The 5th Annual Ogden Climbing Festival is just around the corner, so you’d better break out the chalk bags and get some workouts in on the hang board. The festival is happening April 25-29, and promises tons of events, competitions, clinics and more including a gear demo, red point comp, Red Bull BBQ, free climbing clinics, after party and boulder field clean-up.
The Outdoor Program at Weber State University organizes the Ogden Climbing Festival, wit this year’s focus being “education, promoting the sport, and celebrating climbing withing the Ogden Community.” Ogden is a spectacular place to hold a climbing fest, as it’s home to some of the best alpine crags in Utah. Just a few minutes from downtown Ogden, you can find sport, trad, ice and single pitch routes, as well as challenging bouldering areas.
Part of the Ogden Climbing Festival is the AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Certification Course. This happens on April 25-27, and is a nationally and internationally recognized single pitch climbing instructor certification program. For $450 dollars ($350 for Weber State University Students) you will be shown how to teach rock climbing to novices in a single pitch setting. This would be perfect for people like climbing instructors, scout leaders, summer camp professionals or climbers that wish to achieve additional training, experience and certification to gain employment as a climbing instructor in the outdoor industry.
But the real fun of the festival starts on Friday, April 27th, with a free gear demo from 5-9pm. The gear demo takes place at the Weber Rocks climbing wall, and will be swarming with outdoor equipment vendors from around the country slinging the latest in climbing gear. Shoes, harnesses, quickdraws, carabiners, ropes and more in be on hand for you to try. While at the demo, you can also register to climb in the Outdoor Red Point Boulder Comp the happens Saturday morning at 10am. Cost is $20.
Check out this video from last year’s festival:
Then on Saturday, April 28, you’ve got free climbing clinics at the Lower Ogden Boulder Field, including the Kidz Rock Clinic that teaches bouldering to children ages 6-13. The Red Point Boulder Comp also goes down on Saturday at the Weber Rocks Climbing Wall. Show your stuff and see how you stack up among your friends and peers. Plus, you can have lunch properly with the free RedBull Barbecue, happening at the Ogden Boulder Field at noon where you can chow on free food, and chug free RedBull. Saturday ends on the right note with a keynote address from Peter Croft, a world famous rock climber and mountaineer who has ticked off big routes in Yosemite National Park, Squamish, British Columbia as well as the High Sierra. He received The American Alpine Club’s Robert & Miriam Underhill Award in 1991. Be sure to attend and listen to him recount his amazing climbing career.
Sunday, April 29, will also be a full day with the Ogden Boulder Field Clean Up and Trail Maintenance. The event begins at 10am. Community volunteers along with WSU Outdoor Program leaders will help restore Ogden’s recreational trails and crags. Join them and make a difference for the Ogden climbing community.
For more information, or to pre-register, visit the Ogden Climbing Festival online at: www.weber.edu/outdoor/Ogden_Climbing_Festival_2012.html