Pro Mountain Sports

I iust popped in for a look, and was blown away by how cool this shop is. The owner works the counter. He’s SUPER NICE, and willing to offer advice. He told me he’s retiring in the not too distant future, so better go enjoy this store, because who knows if it will be around much longer!
Great quality gear. Books on hiking, mountain climbing. And did I mention the gear? You will salivate!

Jim at Pro Mountain Sports has been my go to guy for all of my outdoor
gear purchases over the last 5 years. He takes the time with you to
select light, versatile, and cost effective gear. I’ve done quite a few courses with
the Mountaineers, and Jim always helps me choose the best gear. I
believe I've saved a good bit of money going directly through him due to
his knowledge of what actually works, vs what is most popular. Great
gear and prices at this small shop!

Pro Mountain Sports is the best gear shop in the Seattle area. Period. Whether you need gear for Mountaineering, Ice Climbing, Rock Climbing, Camping, or sleeping outdoors, this place has only the best gear, footwear, and clothes! Jim is also really knowledgeable (local legend) with decades of mountain experience (literally wrote the books) and will get you set up. The gear in this shop is curated with only the latest and greatest gear. I'm a huge gear nerd and Jim really knows his stuff and keeps up-to-date on all the new gear. I've been Alpine Climbing for 8 years and have climbed all over the world with ropes, crampons, sleeping bags, and ice tools from Pro Mountain Sports. If you don't like spending hours online doing research on the best crampons (for example), you can just go to Pro Mountain Sports and see a selection of only the best crampon in every discipline at every price point (plus, they carry all the spares parts, which is so hard to find!). This really is the shop for both gear nerds and also new folks who need guidance on what gear to invest in. Gear is an investment, and what you can't get from buying online is the knowledge that you have purchased the optimal piece gear for your needs.

I walked into Pro Mountain Sports about three years ago with my buddy who recommended the store based on his impression of Jim's knowledge. I had no clue what the heck I needed, but knew that I wanted to do some day hiking, and maybe some overnighters some day in the near future. Jim got me set up with a backpack and a pair of hiking boots, and it all snowballed from there. Since then, Pro Mountain Sports has been the place I go to first when I'm trying to find the right gear from snowshoeing to backpacking. Jim will always tell me when I'm looking in the wrong direction for gear, and has never tried to up-sell me to something I don't need. For a college student on a budget, this has been a godsend, and Jim's knowledge of the surrounding mountains is stunning. I've spent literally hours just chatting about hikes completed, new areas to explore, and routes that may not show up on maps.
The inventory may not be the biggest, but what's there deserves to be there, and is priced well below what it is worth. If you come in with specific questions, you will get well informed answers, and walk out with gear that won't fail you out there. This is truly a gem of a store.
Oh, and that first backpack and pair of shoes? Nearly 500 trail miles later, they're both still holding on strong.

so happy with this store. every time i go in, i find top quality gear and i learn something new. we are so lucky to have such a high quality climbing shop and i feel it is worth the effort to support them. it is so much better to actually see and handle the gear before i buy it. throw in the fact that they have steered me toward the right equipment and explained, in a way that i can understand, how to use it, gives me a great reason to buy here and not online. awesome place!

Top shelf equipment, and great advice on the house. Love supporting this local gem.

Some people have mentioned rude service in their reviews, so I’ll speak to my experience. The owner can be a bit reserved, and seems more oriented to dispensing useful information than being super sociable and fawning. I’ve found that if I ask questions he’s happy to share his knowledge, but he doesn’t go out of his way to appear to like me. That’s fine with me, but it apparently rubs some people the wrong way.

Won’t go anywhere else to get climbing gear! Jim is a great guy and is very very knowledgeable. He actually climbs unlike most other stores that sell climbing gear.

You’ve found it - the last gear store you’ll need to go to for a long while. Jim has what others don’t - excellent brands, besides his depth of experience, and breadth of knowledge. Go now.

I've known Jim Nelson for quite some time and if anyone knows mountain gear it's Jim. I recently had the opportunity to stop in and visit him at the shop. He showed me the great line of Montbell down gear and even had me climb inside one of the bags to experience the "Spiral Stretch System" which makes a mummy easy to move around in. You gotta check it out. When you need the lightest and best gear check out Pro Mountain Sports!

Very neat shop. Worth a visit.

The selection is a bit limited, but it does seem well curated for a more advanced audience. Unfortunately they didn't have the type of backpack i was looking for. The cashier (possibly owner) gave me three cents off my purchase so i didn't have to break a bill! :D

Ok, first off I do get it. I've been in Jim's shop several times. The first few just poking around and asked no questions. When I did go in to look at packs and purchase an alpine harness he was a bit quiet but still spent a ton of time with me and sent me out w a great harness. I just went in again and got even better vibes and help picking up another harness for gym/trad. Jim even showed me a bunch of rad old biners from his "museum" and grabbed a super old DMM locker out of his personal pack. He, as before, shared tons of useful experience during the visit. Dude's a major resource of top notch gear and a treasure trove of valuable information. DO NOT pass up the opportunity to patronize this cultural gold mine. Jim might take a few visits to warm up but he's a real deal climber that LIVES climbing...he's not a salesman that will kiss ass to get your money.

If you are looking for excellent, proven mountain gear away from the clutches of REI store-this is the place. The owner is an experienced Washington outdoorsman to whom uses his personal knowledge to model the brands within. This is definitely a store you should shop at if you would like to get away from the 10,000, sometimes useless, products of a large store.

Went to buy a gift, and got some great advice on climbing gear to boot. High quality gear and Jim seems very knowledgeable. Will definitely be going back.

One of the last shops in Seattle where you can reliably find advice from staff based on their own climbing experiences. If you’re taking any courses with the Mountaineers this is the place to get outfitted.

This is a great little shops run by a very knowledgeable. He has generated all the best equipment and knows tons of useful information. If you want to go fast and light, this is the way to go!

I purchased this Lowe Alpine Systems pack for my son at Pro Mountain Sports. Jim gave a perfect recommendation for this alpine climbing pack.
It certainly compliments the vintage Lowe Camp ice tools.

Love this place. Owner is respectful, knows his stuff, and is intentional in selling products made ethically!

Jim is very helpful! I just started mountaineering and I've been twice to the store. I'm planing on coming back.

Great selection, great advice. Best place in town for climbing gear.

Dude knows what he's talking about, and had what I needed for my next overnight. I'm amazed how much variety he is able to carry.