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FESTIVAL INFO

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June
26-28th
2026

SQUAMISH

MENTORS

This year's guides, athletes, instructors and speakers come from all walks of life to exemplify the versatility at Rock & Rise festival.

SCHEDULE

We have a packed schedule for you this year with lots of fun clinics and inspiring speakers as well as a local artist market.

CLINICS

Whether you are completely new to climbing or if you want to work on your A game, we've got a clinic for you!

LOCATION

Our festival is held on the beautiful, traditional and unceded territories of Skwxwú7mesh, a world-class climbing destination.

MENTORS

Meet the guides, speakers and community figures joining us for the festival.

Mentors and guides may change.

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Aarohi Patel (she/her)

Saturday: Mindfulness on the Rock
Sunday: SNS Scholarship group clinic 
Languages: English, Hindi, Gujarati
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CJ Rowe (they/them)

Saturday: Intro to Climbing 
 
Languages: English
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Ély (they/them)

Wellness tent:
Physiotherapist
Languages: English, French
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Emilie Pellerin (she/they)

Saturday: Fear of falling
Sunday: Fear of falling
Languages: English, French, Spanish
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Erin (she/they)

Saturday: IWO & SNS Bouldering
Sunday: IWO Intro to Rock
Languages: English
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Hsueh-Chen Chen (she/her)

Saturday: Learn to Lead
Sunday: Intro to Trad 
Languages: English, Taiwanese, Mandarin
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Irene Yee (she/her)

Saturday & Sunday: Climbing Photography
 
Languages: English
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Janet Wong (they/them)

Saturday: All About Anchors
Languages: English, French, Mandarin, Cantonese
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Karel Robert-Robitaille (she/her)

Wellness tent:
Registered Sports Dietitian
Languages: English, French
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Keenan Gibson (they/he)

Saturday: Crack Technique
Sunday: 2SLGBTQIA+ Crack Technique
Languages: English
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Kinley Aitkin (she/her)

Saturday: Rock Rescue
Sunday: Rock Rescue
Languages: English
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Laurie-Ann Tao (she/her)

Saturday: Beyond the Basics
Sunday: Beyond the Basics
Languages: English
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Leanne Shafir (they/she)

Saturday: Crack Technique
Sunday: Climbing & the Nervous System
Languages: English, French
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Lucia Woolgar (she/her)

Saturday: Crack Technique
Sunday: Slab Technique
Languages: English, Spanish
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Patricia Szeto (she/her)

Saturday: Tai-Chi for climbers
 
Languages: English
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Ren Lavergne (they/them)

Saturday: Rock Rescue - Getting Down
 
Languages: English, French
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Renée Rogge (she/they)

Saturday: Dance party DJ
Sunday: Slab Technique
Languages: English
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Sarah Klinkow (she/her)

Wellness tent:
Physiotherapist
Languages: English, French
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Sarah Steele Johnston (she/her)

Sunday: Climbing & the Nervous System
 
Languages: English
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Tiffany Melius (she/her)

Saturday: Mindfulness on the Rock
Sunday: Fear of Falling
Languages: English

SCHEDULE

Friday 26th June

Registration, set up camp, settle in and get to know the group!

All weekend activities:

Quiet space (low stim)

Chill zone

Lawn games

Skills share board

Community art project 

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Saturday 27th June

Clinics, climbing, music, raffle, community dinner, wellness area and many more activities - tailor your festival experience to suit you.

All weekend activities:

Quiet space (low stim)

Chill zone

Lawn games

Skills share board

Community art project 

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Sunday 28th June

Morning yoga, closing circle, climbing and packing up camp.

All weekend activities:

Quiet space (low stim)

Chill zone

Lawn games

Skills share board

Community art project 

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CLINICS

Learn new skills, work on technique, and connect with your community! Check out our current clinic line-up below.

Clinics and guides may change.

Saturday Clinics

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All About Anchors

With Janet

Build the skills you need to top rope outside safely, covering equipment selection, anchor building, and reading a guidebook. Squamish's walk-up access makes this a perfect entry point to outdoor climbing, no lead climbing required.

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Intro to Rock

With CJ

This clinic builds the foundation for safely climbing outside. We’ll talk about the differences between gym and outdoor climbing, set up the ropes for you and discuss some primary movement techniques. 

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Crack Technique

With Keenan

Level up your crack climbing with focused technique work across a variety of crack sizes and styles. You'll leave with more confidence, efficiency, and connection on the rock and in the community.​​

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Beyond the Basics

With LA

We'll cover the core skills that make climbing click, including route reading, balance, body positioning, efficient movement, and an intro to jams, tailored to your questions and goals. If climbing still feels clunky despite the usual tips, this space is for you!

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Fear of Falling

With eM

Explore the fear of falling in a fun, supportive environment. We'll work through falling progressions at your own pace, cover the psychology of fear, and practice risk management and soft catches. This clinic requires lead climbing experience.

