is a valuable asset for climbing beta and he's willing to lend his expertise on routes and mountains. He has so much more credibility than retailers like REI when it comes to outfitting you with the gear you need to succeed in the Pacific Northwest. Young and old climbers go into his shop all the time just to pick his brain on climbing routes. Then they wisely pick up the right gear. I recently picked up a few of the newest lightweight cams and it wasn't just a transaction. We had a good conversation about the pros and cons of my selections. If you're priority is to have your butt kissed this may not be your shop, but if you want to leave the store with the right gear the first time then come here first. read more

I've been an avid hiker/backpacker for almost 20 years now, I've been all over Colorado, Wyoming, West Virginia, New Hampshire and of course Washington. I've never found a cooler store then PMS. The staff, especially Adam, are super knowledgeable and really nice people to talk to about your up-coming adventures. You know that when you walk in there you will get the BEST quality for the best price and also the lightest camping gear in town. Thumbs up I say! read more

If you really want the best equipment and the best advice, Jim Nelson is the person to ask. I have been buying mountain climbing equipment from him for the last 35 years. Listen carefully what he has to say, he has a lot of experince and knows what works best. Climbing is way more fun with a light pack. My pack usually weighs half of what my partners do. Jim can help you get you there. read more