Our History:
Our story begins in 1996. Ascent Outdoors was first known as Second Bounce, a secondhand sporting goods store. Over the years, we slowly began stocking more and more gear focused on outdoor activities such as backpacking, camping, climbing, backcountry skiing, and biking. In 2001, Second Bounce moved Ballard, ditched the "bouncing items," became Second Ascent, and rebranded as a full-service outdoor retail store and bike shop selling new, used, closeout, and sample gear. As Second Ascent evolved to meet the demands of Seattle outdoor-lovers, our second-hand section became a smaller, but no-less-important part of our store. With that in mind, in 2017, we rebranded as Ascent Outdoors, with a mission to provide the outdoor community with friendly, knowledgeable service and expert-curated, guide-tested gear for their next adventure.
In April, 2019, Ascent Outdoors was acquired by current owner Sandeep Nain, the founder of
Miyar Adventures, a local adventure guiding and outfitting company. In partnership with
Miyar Adventures, Ascent Outdoors now also offers guided trips and courses in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Our vision? To make the outdoors accessible and enjoyable for all.
Bringing us to present day, Ascent Outdoors recently relocated in 2023 from Ballard to our new, bigger and better Interbay store.
Come visit us for friendly, expert service and all your outdoor needs!
We are known for our long-standing reputation as the friendly and trusted experts in our community. We are very proud that
our staff continues to be a helpful resource for hikers, climbers, skiers, mountaineers, and many other outdoorspeople from all experience levels and walks of life. We curate our gear selection based on the knowledge and experiences of our staff and guides and make buying decisions based on the needs and tastes of our community. We are dedicated to
giving back to the outdoors and our local area through sharing our knowledge, hosting events and fundraisers, and donating to like-minded organizations fostering outdoors conservation and accessibility. We support
carbon neutrality and conservation.
Our Mission:
To provide high-quality, expert-selected, guide-tested gear and trustworthy knowledge to our community of climbers, mountaineers, skiers, backpackers, and outdoor enthusiasts.
Our Vision:
To make the outdoors accessible and enjoyable for all.
Our Values:
- Friendliness and approachability
- Engagement in educating ourselves and others
- Enthusiastic, helpful expertise
- Connection with our community
- A passion for adventure and the outdoors!
Our Staff:
We have hiked, biked, climbed and skied all over the world. We love our community, getting outdoors, and helping our customers get the equipment and advice they need. Learn about who we are!
Our Selection:
Over the years, our focus has grown to provide a diverse selection of high quality outdoor product for the budget conscious and the cutting-edge enthusiast alike. We carry a wide selection of new, used, closeout, and sample product from premium outdoor brands that are selected by our expert buyers and tested by our guides.
Our Sports:
Alpine Touring & Nordic Skiing, climbing, mountaineering, backpacking, hiking, snowshoeing, trail running, and so much more!
