Frequently asked questions

Climbing festivals in general are an opportunity for like-minded individuals to gather, celebrate, and dream. They serve as a point of entry for new climbers and an opportunity for experienced climbers to discuss their latest achievements. Festivals are a place to build connections and foster community-- and this is how the climbing community grows and pushes the limits of the sport. The unfortunate truth is that a lot of climbers from historically marginalized groups do not experience that invigorating feeling and sense of community because they face unique challenges and are not represented in most festival programming. ALL IN is different because we are addressing these community needs directly by highlighting and elevating people from historically marginalized groups. To us, that means offering equitable opportunities and access to the sport. It means having a diverse team that understands social and emotional needs in addition to physical. It means developing a program that includes role models of different shapes, sizes, genders, races, abilities, and sexualities. It means fostering an environment where people can be their whole authentic selves and tell their complete stories, beyond just the stories of the challenging climbs they’ve accomplished. It means recognizing the differences and nuances between and within historically marginalized communities, because we are not checkboxes with single barriers. It means challenging the outdoor industry to redirect resources and support us in our vast journeys from the margins. It means knowing we don’t know all the obstacles ahead, but plan to try our best when we get there. Simply put, it means going ALL IN from different angles to create a space where climbers that are longing for a sense of belonging can gather, celebrate, and dream of an ice climbing community where we all feel safe, supported, and included. That is how WE plan to grow the community and continue pushing the limits of the sport.

We are happy to offer a wide range of clinics for climbers of all experience levels including: "Ice Climbing Essentials" (1 day) $100 "Adaptive Ice Climbing Essentials" (2 days) $100 "Ice Climbing Development" (2 days) $150 "Park to Peaks" (3 days) $250 "Mixed Climbing" (1 day) $100 "Avalance Awareness in Ice Climbing" (1 day) $70 "Anchor Building" (1 day) $70 ALL CLINICS INCLUDE FESTIVAL PASSES. We may offer additional clinics and workshops as we gague interest and instructor availability.

Clinic registration includes instruction from awesome instructors or guides, access to essential ice climbing gear, shuttle transportation from the Ouray community center to the Ice Park, access to supervised climbing at the demo area for the weekend, AND festival registration (talks and socials). Clinic descriptions and schedules are available for preview now. We will release an instructor schedule and sign up forms soon! You will have the option to register for your first choice clinic and tell us your second option in case your first choice is unavailable. We expect clinics to fill quickly so register soon! Once we confirm your spot in a clinic, you will be sent an invoice to pay within 5 days. We will also have a waitlist and notify participants as spots become available.

We will open resistration for festival passes on 12/15.

Festival passes include: -- access to demo gear -- shuttle from the community center to the Ice Park -- access to supervised climbing at the demo area for the weekend -- and admission to festival events! Festival passes are included with all clinics but can be purchased without a clinic for $50.

Clinics will be specifically for people that identify as part of a historically marginalized group in order to provide a safe and comfortable learning environment. For more information on why affinity spaces are beneficial to learning, please read this recent AMGA article. We do recognize that the social support system of clinic-goers may include people that do not self-identify as historically marginalized. Because of this, volunteer opportunities and festival admission will be available to clinic companions. Aditionally, if we cannot meet our staffing or volunteer needs with people that identify as part of the community, we may extend the invite with the understanding that the intention of the festival is to center people from historically marginalized groups. We will consider having open registration in future years so we can invite everyone to join us in the celebration. We also recognize that the conversations from the festival will be valuable to the outdoor community as a whole, and we are working on opportunities to share them with a broader audience.

Yes! Regardless of your “out” status, ALL IN Ice Fest aims to be a safe, inclusive, and a protective space for you to participate in. We have discussed the sensitivity of photo release with the Ouray Ice Park, and at registration we will have separate media release forms so that you can let us know whether or not you consent to having your likeness publicly posted. We will also address festival photo sharing ettiquite in the event community guidelines.

YES! Registration will be open to self-identifying larger bodied folks, and we'll make sure to discuss fat-inclusion with festival staff and in the festival community guidelines. Inclusion of diverse body sizes and shapes is often an intersectional issue and is something we are communicating with our sponsors when discussing our event needs.

YES! One of our big goals is to introduce this sport we love to more people AND offer access to gear. Our “Ice Climbing Essentials” clinic is designed for climbers with little to no climbing experience and we encourage you to sign up! Clinic resistration will also include access to demo fleets from several of our sponsors.

Absolutely. If you already own your own ice climbing gear you are more than welcome to use it. You will also have the opportunity to try other products from the demo fleet if you’re thinking about changing up your gear for the season.

Yes. We will set up a supervised open climbing area for people interested in trying out gear or just getting some extra supervised laps in. This is a great place for you to practice what you learned in clinics, or just stop by and chat with our staff!

Yes! Some climbing areas will be reserved for clinics, but the rest of the park is open to independent climbing. You can check-in with Ouray Ice Park for current terrain conditions. Further, most ALL IN clinics will end by 3pm and some clinic areas will be available to the general public afterward.

We are partnering with the Ouray County Health Department to stay up to date with local COVID guidelines and modify the program if needed. We will be requiring masks for all indoor events, and we will also be offering COVID rapid tests in town. At this time, we strongly encourage interested participants to be fully vaccinated before arriving at the festival, as this may become a requirement to participate in clinics or indoor social events. If you have questions or concerns about our COVID protocols, please email info@allinicefest.com

We are partnering with Twin Peaks Lodge to offer discounted room options for all festival participants. The hotel has reserved ground floor options to increase accessibility for wheelchair and mobility device users. Email registration@allinicefest.com for discount code. Book soon to reserve your spot near other festival participants! Please contact Twin Peaks Lodge for more information on accomodations.

Presentations, panels, and socials will be held at the Wright Opera House right in the town center. It is a two story facility with an elevator so wheelchair and mobility device users will have access to all spaces where presentations and social events are being held.

We are partnering with Paradox Sports and the Ouray Ice Park to offer adaptive climbing clinics. Paradox and the Ouray Ice Park have experience working with people with limb differences, wheelchair users, people that are Deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, and several other disabilities. The festival will be centered around the Scottish Gullies area, as this is the most accessible part of the park. Pete Davis, an adaptive climber and director of operations, has worked very hard for many years to make sure people with disabilities have access to great ice climbing. Our partnership with Paradox and the Ouray Ice Park will also facilitate access to adaptive climbing gear and support from experienced staff. Additionally, we will be setting up a heated space and bathroom down in the canyon to make it a more comfortable experience for climbers. We're excited to work with him and the folks from Paradox to offer adaptive climbers a great experience at the event! For more info on accessability please contact info@allinicefest.com

Yes. We will have interpreters available for clinics and for event programming upon request. Please email info@allinicefest.com for details or more specific arrangements.

Please contact info@allinicefest.com if you have more questions about accessibility or accomodations for people with disabilities.

Yes. We are working with other leaders in the community to educate our staff on inclusive leadership practices, trauma-informed guiding, as well as bystander training. Our goal is to set a high standard for our staff so we can create a safe and welcoming event where everyone feels safe and supported.

Check out this link for our volunteer form: https://forms.gle/cAP7AkGgWnQe4Uvt9