Event Details
The 2025 Beaver Valley Climbing Festival will be running from Friday August 15th to Sunday August 17th, with the primary festival events occuring on Saturday August 16th. The page below includes a number of key pieces of information on this year’s festival. Check back here over the coming weeks as more information becomes available!
Location
Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up in your tent, perform your morning stretch, and then drive to the crag just a few minutes away? No commute! No Tim’s coffee! This year’s festival location will be at Bowering Lodge (608069, 12th Side Rd, The Blue Mountains, ON N0H 2P0). The venue is close to Metcalfe Rock and the Bruce Trail, nestled within the Beaver Valley.
Camping
Festival attendees should prepare for primitive camping on a grassy field and in the trees. One benefit of us being able to keep the ticket price low is that this is a no frills approach. Upon arrival, attendees will be able to choose a spot of their choice and pitch a tent. Some sites are right in the action on the main field, while others are a 5-10 minute walk from the main festival, but offer quieter camping. The OAC will not be reserving specific camping areas; first come, first served.
Food
Festival attendees will be provided dinner on Saturday, August 16th. Otherwise, attendees are expected to bring their own food, or sample some of the local dining establishments. Lots of great restaurant options exist within the area: why not try one out and support a local business? Dietary options for Saturday night will be provided as part of registration. Given the camping involved at the festival, no facilities are available for cooking. Please don’t hesitate to bring your camp stove for cooking and coffee.
Crags
The Beaver Valley is home to four main crags: Metcalfe Rock, Old Baldy, The Swamp and Devil’s Glen. Though all four crags share the same dolomite limestone of the Niagara Escarpment, each crag has its own unique features, approach, and style of climbing. Metcalfe Rock will be the primary location for the Beaver Valley Climbing Festival, but all four crags are close to the campground.
Beaver Valley Climbing Challenge
Most routes in a day? Hardest send in a day? Most routes of a certain grade? The Eager Beaver Challenge? Awards will go to festival attendees that can tick off one of a set number of Beaver Valley Climbing Festival challenges! More information to come, but we’re excited to see how people do!
Washroom Facilities
We regret to inform you that the dirtbag culture is alive and well. Given the nature of the festival location, washroom facilities will be limited to portapotties, with no access onsite to showers.
Festivities
Music, evening bonfires, friendly competitions, gear demos, raffles and giveaways. Sound like a good time? Check out the schedule here for more details on what’s going to be happening at this year’s festival!
Sponsors
La Sportiva and Petzl are the headline sponsors of this year’s Beaver Valley Climbing Festival. A full list of our sponsors is also located here. We’re excited to be joined by a host of amazing companies, including Scarpa, Rab, Mammut, Patagonia, Prana, The North Face, and Black Diamond. Clinic sponsors include Muskoka Mountainworks and On The Rocks, offering discounted festival clinics for attendees.
Volunteers
The OAC is looking for a number of volunteers to make this year’s Beaver Valley Climbing Festival a huge success. It takes more than a handful of people to run the event, including welcoming guests, managing parking areas, setting up and tearing down equipment, supporting onsite activities, and cleaning up trash. Please reach out to info@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca if you are interested in volunteering during the event weekend. We’d love to hear from you!