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. 

Choose your preferred climbing style

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

Please note that for Wānaka Crag Fest 2024, participants need to be 18 years or older. 

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

After selecting your ticket, you will be able to purchase any of these clinic(s) as add-on. Please make sure you are not signing up for two clinics taking place at the same time. If your preferred clinic is sold out, you can leave a note when entering your details to let us know you would like to join the wait list. 

Click here to find out more about each clinic, including the cost and what equipment you will need. 

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!

To find out more or see the full programme, visit www.alpineclub.org.nz/event/cragfest.