Wānaka Crag Fest
New Zealand Alpine Club and Wānaka Climbing Club are pleased to announce the first edition of Wānaka Crag Fest, a sustainable and inclusive rock-climbing event which promotes community and best practice. Enjoy climbing with new and old friends, learn new skills at the climbing clinics, and enjoy the evenings with events and social gatherings.
The festival aims to bring together NZ’s climbing community, to inspire them to get out and enjoy climbing, upskill and connect, in one of NZ’s mecca climbing areas.
Crag Fest Partners:
Black Diamond | La Sportiva | Petzl
What to expect
If you’ve been climbing for years, you don’t need us to tell you where to go for the best climbs in Wānaka. Get a self-sufficient climbing ticket, pick a project to send with your buddies, and catch up with old friends or make new friends at the evening activities.
If you don’t know your way around the Wānaka climbing crags, or if you don’t have a go-to climbing buddy, you can sign up for our supported climbing sessions. Each day, our volunteer crag guides will host a social climbing session at a different crag with a range of easy grades. There will be top ropes set up, additional ropes and draws to use and lots of new friends to climb with.
Pick your preferred climbing style:
- Self-sufficient climbing - you’ve got your own gear, plenty of belay buddies and know your way around the Wānaka crags
- Supported climbing - join our social climbing sessions if you know how to safely climb outside, but you’re looking for people to climb with or to put a top rope up for you
Improve your climbing skills
Learn something new or improve your climbing skills by joining one of our instructor-led climbing clinics. Regardless of whether you are a self-sufficient or supported climber, you can add any of the following climbing clinics to your festival ticket.
Friday 1pm – 4.30pm
- Intro to Outdoor Climbing
- Anchor Building
- Rescue Skills
Saturday 9am – 3pm
- Beginning to Lead Climb
- Learn to Multi Pitch Climb
- Intro to Leading on Trad
Click here to find out more about each clinic, including the cost and what equipment you will need.
When purchasing your festival ticket, you will be able to add any of these clinics. Please make sure you're not signing up for two clinics taking place at the same time. If your preferred clinic is sold out, leave a note in the checkout form to let us know you would like to join the waitlist.
Festival programme
Friday
- 10 am – 12 pm Registration and briefing
- 1 pm – 4.30 pm Supported climbing/clinics session #1
- 7 pm – 9 pm Speaker/quiz night at Ground Up Brewery
Saturday
- 8.30 am – 9 am Late registrations / Briefing
- 9 am – 3 pm Supported climbing/clinics session #2
- 3.30 – 6.30 pm Sustainability project
- 7 pm – 10 pm BBQ party at Velo
Sunday
- 9 am – 12pm Supported climbing session #3
How to sign up
In order to join Wānaka Crag Fest, you need to be a member of either the New Zealand Alpine Club (and provide your NZAC member ID) or the Wānaka Climbing Club (as of 1st of January 2024). Please note that for 2024, all participants need to be 18 years or older.
Festival tickets cost $40 and clinics can be added on at an extra cost. Tickets will be available until sold out and we only have a limited number of tickets for this first Crag Fest edition, so make sure to buy your ticket now!
Do you need assistance, or do you know of someone who needs assistance, to attend Wānaka Crag Fest? Check out the Tūpiki Equity Scholarship, open now for application, to support those who need extra help to attend Wānaka Crag Fest.
What your festival ticket includes
- Three days of self-sufficient or supported climbing
- A social night at Ground Up Brewery with speakers, quiz rounds and more
- A chance to help maintain the Wānaka crags while earning free beers and burgers
- Beta, Beers and Banter party including BBQ at Velo with live music
- Lots of chances to win spot prizes from our sponsors!
Where to stay
We will have a designated climbers camp for all Crag Fest participants at Hampshire Holiday Parks - Glendhu Bay. Most crags in the Hospital Flat Conversation Area are only a short drive from the campsite, and you will be able to walk to the party at Velo on Saturday night.
To book your camp spot, ring Hampshire Holiday Parks - Glendhu Bay at 03 443 7243 or email [email protected] to reserve your campsite for the weekend. Make sure to mention you are part of Wānaka Crag Fest. Unpowered tent sites are $20/night, and showers are $1 for 6 minutes of hot water.
Sustainability
We want to make Wānaka Crag Fest as sustainable as possible. Check out the things you can do to help us with our sustainability goals:
- Carpool with local climbers when making your way to Wānaka (join our WhatsApp Carpool Chat)
- Stay at the Glendhu campsite to minimise the amount of driving during the festival
- Use the Crag Fest hitchhiking spots to either catch a ride, or offer a ride to others
- Bring your own water bottle and reusable coffee cup
- Join our sustainability project to do your bit for the Wānaka environment
Crag Fest Supporters
Aspiring Guides | Bivouac Outdoors | Further Faster
Festival refund policy
Tickets are refundable until 1 February 2024. After February 1st, tickets are non-refundable. Tickets are transferable to another person, but the NZAC must be advised of the new participant’s details. If we do not have their details, they will not be admitted to the festival.
In the case of bad weather, there is no postponement date or cancellation plan. The festival will go ahead on the assumption that if the weather is too bad for climbing, there are other activities in the Wānaka area to keep people amused. We will do our best to adjust the schedule to the weather and provide options and ideas of activities.
If the NZAC cancels the festival for any reason, full refunds will be available.