Wānaka Crag Fest 2026
New Zealand Alpine Club and Wānaka Climbing Club are excited to bring you the 2026 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 2026!
INSELBERG | SCARPA | BLACK DIAMOND | PETZL
And thanks to our Crag Fest Supporters!
Bivouac Outdoor | Further Faster | Aspiring Guides
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 and Saturday night’s live music and party.
- Non-Climbing Activities: Recharge with yoga and cold plunge sessions.
- Social Climbing Sessions: Choose between self-sufficient climbing and supported climbing sessions at Hospital Flat crags - these need to be booked!
Your pass also allows you to book into instructor-led clinics to sharpen your climbing skills and donate and take part in the Black Diamond Golden Carabiner Hunt Fundraiser. 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 marketplace, and more.
- Saturday Night: Party at the Crag Fest Basecamp at Glendhu Bay Motor Camp with a live DJ, prizes, food and BYO drinks.
- Crag Maintenance: Join conservation efforts on Saturday and earn yourself a free dinner!
- Non-Climbing Activities: Morning yoga and cold plunges to recharge and relax.
Black Diamond Golden Carabiner Hunt and Fundraiser: A $10 donation to the Wānaka Climbing Club Bolting Fund gets you access to the secret clue sheet to find Golden Carabiners and win great prizes! Held on the Sunday. We recommend you pre-purchase your clue sheet when you buy your fest pass.
Click HERE To Download The Full Festival Schedule
Social Climbing: Choose Your Style
Pick your preferred climbing style:
- Self-Sufficient Climbing: Perfect for seasoned climbers with their own gear, and knowledge of the Wānaka crags, but are looking to meet new people and connect with other climbers in the community. Spend your time sending projects and catching up with friends or meeting new climbers.
- 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.
On Friday and Saturday morning, after the brefing social climbers will meet and car pool/travel together to a chosen crag, or crags. Those who are self-sufficent can mingle and meet others in the group, secure a belay partner(s) and begin climbing. While those looking for supported climbing can learn from our trusted volunteers, as they set up top ropes and provide guidance
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
Saturday Full Day (9:00 AM – 4:00 PM):
- Basecamp Beginning to Lead Climb
- Multi-Pitch Climbing
- Wānaka Mountain Guides Intro to Leading on Trad
- Multi-Pitch Rescue Skills
Clinics range from half-day to full-day sessions. 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
Festival Ticket Structure
- Festival Pass: Includes access to three days of climbing (social climbing), non-climbing activities (yoga & cold plunges), and social events in the evenings: Friday's welcome party at the Wanaka Community Hub, featuring a sponsors village, games, speakers and more. Plus the Saturday night BBQ party with loads of chances to win prizes.
- Youth Ticket: For youth aged 14-18 yrs (as of 27th Feb 2026). Includes access to climbing sessions, clinics, and social events. Use the discount code 2026YOUTH at checkout to access the youth discount code. Eligibility for use of the discount code will be checked at the time of registration.
- Caregiver Ticket: For adults accompanying youth ticket holders. Caregivers must accompany the youth at all times and are only to observe or assist with belaying the youth attendee. Use the discount code 2026CAREGIVER at checkout to access the caregiver discount code. Eligibility for use of the discount code will be checked at the time of registration.
- Black Diamond Golden Carabiner Hunt: Fest attendees who purchase the $10 donation ticket are eligilble to take part in the golden carabiner hunt held on Sunday 1st March.
How to Purchase Tickets
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 13th of Februray 2026).
You must purchase a full 1 year memebership from either NZAC or WCC, short term memebership will not be accepted
- Check your Club membership.
- Buy Your Festival Pass $49. If you wish to join a clinic too, then select your Fest Pass + the clinic you wish to do. Click here for full Clinic details.
Note: Youth or Caregiver tickets can apply the discount code at checkout for special pricing (Youth = $20 off Fest Pass. Caregiver = $29 off Fest Pass.) - Add the Black Diamond Golden Carabiner Hunt and Fundraiser. $10 donation to the Wānaka Climbing Club bolting fund.
- 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 assistance at the social climbing crags.
- Complete your checkout and get ready for an unforgettable weekend!
Festival passes are $49 per person and is to cover the cost of the Club putting on the event. Festival tickets will go on sale in December. Tickets will be available until sold out and we only have a limited number of tickets, so make sure to buy your ticket now!
Black Diamond Golden Carabiner Hunt
What is it?
In short, a giant treasure hunt, where you have to find special golden carabiners which have been hidden around the Hospital Flat crags. Each registered climbing pair can find a carabiner which is redeemable for prizes back at the CragFest base.
How do I enter?
To get the clue sheet listing the climbs, you need to register specifically for the Golden Carabiner Hunt as part of CragFest. You will pay $10 to register.
Why the cost?
The Golden Carabiner Hunt is a fundraiser for the Wānaka Climbing Club. The $10 registration fee goes to their crag maintenance fund to support the areas where you will be climbing.
What can I win?
Black Diamond are the masterminds behind the event, and are providing lots of awesome prizes. From helmets and harnesses to ATCs, slings and chalkbags. The best bit - each carabiner is redeemable for 2 prizes, to reflect the fact that we climb in pairs. That is a total of 60 prizes!
I'm keen. What do I do next?
Make sure you have a CragFest pass and then register for a Golden Carabiner ticket as well. All this is done on our ticketing platform. Once that is sorted, make sure you are at the Glendhu Bay motor camp at the basecamp by 8.40 am on Sunday 1 March to pick up your clue sheet and hear the participant briefing. Climbing happens from 9 am - 1 pm, when there will be a prize giving and BBQ back at the campground to give out the prizes.
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 Conservation Area are only a short drive from the campsite.
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're part of Crag Fest and they will group festival attendees together! Unpowered tent sites are available, and showers are $2 for 6 minutes of hot water, purchase by scanning the QR code at the shower blocks.
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 2026. 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.