Wānaka Crag Fest 2025
New Zealand Alpine Club and Wānaka Climbing Club are excited to bring you the 2025 Wānaka Crag Fest! This sustainable, inclusive rock-climbing festival celebrates community, skill-building, and exploration in one of New Zealand’s premier climbing destinations.
Thanks to our Crag Fest Partners for helping to bring the Fest back for 2025!
MAD ROCK | SCARPA | BLACK DIAMOND | PETZL
And thanks to our Crag Fest Supporters!
Bivouac Outdoor | Further Faster | Wānaka Mountain Guides | La Sportiva
What to expect
The festival runs from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon and includes a mix of climbing sessions, instructor-led clinics, non-climbing activities, and social events. When you purchase a festival pass, you gain access to:
- Social Events: Enjoy evening activities like the Friday night social at the Wānaka Community Hub and Saturday night’s DJ party at Velo Glendhu.
- Non-Climbing Activities: Recharge with yoga, cold dips, and acroyoga sessions.
- Social Climbing Sessions: Choose between self-sufficient climbing and supported climbing sessions at Hospital Flat crags.
Your pass also allows you to book instructor-led clinics to sharpen your climbing skills. You can opt for a mix of social climbing, clinics, and festival events, or simply stick to the social climbing and activities. The schedule is designed to accommodate both options.
Festival Highlights
- Friday Night: Social evening at the Wānaka Community Hub with climbing-themed talks, competitions, a vendor village, and more. Food and drinks by Ground Up Brewery.
- Saturday Night: Party at Velo Glendhu with live DJs, prizes, food and drinks, just a short walk from Glendhu Bay Campground.
- Crag Maintenance: Join conservation efforts and earn free food and drink.
- Non-Climbing Activities: Morning yoga, cold plunges, and acroyoga to recharge and relax.
Festival Schedule
-more details coming soon-
Friday
- Registration and briefing
- Supported climbing/clinics session #1
- Social night with Ground Up Brewery including prizes, vendor village, competitions and more.
Saturday
- Late registrations / Briefing
- Supported climbing/clinics session #2
- Sustainability project
- BBQ party with live music
Sunday
- Supported climbing session #3
Social Climbing: Choose Your Style
Pick your preferred climbing style:
- Self-Sufficient Climbing: Perfect for seasoned climbers with their own gear, belay buddies, and knowledge of the Wānaka crags. Spend your time sending projects and catching up with friends or meeting new climbers at evening activities.
- Supported Climbing: Ideal for climbers who know how to safely climb outdoors but are looking for social climbing sessions with volunteer crag guides. Enjoy set-up top ropes, additional ropes and draws, and a welcoming community vibe.
Crag Fest is family-friendly and welcomes youth climbers (13-18). Tailored sessions ensure everyone, from beginners to advanced climbers, finds their perfect fit.
Instructor-Led Clinics
Improve your climbing skills with our instructor-led clinics—details below:
Friday Afternoon (11:30 AM – 3:30 PM):
- Basecamp Adventures Intro to Outdoor Climbing
- Foundational Rescue Skills
- Improving Sport Climbing Performance
- Youth Climbing Clinic
Saturday Full Day (9:00 AM – 4:00 PM):
- Beginning to Lead Climb
- Aspiring Guides Multi Pitch Climbing
- Wānaka Mountain Guides Intro to Leading on Trad
- Multi-Pitch Rescue Skills
- Youth Lead Climbing Clinic
Sunday Half Day (10:00 AM – 2:30 PM):
- Youth Rescue Clinic
- Family Climbing Clinic
Clinics range from half-day to full-day sessions, starting at $50. Spots are limited—book early! If you miss out, join the waitlist—we may be able to open more clinics if demand allows.
Click here for full clinic details.
Thanks to our Clinic Sponsors!
Basecamp Adventures | Wanaka Mountain Guides | Aspiring Guides
Festival Ticket Structure
- Full Festival Ticket: Includes access to three days of climbing (self-sufficient or supported), social events, non-climbing activities, and the Saturday BBQ party with a live DJ at Velo Glendhu.
- Half Ticket: Includes the same benefits as the Full Festival Ticket for for the selected days you choose - Friday or Weekend (Saturday & Sunday).
- Youth Ticket: Includes access to climbing sessions, youth clinics, and social events.
- Caregiver Ticket: For adults accompanying youth climbers, with access to youth-focused activities.
How to Purchase Tickets
- Buy Your Festival Pass: Select from Full, Half, Youth, or Caregiver tickets.
- Add Your Clinics: Choose from our range of skill-boosting clinics. Click here for full details.
- Answer Checkout Questions: This is where you specify your preferred climbing style, along with other safety details:
- Self-Sufficient Climbing: For independent climbers.
- Supported Climbing: For those seeking guided sessions.
- Complete your checkout and get ready for an unforgettable weekend!
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 2025).
Festival tickets will go on sale in December. Tickets cost between $20-$45 and clinics are added as an extra cost of $50-$150. Tickets will be available until sold out and we only have a limited number of tickets, so make sure to buy your ticket now!
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 for a %10 discount until 7th March. 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 (ask about 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 Saturday sustainability project to do your bit for the Wānaka environment
Festival refund policy
Tickets are refundable until 1 February 2025. 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.