Five Summer Climbing Festivals

© Hard Rock Fest
It is climbing festival season. Pack well: toilet paper, a rainproof, sunscreen, your drum, lots of food, be prepared to line up for the portapotty and don't forget to pack your climbing gear.

CRAG ATTAK, CHEDDAR, July 1st

On July 1st, Cheddar Caves Crag AttaK will take place at High Rock in the Cheddar Gorge. This is a major climbing festival and will raise money for charity and celebrate the successful first year of the new climbing regime.

Crag AttaK features

  • The record-breaking largest-ever first ascent of a new climb.
  • An open speed climb.
  • An 'unclimbable climb' challenge.
  • The weirdest and wackiest ascent ever (fancy dress and fancy behaviour!).
  • A fit volunteer is needed for a record-breaking continuous climb challenge (possibly 36 hours).

    Website: www.cheddarcaves.co.uk)


    CLIFFHANGER, SHEFFIELD, July 14th & 15th

    Next up is Cliffhanger – Sheffield's Outdoor Event for Outdoor People at Graves Park over the weekend of July 14th & 15th. Cliffhanger, organised by Sheffield City Council & Heason Events, features the British Bouldering Championships and a whole host of activities for everyone to enjoy and also you can support the Marie Curie Cancer Care by participating.

    Events include:

  • Three free Come And Try It rock climbing towers for all ages.
  • Speleo-Olympics – a free caving obstacle course!
  • The planetFear Ultra Sprint.
  • An Alpine Beer Festival.
  • A farmers' market.
  • A Guinness World Dyno competition with £1,000 in prize money, open to all

    Website: www.cliff-hanger.co.uk


    THE GLORIOUS FIRST FESTIVAL, GOGARTH, August 4th & 5th

    Gogarth's first festival. Adam Wainwrigh writes, " In Llanberis August 1st has traditionally been a day of celebration. Throughout the 80's and 90's the day the bird ban lifts from our best sea cliffs has always marked a procession across Anglesey by climbers young and old to do battle with South Stack, armed with little more than a rack of RP's.

    On the first weekend after 1st August (the 4th and 5th), as the first happens to fall on a Wednesday and will be classed as a local day for local people we will gather ourselves into a loose group of disorganised Gogarth campaigners and make the most of this new phase in Gogarth's life."

    We will give more details nearer the time.


    DEEP WATER SOLOING FEST, PEMBROKE, August 11th & 12th

    This years Deep Water Soloing Festival will take place in Pembroke over the weekend of the 11th and 12th of August. More details as we get them but the venues are Newton Head on Saturday and a new area, Barrel Zone (a great introductory area for DWS neophytes).


    HARD ROCK FEST, DEVON, August 18th & 19th

    You may have heard of this summers Hard Rock Challenge where Mark Steveson and Rich Mayfield are attempting to climb all the routes in Ken Wilson's Hard Rock, first published in 1974 (see http://www.hardrockchallenge.org.uk). That's sixty routes spread all over the UK and the boys are attempting to do it in five weeks starting Friday 13th July 2007 at Cheddar Gorge. They'll need a party after all that and you can join in at the Hard Rock Fest a weekend of climbing and partying fun over the weekend of 18-19th of August at The Mill Adventure Centre, North Devon.

    Activities include:

  • Speed, diffuculty and bouldering competition for all.
  • Slack Line Competition.
  • Slides shows by Mike 'Mikey' Roberston and the Hard Rock Challenge Team.
  • An After Party.
  • Trade show and gear demonstartions.
  • Climbing Master classess by Johnny Dawes and Mike Roberston.
  • Climbing Film previews.....including a taster trailer for Hot Ache's new film, Committed.
  • A charity auction for mountain rescue.

    Website: www.hardrockfest.co.uk)

    If you know of any more climbing festivals this summer, make sure it gets up on the UKClimbing.com's events listing (click here) and send us full details of the event if you want a more comprehensive listing, and you can further publicise your event, and support UKClimbing.com by taking out a Premier Post (click here) at the the best and most popular climbing forums in the world.


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    4 Jun, 2007
    You are of course forgetting the fifth summer climbing festival. The Glorious First festival - AKA Gogarth Fest. Set for the first weekend after the 1st August when all the bird bans are lifted around the world greatest sea cliff.
    4 Jun, 2007
    Mark if you get a chance can you e-mail me the details of the Gogarth fest. where people are meetin/stayin etc.? Cheers, ed. p.s, my exams finish soon so will be up to crank more with ioan around the quarries. Also, we a re hoping to nail lots of gogarth stuff and pass routes. See you soon.
    4 Jun, 2007
    Re: Cheddar + Hard Rock 36 hours continuous climbing? That's nothing to someone like me. Can Mark Stevenson or Sam Orange or someone remind me that they have special permission to climb Coronation Street, not only outside the winter period when it's allowed, but outside the agreed extended access period for certain routes (not including those going all the way up High Rock like Corrie), which ends at the end of this month.
    4 Jun, 2007
    Updated Mark. Thank you. Mick
    4 Jun, 2007
    I'm sure Sam will be on here at her first opportunity!
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