ClimbOot FAQ

ClimbOot is designed with queer participants in mind and ensuring that queer joy is at the centre of the festival is key. Allies are welcome.

We are committed to making ClimbOot an inclusive space. We welcome people of all climbing abilities, backgrounds and identities. Our bursary options were designed to improve access for individuals who are traditionally underrepresented in outdoor events: disabled; racially minoritised identities; trans and non-binary. 

If you have specific questions or access needs, please contact us and we would love to discuss how we can make ClimbOot a good space for you.

Exact timings are still TBC, but Registration/Sign-in time is expected to be between 5pm – 9pm on Friday 11th September.

If you’d like to arrive earlier, amazing! There’s lots to explore in the local area before & after the festival. You’re welcome to park up at Glenmore Lodge, bearing in mind we can’t guarantee parking spaces until after 5pm, as there will be midweek courses finishing between 4-5pm on Friday before we take over the Lodge

For late arrivals (planned or unplanned!), no worries if you arrive late on Friday, or first thing Saturday morning, you’ll still have a chance to register/sign in between 8am-8.45am Saturday morning.

Glenmore Lodge is our basecamp for the weekend: Glenmore Lodge, Aviemore, PH22 1QZ.

If you fancy getting public transport, Aviemore has a train station with regular trains passing through between the Central Belt and Inverness. There are also regular buses passing through Aviemore (don’t forget that buses are capped at £2 a journey in the Highlands, so be clever with your public transport and you could have a relatively cheap journey!). To get you from Aviemore to Glenmore Lodge (and back), we are running shuttles both arrival (Friday) and departure day (Sunday). Please get in touch & let us know what time you are expecting to arrive/depart Aviemore.

For Bursary ticket holders, we can provide up to £40 per person for transport costs. Please let us know in your application how you intend to travel to the festival.

If you are travelling from elsewhere in the Highlands or from the Moray area, we are partnering with LEAP Sports Scotland to provide transport support for folks based in those areas. Please let us know if you are from one of these areas when booking tickets and we’ll sort you out with free transport to the festival!

Absolutely! One of the main purposes of the festival is to help queer climbers start to climb outdoors. We would suggest you book onto a course like Rock Skills Introduction, to get the most from your experience.

Climbers who already have outdoor experience are very welcome to book a festival pass and enjoy the Cairngorms without instruction.

We are working on a buddy system so that solo independent climbers can find a climbing partner at the festival. More details to come.

Under 18s are an important part of the community and are very welcome at ClimbOot. They must be accompanied by their parent/legal guardian at all times for insurance and safeguarding purposes.

Please select your preferred accommodation when booking. If you select the in-house ‘hotel room’ option, as opposed to camping, we will be in touch to discuss the best arrangements for you and your child.

Please check the age requirements for courses as some have lower age limits. Under 18s must be accompanied by their parent/legal guardian (If parent/legal guardian will only be observing/not participating, they will not have to purchase a course space) when attending any course or organised activity.

Please note that you will need to make a separate booking for the under 18(s) you are bringing.

It is our aim to make the festival as accessible as possible, and the last thing we want is accessibility to be a barrier to the festival.

Glenmore Lodge

Our basecamp at Glenmore Lodge has worked hard over the last few years to upgrade and improve its accessibility. There are accessible rooms and facilities, and there will be accessible access to all communal spaces.

Courses

One of our course partners is A2A (Able to Adventure), who are helping to make some of our courses as accessible and inclusive as possible.

We are just updating our in-depth accessibility information page, so watch this space and we’ll get you more info asap. but in the meantime, if you have any questions about any of the courses, please get in touch to discuss any adjustments that may be needed.

Don’t worry! Course participants will be in balanced groups so no partners are required. For independent climbers in need of crag buddies, we will have a designated space and time where you can make plans with other independent climbers looking for a belay partner (no speed dating cringe, we promise).

While we will provide the space for this, ClimbOot is not responsible for pairing independent climbers up and climbers are responsible for their own safety.

The Cairngorms is beautiful but subject to Scottish weather, even in September. We have arrangements in place with local indoor venues for both roped climbing and bouldering options. Where courses cannot safely run outside due to weather, they will be adapted for indoor delivery.