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Rock Rescue

With Kinley

Learn essential self-rescue and partner-rescue techniques for common climbing emergencies. You'll practice hands-on skills, build decision-making strategies for high-stress situations, and leave more confident in your ability to help yourself and others when it matters most.

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Rock Rescue - Getting Down

With Ren

Learn descent skills and best practices to get your team down safely, with hands-on practice in rappels, rope management, and lowers.

Open to all participants. Priority will be given to people of expansive genders, including non-binary, gender non-conforming, and transgender folks of all identities.

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Climbing Photography (two-day)

With Irene & Janet

A 2-day clinic on climbing photography from fixed lines, run by Irene Yee (LadyLockoff). Day 1 covers the foundations on the ground: composition, rigging, knots, and moving safely around your climber. Day 2 gets you on ropes to ascend, dial in your system, and take photos. No climbing experience needed, any camera works, and all gear is provided.

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Mindfulness on the Rock

With Tiffany & Aarohi

A fear of falling clinic, but in a supportive top-rope environment designed to help you build confidence, stay present, and develop mental tools for climbing with more calm and control. How do you react when you hit a challenge? This workshop builds awareness around mental habits and shares tools to help you feel less stressed and more confident climbing.

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Learn to Lead

With Chen

Learn the skills necessary to start leading single pitch bolted sport climbs outdoors.​ This includes clipping, lead belaying, rope management, anchor building, cleaning and more.

 

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Crack Technique

With Leanne & Lucia

Level up your crack climbing with focused technique work across a variety of crack sizes and styles. You'll leave with more confidence, efficiency, and connection on the rock and in the community.​​

Sunday Clinics

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Climbing & the Nervous System

With Leanne, Sarah & B

Explore how the nervous system shapes your experience on the wall through a mix of theory and hands-on climbing exercises. Drawing on polyvagal theory, you'll build awareness of regulation and dysregulation while climbing, and leave with practical tools to apply on the wall and in everyday life.

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Beyond the Basics

With LA

We'll cover the core skills that make climbing click, including route reading, balance, body positioning, efficient movement, and an intro to jams, tailored to your questions and goals. If climbing still feels clunky despite the usual tips, this space is for you!

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2SLGBTQIA+ Crack Technique

With Keenan

Level up your crack climbing in a supportive, judgment-free space for 2SLGBTQIA+ climbers. You'll work through crack techniques across a variety of sizes and styles, and leave with more confidence, strength, and connection on the rock and within the community.​​

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Fear of Falling

With eM

Explore the fear of falling in a fun, supportive environment. We'll work through falling progressions at your own pace, cover the psychology of fear, and practice risk management and soft catches​.​​​​​

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Slab Technique

With Renée & Lucia

Want to learn more about the dark arts of slab? Whether you’re looking to progress your slab climbing or if you’re wanting to make those run out slab sections on multipitches on the Chief a little less scary this is the clinic for you.

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Intro to Trad

With Chen

Get introduced to trad climbing in one of the world's best places to learn it. You'll practice placing and removing nuts and cams on real rock, with plenty of time for questions and feedback.

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Rock Rescue

With Kinley

Learn essential self-rescue and partner-rescue techniques for common climbing emergencies. You'll practice hands-on skills, build decision-making strategies for high-stress situations, and leave more confident in your ability to help yourself and others when it matters most.​​

LOCATION

Base camp

We will meet Friday early evening at the Brennan Park Municipal Campground, on the eastern limit of Squamish, BC, and just a five minute drive from the quaint downtown. Here we will host camping and morning/evening entertainment. There is lots of parking space (you will also have the option to camp in your vehicle), potable water and toilets. You will be required to bring your own camping equipment. Showers are available only a stone's throw away at Brennan Park Rec Center (at your own cost). 

Climbing programs

Smoke Bluffs Parking

Squamish, BC

V0N 1T0

Our clinics will be held in the Smoke Bluffs and in South Chek, Cheakamus canyon.

 

The Bluffs are only a 10 minute pleasant walk from the campsite. The park offers a huge selection of easy-access high quality crags, with routes from 5.4 to 5.13d – some bolted and others requiring traditional protection to lead. Many of the crags have safe access to the top to set up top ropes. In the event of rain, most clinics will still run, as we can shelter under overhangs and focus on technical systems and discussion. The Bluffs face south and are exposed to the wind, so some climbs are dry within minutes after the rain!

Cheakamus Canyon Climbing Site

Conroy Forest Service Road, BC

South Chek is about a 15-20 minutes by car from the campsite followed by a steep 5 minutes approach on slightly loose terrain to get to the crag. Electric Avenue features slab to vertical routes in the ranges of 5.3 to 5.12b – all bolted. 

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CONTACT

2026 Climbing Festival Grounds

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Rock and Rise recreates on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh First Nation.

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