Vertical Endeavors elevates workouts at new Glendale Heights location
Say you've always wanted to scale the face of Half Dome but haven't quite gotten past the idea that falling would hurt.
Maybe you've conquered Yosemite's famous stony face, but your budget doesn't allow you to escape as often as you'd like from the flat land of DuPage County to something worth climbing.
Or possibly, the incline setting on your regular treadmill run just isn't giving your workout the jolt you need.
What you're looking for is Vertical Endeavors, area manager Scott Williams says. The company opened its fifth location last month at 246 Windy Point Drive in Glendale Heights.
“For somebody who's not a climber, this gives them the opportunity to do something a little bit more adventurous, perhaps outside their comfort zone, and gives them a chance to do a unique experience,” Williams said.
“If they're an experienced climber, they're going to come find us because we've got everything they could want as a rock climber.”
With 45,000 square feet of climbing surface, the Glendale Heights Vertical Endeavors is the largest of the company's five locations, and Williams says it's the largest indoor climbing facility he knows of in the country.
Climbers can test their strength and stamina against a variety of wall features, including designated bouldering areas, where climbers do not need to be harnessed and can fall onto a padded area. The facility is designed so guests completely new to the experience can use the same space as advanced-level climbers who come to train.
“This gym is not built solely for experienced climbers, nor is it built solely for recreational climbers,” Williams said.
The location also has a kids play area, exercise equipment, a pro shop for those who want to purchase equipment and function rooms for occasions like birthday parties and business meetings. Guests can take classes and join other activities to have fun and learn more about the art of climbing.
Nate Postma, who founded Vertical Endeavors and serves as president and CEO, said climbing is a good workout, but it's also fun.
“The thing that kind of sets climbing apart from, say, working out in a fitness club is it takes a certain kind of discipline to stand on that treadmill and stay there and crank out your five miles or your 30 minutes, or whatever it is you're doing,” Postma said.
“(In) climbing, it doesn't really take that discipline. Climbing is just fun. You just want to do it.”
Vertical Endeavors also has a climbing facility in Warrenville, but company leaders are confident the locations will complement each other rather than compete.
“We have not yet begun to saturate the market,” Williams said. “We thought that this location was far enough away from our Warrenville location to serve a whole other pocket of the community.”
The curious can try out a climbing experience on a Vertical Endeavors day pass — the facility rents equipment — while regulars can buy monthly or annual memberships.
For information, visit verticalendeavors.com/glendaleheights/ or call (630) 784-9000.