Independent climbers will be able to access discounted entry to one of the indoor climbing venues we have partnered with.

Thank you for offering, we really appreciate it! Volunteers will be contacted by the volunteering team and allocated to a specific time slot and activity. Volunteering duties will not interfere with attending courses.

You will need to provide your own camping gear (if you have selected the camping accommodation option) – sleeping bag, roll mat etc. however there will be a limited number of tents for hire. Please specify if you need tent hire when booking tickets.

In terms of clothing, September can be beautiful in the Cairngorms, but it can be everything else too! So please pack for all weather conditions. That being said, our basecamp at Glenmore Lodge is mostly a warm indoor space (with drying rooms for wet gear!) so not as much needed for warm evening wear you might need at other festivals!

We also have outer layers like waterproofs and insulated jackets and rucksacks available to hire (at no extra cost). For Climbing equipment, we have a limited amount of gear to hire (at no extra cost), however it will be course specific, so please check out the description on the courses you would like to join…

There’s probably no need for cooking equipment…meals will be provided from Saturday morning until Sunday Lunch, and there is an optional meal on Friday night. There are no communal cooking facilities so if you want to cook for yourself Friday night or Sunday eve before you leave, you may have to bring your own gas powered cooking facilities and cook in the camping area.

If you haven’t been on a trip like this before, we are going to create a guide to help you with your Kit List…watch this space!

Glenmore Lodge has a range of options for accommodation, broadly split in to either camping or a bed in one of the Lodges hotel style rooms.

CAMPING

If camping, please try and bring your own tent and sleeping gear (although a limited number of tents will be available to hire). We will also have the option to have a ‘quiet space’ in the campsite if folk want a potentially more peaceful night’s sleep – please mention this on the booking form and on arrival. Campers will have 24hr access to the main building and the communal facilities inside.

‘HOTEL’ ROOM

If you’re wanting to stay in one of our swanky (but very subsidised!) in-house hotel rooms, with en suite bathrooms, you can book a bed in either a double or triple room. These are shared rooms, but we will endeavor to place folk with their friends or preferred group or gender if requested on the booking form.

Accessible accommodation is available. Please contact us if you would like to be placed here and haven’t already indicated it on your booking form.

VANS

There are limited van spaces at the venue, if you wish to stay in your van please contact us and we will try to accommodate.

Glenmore Lodge is well equipped with showers and toilets. The in-house rooms have en suite toilets/showers, and for the campers and during the day at the festival there are a number of communal toilets and showers.

Campers will need to bring thier own towels and toiletries.

For the duration of the festival all facilities will be for all genders.

Gendered signs will be replaced with inclusive, descriptive signs, e.g. “what’s in here” (urinals, stalls, etc.)

Sanitary bins will be spread around all facilities.

The festival is mostly catered…meaning you have meals provided from Saturday breakfast until Sunday lunch, with an optional non-inclusive meal on Friday evening.

There are no communal cooking facilities.

Yes, there is a licensed bar on site which has a good selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

We’d advise you to take advantage of the bar, as it’s a great sociable space, and try to refrain from bringing any externally purchased drinks into the main building.

Glenmore is located a short drive (or bus ride) away from Aviemore, with plenty of shops, pubs and restaurants. This might be useful for before and after the festival, but during the festival the food is catered and there is a bar on site, so hopefully there’ll be no need to head to town.

Local shops

Tesco Superstore: 14 mins drive from Glenmore Lodge
Fri 7am – 10pm
Sat 7am – 10pm
Sun 8am – 8pm

Aviemore Aldi: 15 mins drive from Glenmore Lodge
Fri 8am – 9pm
Sat 8am – 9pm
Sun 9am – 8pm

We know that some participants might welcome a dedicated space in which to decompress.

We are setting aside an area specifically for this.

This will be designated as a quiet area for those who want some sensory and social downtime.

Some participants may want a quiet space specifically for prayer.

We have set aside a dedicated space for this.

We ask that this space is respected and not used for any other purpose, to preserve it for those wishing to practise their faith.