Event Details
The 2024 Beaver Valley Climbing Festival will be running from Friday August 16th to Sunday August 18th, with the primary festival events occuring on Saturday August 17th. 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!
Camping, climbs and good times await!
Location
Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up in your tent, perform your morning stretch, and then literally walk to the crag just a few minutes away. No commute! No long drive! No Tim’s coffee! This year’s festival location will be at McNichol Firewood (004 Side Rd 9 #588, Ravenna, ON N0H 2E0), the property directly adjacent to Metcalfe Rock, with walking access to the Bruce Trail and nestled within the Beaver Valley. Where distance to the crag is measured in steps, not kilometers! We think you’re going to love this year’s festival location!
Food
Festival attendees will be provided dinner on Saturday, August 17th. 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 primitive camping involved at the festival, limited facilities are available for cooking.
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!
Festivities
Live DJ, morning yoga, evening bonfires, 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!
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, both in advance to prepare key logistical items, as well as on the day of. Please reach out to info@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca if you are interested in volunteering, or fill out an application on the Volunteers page. We’d love to hear from you!
Camping
Festival attendees should prepare for primitive camping on a grassy field. 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. The OAC will not be reserving specific areas outside of key zones for shared festival amenities such as food, washrooms and bonfire locations.
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 it’s 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 within an easy driving, walking or biking distance from the campsite – depending on your sense of adventure!
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.
Sponsors
La Sportiva is the headline sponsor 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 Petzl, Rab, Patagonia and Sea to Summit.