Our Heritage

Eastern Mountain Sports was founded by two rock climbers who couldn’t find the climbing gear they needed in traditional sporting goods stores. Alan McDonough and Roger Furst opened the first Eastern Mountain Sports store in 1967 in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Less than a year later, they acquired the Eastern Slope Inn in North Conway, NH, which became the home of another store and the Eastern Mountain Sports Climb School, which is now the oldest climb school in the East.

Alan and Roger left the company to pursue new opportunities in 1979, but their passion for the outdoors and commitment to customer satisfaction is alive and well. Today, Eastern Mountain Sports operates 69 stores in 12 states from Maine to Virginia. Each store operates as an independent gear shop staffed by knowledgeable people who know our sports and the local area.

Eastern Mountain Sports has never aspired to be the biggest outdoor retailer in the business, just the most trusted. Your questions, comments, and ideas are always welcome at 888-463-6367 and at WeListen@ems.com.

To learn more about Alan and Roger and what drove them to create Eastern Mountain Sports, please read The Rest of the Story on our blog..