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makini
Apr 29, 2005, 3:36 PM
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Registered: Apr 27, 2005
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Hey there :)
I'm going to Chicago on Sunday for a week of vacation. Could anyone tell me if there's any good climbing gym for a visitor? We're gonna live in the Best Western Hotel on 1100 S Michigan Avenue, and it'd be good with someplace nearby ;)
Cheers
///martin
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stuckinmidwest
Apr 29, 2005, 10:09 PM
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Registered: Jul 28, 2004
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Although I've never been there, I hear shore Athletic club has a decent wall. Your best bet would be to find a way to get to Vertical Endeavors. It's in Warrenville and probably about a 45 minute ride from where you are. Check em out at www.verticalendeavors.com then click Warrenville Gym. Great routes and good staff. Oh yeah, it's located inside a fitness place called Lifetime Fitness, so you just go in the main doors, tell them you're there to climb and they give you a wristband. Then take a right, walk down the hallways through the basketball gym and your at the VE doors.
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veritasmmv
Apr 29, 2005, 11:46 PM
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Registered: Oct 23, 2004
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In reply to: Although I've never been there, I hear shore Athletic club has a decent wall. Your best bet would be to find a way to get to Vertical Endeavors. It's in Warrenville and probably about a 45 minute ride from where you are. Check em out at www.verticalendeavors.com then click Warrenville Gym. Great routes and good staff. Oh yeah, it's located inside a fitness place called Lifetime Fitness, so you just go in the main doors, tell them you're there to climb and they give you a wristband. Then take a right, walk down the hallways through the basketball gym and your at the VE doors.
ditto
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moss1956
Apr 29, 2005, 11:57 PM
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Registered: Sep 6, 2002
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I second that Vertical Endevours is a great place to go. I don't even like climbing gyms and I like that place.
Another good gym in Illinois is Upper Limits its in Bloomington. They have this wave wall which is fun, and a bunch of silos that are done up with climbs, that are tall. I haven't been there in a couple of years but it looked like they were adding outside bouldering the last time I was there.
I have never been to the Lincoln Park Athletic club, but the pictures are provocative.
The place up in Evanston is tall, but not very wide. I think the climbing gym is in a freight elevator shaft, or maybe its an elevator shaft that held a couple of elevators. I never saw their bouldering cave at that club, but they seem proud of it.
North Wall has good bouldering, and good community, but its not particularly tall as climbing gyms go.
The best climbing near chicago... is Devil's lake in Wisconsin, second best is any limestone sport crag in Iowa. Mississippi Palisades is good for beginners.
A little farther, but way better than the previous options is the sandstone sport and bouldering in Southern Illinois. My guess is the outside stuff is too far for you.
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kiteandclimb
Jun 3, 2005, 6:52 PM
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Registered: May 24, 2005
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Upper Limits in Bloomington is certainly fun, but if you're in CHicago and want to go climbing, that's a far drive to go to an indoor gym. I'd say VE is much better, with simulated rock wall, sandstone and a good mixup. If you're going to drive two hours, head to devil's lake north of madison for outdoor climbing.
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kiteandclimb
Jun 3, 2005, 6:53 PM
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Registered: May 24, 2005
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Upper Limits in Bloomington is certainly fun, but if you're in CHicago and want to go climbing, that's a far drive to go to an indoor gym (2 hrs). I'd say VE is much better, with simulated rock wall, sandstone and a good mixup. If you're going to drive two hours, head to devil's lake north of madison for outdoor climbing, instead.
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chitowngirl
Jun 3, 2005, 8:10 PM
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Registered: Nov 5, 2004
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Yeah, I think VE is the best place to check out locally. Bloomington might be a bit too far for you. Also, if you like to boulder, check out Hidden Peak. It's pretty close to where you are staying, but if you want to do anything else other than boulder, it's not a good place to go.
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ironchefcampfire
Jun 4, 2005, 2:19 PM
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Registered: Aug 25, 2004
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I'd agree with everyone else that VE has the best indoor climbing in the Chicago area. Another option though which is right in town and saves the 1 hr drive into the burbs is Lincoln Park athletic club @ 1019 W. Diversey. The goodside is it is close to you; the wall is pretty tall and all outdoors so you can avoid some of the depressed feeling you get of stepping inside on a sunny summer day to climb.
The draw backs are it is a bit pricey: $20 certification fee (one time), $20 day pass and the route setters are really fond of dynos & huge reaches. Call for hours.
http://www.lpaconline.com/climbing.html
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euroford
Jun 6, 2005, 11:59 AM
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Registered: Aug 26, 2002
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don't waste your time going to one of the greater chicagolands suck-ass climbing gyms during your vacation. you'll be going out of your way to waste time at a mediocre gym when you could be touring the city.
instead: eat a steak at gibsons, eat a gyro at five faces, go to the hancock observatory, go to the shed, field mueseum and the mueseum of science and industry, have lunch at the berghoff, and most definitly be sure to take a couple of the tours from the architecture center.
after all of that, if you need a workout just visit the gym that i'm sure your hotel has. but really, there is a whole lot to do in chicago, and your not going to have enough time to do it all, so you best not waste it in a stupid climbing gym.
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